Review: INDi Custom Denim

indi-denim-1

** 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:

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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.

indi-denim-2Outfit 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.

Join the Conversation

43 Comments

  1. says: Lindsay Scouras

    I got a gift card from INDi from a blogging event and had yet to use it, mainly because I was apprehensive about ordering jeans online. Thank you for this guide- I will definitely take a second look!

    ~L

    1.  Hi Lindsay! I was super skeptical too. The adjustment feature where you can fix anything that might be wrong with your first pair was really cool, and surprisingly good. Is your gift card for a free pair, or just a dollar amount off? They have sales every now and then, which might be a safer bet if it’s only for a few bucks off.

  2. says: Jessy

    I heard about the company a while ago, but still have my doubts even after seeing this. The denim looks stiff – almost like raw denim. Is it?

    1.  They’re not stiff like raw denim at all. They’re a thicker weight than jeggings obviously, but not super stiff either. They also softened up after a wash. Now they feel like my Paige skinnies, which are a pretty light weight stretchy denim. In the photos, they haven’t been washed yet.

  3. That is awesome.  I am keeping this in mind for the future.  Denim is the only thing for which I hate shopping.  I would rather shop for swimwear than for denim.   It’s so hard to find a good fit.

    1.  Wow! This sounds like your perfect jean shopping experience then! Pick
      your jeans, tell them exactly where to fix it, receive everything in the
      mail… =)

      I do think you’re crazy about the swimwear though…that’s my own personal hell. LOL.

  4. says: Lisa Ng

    I enjoyed your thorough review and suggestions for site improvement! I know, huge pockets…what a pain.

  5. says: Joanna Tong

    Great review! I wanted to share my great customer service experience with INDi. I had purchased a Living Social Deal for $75 (such a score) and although it had expired, a customer service rep generously extended it for me. I ordered and after sending them back once, I had a great pair of jeans. I’m not someone who has a hard time finding jeans as I’m just on the cusp of petite sizing at 5’3 and shaped pretty normally, so I’m not sure I would pay full price and shell out $150+ on jeans normally. I have, however, recommended INDi to friends who have a notoriously hard time finding jeans to fit their proportions.

  6. says: Abby_cooper

    I like them…But yeah, SMALLER POCKETS! I think jean manufacturers make pockets larger to accomodate the growing size of the world’s population (because they may minimize a large rear), but they have to realize that style doesn’t work for EVERYONE!

  7. says: Elissa

    I’m glad the jeans ended up fitting you, but the fact that the company couldn’t get it right the first time would make me never order from them, especially since you have to pay for their mistakes/inability to have more sizes available in the first place. 

  8. says: Liz

    Wow, they did a fabulous job.  They look fantastic on you!  On an unrelated note, have you ever done a post on curly hair?  Your hair always looks so great and you never straighten it.

    1.  Hi Liz! Nope, I’ve never done a post on curly hair but I’m starting to get some requests for it. It looks awful straight, which is why I always have it curly and had to learn early on how to tame the ‘fro. I’m considering putting a post together, so if you have any requests, let me know!

  9. says: Elle

    Jeans look great.
    What’s with them only having up to a D cup in bra sizes? I mean, this probably doesn’t matter too much when making jeans, but it’s a little weird :/

  10. says: RedHeather

    I’ve ordered a second pair of Indi jeans now because, after finally experiencing jeans that fit my small waist and muscled thighs and calves, I just can’t imagine walking around in my old, poorly fitting jeans (the produce of arduous searches for something that would ‘work’). I just love them! I feel really confident in them. Historically I’ve been a skeptic of elastic in jeans because I’ve found stretch jeans to sag, but the technology has obviously improved given that I can wear these jeans for days and days in a row (bah humbug to you ‘throw them in the hamper after one day’ kids) and they hug my curves. They are rather expensive, so watch for sales (30% off Memorial Day weekend, for example). In my mind, they are worth the price because ill fitting jeans have always worn out prematurely in the crotch for me, and these fit me so well they don’t rub there and I believe they’ll last much longer. I actually use my pockets, so I like their large size, but I wish they’d move the pockets up a little higher so that they don’t end below my butt’s curve (I’m going to ask for that when I exchange them for a slightly smaller waist now that I’ve changed the yoke a little this time — we’ll see if they can do that for me). Like you, I had to send them back for one fit adjustment each time before they got them right. Worth the wait.

