Spring Style Blog

I’ve been on a cookie hunt because this May, much like last May has been chilly. However, this weekend temperatures are rising into the 20s and I’m looking to this outfit (on the left) to get in the mood for summer:

Now, some spring style notes:

At the beginning of April we (my husband, my baby and I) ventured out to attend a quilt show, followed by a rare dinner out. This was largely unsuccessful because on the drive to the show Lucy threw up in the car, was promptly changed, refused to get back in her car seat and she and I walked the rest of the way, her strapped to me, at which point she peed and her diaper leaked all over me. We were very late to the show and stayed all of five minutes and then raced to the restaurant where Lucy ate a fistful of Ritz crackers and then wanted to walk back and forth up the block for the remainder of the meal. HOWEVER, during the brief time I was at the show and despite being covered in bodily fluids, I zeroed in on a pair of jeans that my friend Jacqueline Lachance, designer of SpaBoy, was wearing, thinking they must be vintage - they reminded me of a pair I have from the sixties, they were the most beautiful shade of indigo, like dipped Easter eggs, with what looked like perfectly pressed creases down the front and back. I texted her about them the next day and was informed that they were not vintage and in fact were her new design and would be available for purchase in the next few weeks! I was floored and once production was finished I went straight to her studio to try on and buy a pair. I’ve been wearing SpaBoy jeans since I met Jacqueline in 2018 but felt that these new ones were a MUST have. The ‘True Blue Jeans’ are up online now I’ve been wearing them almost daily ever since.

Using indigo, Jacqueline dyes each pair of jeans in her Toronto studio and hand paints the creases (front and back - see here for it in action!) to fool the eye into looking like pressed pants. The jeans relax really nicely with a few wears (and something to consider if you want a tighter fit). I asked her to tell me a bit more about the process of making them:

I wanted to make a blue jean for this season, something classic. The process for the True Blue Jeans starts with white cotton denim twill jeans. Each pair is then dyed in an indigo vat we built in the studio. With indigo you can build up a depth of color by dipping the fabric multiple times. It's incredibly satisfying and surprisingly quick once you get going. The next step after the indigo is set was to create subtle crease lines (all done by hand) down the front and back. I use a non corrosive color extraction to remove the indigo, and we are left with whatever shape is painted on. In this case i press the jeans to create a crease before painting to make them precise without feeling machine made. Something to bring it into the spaboy world.

If you’re like me and have been wondering where to find a straw hat for your child like this one, I have news for you.