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Meet Chad Hilton, The Man Behind Your Favorite Boyfriend Jeans

by Ruthie Friedlander | 4:15 pm, August 11th, 2010

We ladies have been stealing from our guys quite a bit lately: boyfriend blazers, masculine plaid shirts and those oversized watches. But the truth is, the whole rugged-yet-tailored look just works — and for both sexes. Lexi Green, a regular contributor to The Inside Source, an online style magazine presented by eBay, recently spoke with Los Angeles-based designer Chad Hilton, who started Crate Denim for men in 2006 and has been capitalizing on the whole androgynous trend. Hilton hand-produces each item using leftover, dead stock denim of a quality no longer produced. (That means the jeans you buy from Crate Denim today are made of old fabric originally manufactured for, say, Levi Strauss or Wrangler.)

Says Hilton: “I love the machines, the safety gloves, the marker, even spreading the fabric.” His affinity for manufacturing came in handy when he was starting out, and now it helps him continue to grow a more sustainable and locally-made clothing line. “When I started Crate Denim I had to use dead stock fabrics because our production numbers were so low we couldn’t get any mills to spin fabric for us. As our line and numbers grew, I kept choosing the same fabrics. Denim mills in the States produce so much extra fabric annually, why contribute to overages?”

Hilton believes in the value of a lasting product. “Jeans are meant to be worn hard,” he says. “Buy a pair that is going to last. I started Crate Denim six years ago and own only three pairs of jeans today!” And for all you ladies plotting ways to steal more of your guy’s goods, sit tight. By fall 2011 Crate Denim will have a full women’s collection.

For more with Hilton, including a look at some of his favorite vintage finds on eBay, visit The Inside Source.

The Inside Source writer Lexi Green authored this article in its original form. Images of Crate Denim and Chad Hilton provided by the subject. All photos unless otherwise indicated courtesy of The Inside Source.


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