Review: INDi Custom Denim

** Update ** Sadly, it appears INDi Denim has closed. Their website has been offline for several weeks, and their customer service phone has been disconnected. If you were in the middle of an INDi purchasing process (ie, waiting to make adjustments to your jeans), I would suggest disputing the charge with your credit/debit card company or Paypal before the end of your 30 day return policy.

**Update Part 2** If you have unsettled transactions with INDi, you can fill out a “Proof of Claim” to get reimbursed. Read the letter from INDi here.

Being such a unique size, I’m skeptical of internet ordered custom clothing. I assume I’m either off their fit scale, or that they have no idea what they’re dealing with and will overestimate my measurements. So when INDi Custom Denim approached me about a pair of custom jeans, I wavered about whether to agree to the hassle of receiving what in my mind would surely be ill-fitting jeans, and the displeasure of disappointing a company who had gone out on limb for me. My INDi contact seemed confident they could fit me, and I’ll admit I was curious if it could be done, so I agreed to the challenge. Here’s my order experience…

The order process:

After choosing the fit of your pair of denim from the choices of trouser, slim, skinny, classic, or plus, (I choose the Duboce Skinny for my jeans) the fun part begins.

source: indicustom.com

You can customize your jeans by a variety of options, including wash (fun colors are a new arrival to the INDi product line), rise, stitching, and pocket design. I wanted black jeans to add to my collection, so I chose “Lightweight Kezar”, with a “super low” rise, zipper fly, coin pocket, standard back pockets without embroidery.

Once you’ve picked the options you want, you move on to the shape information.This page asks you general questions about the way jeans typically fit on you, and the general shape of your figure. I found the drawings and descriptions to be a big help, and the questions pretty straight forward.

source: indicustom.com

The next section deals with measurements, and is the tricky part for customers who may not fit within the standard sizing bell curve. I found height to have a nice range, from 4’6″ all the way to 6’5″. The other options I thought were a little limited given the large height range. Weight, for example, ranges from 90 lbs to 240 lbs. For women of a height near 4’6″, it’s completely common to weight under 90 pounds, even without a super slim figure. Waist measure only went down to 24″, and I happen to know a few average to tall ladies with waists smaller than that, not to mention someone who may be around 4’6″.

Note – INDi asks you to measure your waist at belly-button level, which may be a larger measurement than you expect, since most women measure their waist as the smallest point of their torso.

source: indicustom.com

Being a person of odd size and height, I found myself off their scale at a few points…weight, bra band size (I’m a 28 band), and pant size number (I’d like to see a 00).

If you find yourself off the INDi scale, it’s best to contact customer service directly before ordering, to make sure they can accommodate your unique measurements. If you’re only off in a few spots, as I was, everything should be fine, but I’d still error on the side of caution and email them beforehand to make sure.

A few weeks later, my jeans arrived:

They were a bit big, most notably in the crotch, thigh, and leg. The waist fit well, although the rise was too high for my liking. After comparing to a pair of jeans that fit well, I estimated how big they were in certain places in inches. Now is the interesting part…adjustments!

source: indicustom.com

INDi has a satisfaction guarantee and will send you a new pair of jeans with your indicated adjustments free of charge if you’re not happy with your first pair. You do need to return your first pair back to INDi, by paying for shipping out of your own pocket. All of the basic adjustments I needed to my jeans are listed on the “adjustment” page, with the exception of one special modification I asked for directly…smaller back pockets. I’d love to see INDi add this to their adjustment page as an option, since I’m sure there are many women who place pocket size as a factor when determining figure flattery of their denim.

When the adjusted pair arrived a few weeks later, they were perfect! I have to admit, I was a bit shocked they were able to adjust the sizing from the first attempt into such a nice fitting pair of jeans for me, not to mention that they were able to do the impossible…fit my wonky size! I’m very happy with the fit, fabric weight, and color, and have already worn them quite a bit.

INDi also saves your personal pattern information, so if you want another pair of jeans down the road, you can reorder or make adjustments as you like. This is definitely something I’ll consider the next time I’m on a frenzied denim craze and can’t find the style or color I’m looking for…like I was earlier this year in my search for white jeans.

Outfit Details – Ann Taylor shirt (post) :: INDi jeans :: Ann Taylor belt :: J.Crew handbag :: Coach flats :: Stella & Dot necklace (c/0) ::  Stella & Dot bracelet (c/0) (in silver) :: Kate Spade watch (customized)

Has anyone else ordered from INDi? I’d love to hear about your experience.