It is inevitable that if you wear your raw denim long enough they will need some repairs. Whether it is a crotch blow out, a knee rip or any other damage that comes from wearing one pair of pants all day, everyday; the denim will eventually give.
Thankfully, when this happens there is no need to get rid of your beloved pair of jeans. Rather, there are numerous shops around that specialize in repairing your denim, giving them new life and months more of wear. Below we have highlighted some of our go-to spots for denim repairs.
1. Denim Therapy
As some of you may know, we previously wrote an extensive review on Denim Therapy. Their work is always top-notch and their service is undeniably simple. Simply mail your jeans to them, fill out a sheet explaining the areas you need fixed, and in a couple weeks your jeans will be back to you better than new. Having had first-hand experience with them, I can personally attest to the quality of thefir repairs, which have held up for almost a year now.
In specific, Denim Therapy‘s exclusive “Colour Match” system and darning machine ensures that they will perfectly match your fades and denim shade; making the repair almost invisible. They are located in New York City and will give you the option of dropping your jeans off or mailing them in. Check out their website for more information.
2. Railcar Fine Goods
In addition to making solid denim and dry goods, Railcar Fine Goods has recently opened up a comprehensive denim repair and alterations service. They’ll not only repair or hem their own jeans, but also denim from any brand as well. Their services include chain stitch hemming, cuff repair, darning, leg tapering and waist resizing. All repairs are priced very competitively and are completed on traditional industrial machines to ensure quality, long-lasting repairs. Check out their complete line of services on their website.
3. Detroit Denim
Detroit Denim is a relative newcomer to the selvedge denim business, but in addition to their denim line they have now incorporated a comprehensive repair service that provides a variety of repairs at low prices. They do all repairs in-house and the darning services are completed on an industrial Consew 207 machine.
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Detroit Denim‘s services are incredibly flexible, and they recommend that you contact them prior to sending your jeans so that they can provide an accurate quote for how much your repairs will be; or let you know if your jeans are beyond repair and you’re in need of a new pair. Check out their full range of services on their website.
4. Denim Surgeon
Like Denim Therapy, Denim Surgeon is located in New York City and provides in-house as well as mail-in services. Denim Surgeon provides a full range of repair and darning services, from crotch repairs, to knee repairs, to pocket repairs, as well as a full range of tailoring services. Like the other services on the list, all you have to do is fill out a printable form with the repairs you would like completed, mail your jeans and the form to denim surgeon, then wait a few weeks to have your jeans back and better than new.
Denim Surgeon also provides a full range of hardware replacement services, that complement their variety of repairs and alterations. Check out their midtown Manhattan location, or stop by their website to see a full listing of the services they offer.
5. Denim Doctor
For our readers in the UK, mailing your damaged selvedge denim jeans to New York City isn’t your only option. Denim Doctor is located in Manchester, England and offers a full range of repair and alteration services, as well as chain stitch hems. Denim Doctor looks to have extensive experience in repairing a variety of different brands and styles of selvedge jeans, and looks to be able to complete nearly any repair or alteration that you could need.
Like the others, they stock a variety of denim threads that make the repair blend into your fades, making them nearly invisible. The Denim Doctor takes both mail-in, as well as walk-in orders for repairs. Check out their full range of services and a gallery of completed repairs on their website.
6. Denimrepair Dot Com
Although it’s a newer service, the guys in charge have been in the business for decades. Eric Goldstein is a name you might have heard before. He’s one of the creators of the RRL and Polo Ralph Lauren labels as well as the founder of Jean Shop. His co-founder Bruce Gershon has been cleaning and repairing garments for over 40 years and his experience goes back three generations.
It works like other services in that they take mail-in orders. You go to their site, select the services you want, print out a confirmation, and send your jeans to them. The website is clean and easy to navigate. When you get to the ‘Purchase Repair Options’ screen, you can select as many options as you want. These include crotch repairs, hardware replacements, leg tapering, washing, dry cleaning, and more. Read our full review of the service here and visit their website to order a repair.
Honorable Mention: Self Edge
Self Edge does not offer a mail-in service, but does offer a full range of repair and alterations services at their San Francisco or New York City locations. They pride themselves on being able to complete any repairs that you can imagine happening; from something as simple as a new hem to replacing a button or zipper or a crotch blow out.
All of Self Edge’s services are completed on a 1950’s Singer Darning Machine that recreates the denim, creating a longer lasting and more authentic looking repair then what would be achieved with a patch. Their work takes 5-8 days, so if you are in town and plan on dropping your jeans off, keep this in mind. Check out their website for more information, as well as our previous article on their San Francisco Darn-It! repair studio.
