Before walking into this hip building in the heart of beautiful Soho, I would have never guessed the uniqueness that would be behind 3×1’s doors.
Inside 3×1
There were rolls of fresh jean material imported from around the world hanging on the walls {little did I know that there were 70 unique selvedge denims for men and 50 varieties of denims and twills specific to women up there!}. There is also an entire manufacturing facility, complete with galvanized stairs and landing, that is conveniently placed inside the main room. It houses tons of jean professionals working away on various projects. Did I mention there is even a complete 3,200 sq. ft. design studio in there as well? Oh, yes! This place has it all.
Manufacturing facility inside 3×1
A friendly staff welcomed my friend, Tom, and I into the store and guided us through a unique process of what it’s like to design and create jeans with the 3×1 brand. Best part? It’s not like shopping in a retail store. The point of this line is to make your jeans for you. Everything is customized and tweaked for your preference. We were overwhelmed with excitement about what we were about to experience.
Scott Morrison
Why the name, 3×1, you may ask? I questioned it too! It is derived from 3×1 Right Hand Twill {denim’s standard weaving construction}, and was created by the one and only, Scott Morrison, who was also behind both Earnest Sewn and Paper Denim & Cloth jeans. But this time, Scott has taken his talent and the customer experience to an entirely new level by bringing the 3×1 store to 15 Mercer Street.
Scott has created three different options for his customers at 3×1 starting at $295: Limited Edition {this refers to styles on display where the jeans can be hemmed and finished with a button and rivets}, Custom Made {this takes the previous category to the next level of meeting with a fit expert to determine which fabric, pockets, and threading to be used}, or Bespoke {this is where you get to work one on one with Scott and his pattern-maker to create your own pair of jeans from start to finish}. Although it is the most expensive, I thought the Bespoke option was the coolest {if you have an unlimited budget}! You can even bring in your own jeans that you once loved, but aren’t made anymore…and they will recreate them with your expertise!
The day my friend and I went into 3×1, there was no way he was walking out without a pair of jeans at hand!
Tom decided to go for a limited edition pair, and was talked into adding an orange button on the front by myself and the 3×1 sales team (our incentive: “Who else has an orange button on their jeans? Totally cool.”). They turned out just fabulous, and he even wore them out to dinner that night since the professionals made them while we were in the store! Compliments were galore all night.
One of the most interesting facts that I heard in 3×1 was when Tom asked, “How do I wash these jeans? I don’t want to mess up the raw materials inside or shrink them.” Their answer was totally bespoke. A sales rep said, “Honestly, the best way to wash them is to put them in the freezer!” When I got home, I immediately looked up “washing jeans in the freezer,” and found a great video to share with y’all! Click here to watch.
Tom’s customized jeans were all ready to go!
3×1 houses such a unique yet fun process of making jeans for you, and I was eager to learn more! Scott Morrison was nice enough to answer my questions:
Have you always had a great knowledge and love for jeans?
I kind of fell into denim as a career, but grew up wearing jeans and t-shirts as a kid in California, and I always liked the idea of the clothing business. But, I really fell in love with denim when I stepped into my first factory and laundry…from there, I was sold.
When did you decide to open up 3×1?
I decided to launch 3×1 in late October 2010. As I’ve gotten a bit older and, hopefully, progressed a bit as a designer my process started to change and the 3×1 concept really felt like the logical next step. I wanted to invite customers into the process, the same process that I’ve found so inspiring all these years, and I felt that it was time to do something in denim that no one was doing.
How do you select the denim for 3×1?
The fabric selection is one of my favorite parts of what we do. We currently offer more than 135 different denims from Japan, Italy, Turkey and domestically from Cone Mills, and were chosen because they fit into one of a few categories: authenticity, rareness, uniqueness and quality. Most of these denims are fabrics I could never have afforded at my other companies, Paper Denim and Earnest Sewn, and our ability to secure the rarest, most exceptional denims in the world is second to none.
What are consistent mistakes that people make when picking out their jeans?
There are a couple of things most customers might not think of:
(1) Back pocket size, which should always be proportional to the size of the leg panel and the length of your inseam/jean
(2) Pick a fit that flatters you and your personal style, not something that might look good on someone else. I can’t tell you how many people I see trying on skinny jeans or leggings because they’re trendy. The same goes more recently for high-rise wide leg flares… these are very specific silhouettes that don’t always look great on every figure. Make sure you try a few styles and see what flatters you most and start from there.
(3) When sizing your jeans, never buy what’s comfortable in the store as all denim with stretch out a bit (1/2 size usually) during wearing. Try to buy your jeans a bit on the tight side…I promise you, they’ll feel just right in an hour or two.
What are your favorite jeans by 3×1?
Great question but it’s very tough to answer. 3×1 is very different in every way as we design, cut and manufacture everything on the premises in NYC, so I’m involved in the process from start to finish in a way that just doesn’t happen in another jean company. And, with less than 25 pair of jeans being made each day, each is really special and, therefore, they’re all a bit my favorite… but, if I had to pick, I’d probably take a pair of M3 or M4’s (fit) in the xx60 denim with pocket #17 and either Burnt Orange or Egyptian Topaz colored thread or, if I was picking something for a woman, I’d suggest a pair of W2 Slingshot’s in either Black Overdye or one of our stretch indigo denims. Either way, I’d use a RiRi zipper, matching thread color, and Matte Black button and no rivets.
Any upcoming events at 3×1?
We’ve got two really special events coming up… a holiday wonderland of sorts during the month of December, curated by the incredible British illustrator Shantell Martin, as well as project in the works for January with photographer Ben Watts and Milk Studios.
I will never shop for jeans the same way. Why buy regular jeans from a retail store when you can make unique jeans…just for you? They’re rare, and will last a lifetime.
Post a Comment