  11. says: ksolomon55

    Just received my Indi order and need to make a couple of adjustments… unfortunately, I am getting an error that their site is down.  Boo!

    1. Hi! So I did some snooping and it appears INDi has closed up shop, at least for now. Such a shame, and I’m sorry your order got stuck in the middle of the mess. If I were you, I’d look into disputing the charge with whatever company you used to make the purchase, whether it was credit card, debit card, or Paypal. Since you have 30 days to return the jeans, and they are not allowing the return with their website and customer service being offline, you have a case. I hope you can solve the issue, and if you find anything out that might help others in the same predicament, I’d love to hear about it! Best of luck!

  12. says: Damunoz1

    Received my first order from Indi and my jeans need to be altered.  Two weeks later, the website has been down and you cannot get through by phone.  What is going on?  Ready to turn this over to my credit card company, especially since you have 30 days to return your jeans.

    1. Hi! So I did some snooping and it appears INDi has closed up shop, at least for now. Such a shame, and I’m sorry your order got stuck in the middle of the mess. I think you have the right idea with disputing the charge with your credit card company. Technically, your transaction with them was never completed since they were never able to hold up the second part of the denim purchasing process (the adjustments). And, like you said, you have 30 days to return. Best of luck and if you find out anything that could help others who are in a similar position, I’d love to hear about it!

  13. says: Denise

    I purchased from Indi.  Bottom line, I wasn’t interested in buying from them again because I was not satisfied with the fit (after two pairs) nor the fabric.  They look good though, and I will still wear them again come winter.  They just didn’t become favorites like my Rag & Bone, True Religion, 7FAM, Paige and even Zara jeans have.  And because they haven’t fallen into that favorites category, I was unwilling to plunk down $185 to give them another try.  Even with a 30% off coupon and guarantee of fit.  However I really liked the IDEA of this company as well as the customer service.  My first pair ripped after one wear (at the waistband) and they made me another pair at no charge

  14. says: Maggie Fodge

    When did you post your updates about INDi closing? I received an email from them at the beginning of July about the claims but when you google anything about it nothing appears, it’s bizarre. Is it for certain they are closed? When I checked their site last week it said they’d be back. Today it won’t load.

    1. Hi Maggie! I was able to get ahold of a former employee about a month ago who without any details basically said INDi was out of business. As soon as I found out, I added updates to this post. I couldn’t find any information online either.

  15. says: Shari Joy

    I ordered a pair that was near perfect. Only problem was that I thought I had “average” thighs but Indi felt I had “full” thighs. Grrr. I sent them back for adjustments. However, the second pair I received wasn’t even close to what I had ordered the first time. The style was completely wrong, color, size, everything. It was like they just grabbed a pair and shipped them to me. Now I’m stuck because they’re gone. : (

  16. Hey, I love your post and just wanted to give a shout out to IndiCustom as I’m so sad they’re closed! I have no idea what I’ll do for jeans now as I have a odd size (5’11) that is rare to find in stores. My experience with them has been superb. I have two pairs and I wish I ordered 5 more. The price was extremely reasonable, especially when you have no choice but to buy designer jeans for lengthy inseams. If anyone knows of any other custom denim sites, please pass along the information!

  17. says: Merf

    I LOVED INDI! I was very sad to see them close up. I’m a six footer with a 36″ inseam, a very long torso and a waist 3-4 sizes smaller than my hips. To get my hips in a pair of jeans I would have to buy a huge size and take in so many inches in the waist they would not fit correctly and my butt would pop out every time I bent over or sat down. My first pair from Indi was INCREDIBLE! They fit like nothing I’ve ever had before! Unfortunately I found them too late in the game. I only have 3 pairs and I’m taking super good care of them

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