I’ve made a habit of outing myself on these pages, and because consistency is key and also because personal branding needs to stay strong in 2020, I’ll keep it rolling… I don’t wear rigid denim. I just don’t. I own a rinsed pair from a nice brand because I thought I would wear them, but I rarely do.
I don’t know why this is—I enjoy blue to a questionable degree—but it just is. That being said, a self-described lunatic disliking a less-comfortable alternative to a popular thing isn’t notable here. What is of note is that I, a man, have the option of disliking so many things because those things actually exist: I can get stretch denim, washed denim, science denim, rigid denim, whatever.
Varietals cut for women, however, are decidedly lacking.
Thankfully Lee set out to rectify the problem, at least in the Rigid category, with the Re-Issue Rigid Ladies Lee Riders. Meticulously modeled after the first pair to hit the market in 1947, these jeans are “nearly identical to men’s [Riders] with a few exceptions.”
Those exceptions? A small dart in the yoke for a more fitted waist, a fuller seat and hips. So to be clear, these aren’t borrowed from the boys, they’re borrowed from the archives.
Elsewhere, they’re made with a 9oz. 100% cotton selvedge denim and they feature a button fly, two patch pockets at the back, branded copper rivets, the “Lazy S” compound stitching, a generous rise and a straight leg.
Available for $175 from Lee.
