April 1, 2008

Dittos jeans giveaway!

Last year we saw an unlikley pairing—Frankie B, the quintessential low-rise jeans brand, teamed up with Dittos, the iconic 1970s high-rise denim company.

The aim was to refresh the Dittos jean, and a year on we're pleased to report that Frankie B has birthed a whole new Dittos look, blending contemporary cuts and engineering with a super-cool retro sensibility (and fewer bell bottoms than you'd think).

Here, I talk to Frankie B founder Daniella Clarke (wife of former Guns 'n Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke) about her magical journey through time with Dittos, and why the low-waisted vs. high-waisted war is over.

(PS: We're giving away a pair of Dittos jeans too...details at the end of the interview!)

How did the collaboration with Dittos come about?

I was always a huge fan of Dittos, so when I got the phone call asking me to come on board it was a no-brainer. I even had a pair of old Dittos in storage.

How did you re-align Dittos with modern tastes?

I wanted to nod to what Dittos was, but I wanted a more contemporary fit and more modern fabrics. Gosh, technology has come such a long way in denim, and I wanted to reflect that.

What’s the new fit like then?

I wanted it to be a figure-hugging, a really sexy fit, as well as vintagey. The vintage element is the higher waist, but I kept it not too high, so it hits just below the bellybutton. One of the things I love about Dittos is the way they make your rear look. It’s a little tighter in the thigh and then it breaks right below your lower thigh, so that keeps everything lifted and sucked in where it needs to be. It’s very flattering.

So are people mixing high and low waisted these

days?

Yes, it is little bit of everything right now. At Frankie B we are still selling very strongly in our low-waisted. But it's kind of an open market, depending on what body shape and personal style you have. For me, some days I want to wear it super low like a rock 'n roll chick, and some days I want the high-waisted seventies look.

What do you recommend for women with curves?

Anything low-waisted and boot-cut or with a wider leg really helps to balance out the figure. Skinny jeans are more for a boyish, slim girl, because it helps to give her the curve. High-waisted I think is pretty forgiving too. Also it really elongates your body, especially if you're wearing it with a wide leg and high heel. Girls that have more of a booty actually want back pockets. You wouldn’t think it, but it is true.

What have you noticed among jeans wearers around the world?

In Japan its still skinny and dark. I see the trend shifting from dark to a little more of a distressed, chemically-treated look in Europe. Here, the predominant style is still a boot cut, with a little of a lower waist. Skinnies are still doing well, and people are moving away from the dark wash. Things are starting to get a little more creative.

Dittos is gifting a pair of its "Classic" jeans in blue (pictured) to a Stylephile reader. Just leave a comment telling us what your favorite thing about the 1970s is...or was. (It doesn't matter if you were still a glimmer in your daddy's eye at the time...just be creative!). And don't forget to leave your email address. Deadline is Monday April 7 at 5PM.

April 1, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink

Comments

knee high sweat socks and short shorts. and CHiPs!

Posted by keffron@gmail.com | Apr 24 2008 6:18PM

The Night Life Man!!!! I was only a kid but I would watch my older sister go out to disco clubs and always wish I could go with her. I never knew what it was really like, but I got a good idea it was fun when my sis would come home at 2 red, hot, and my parents yelling at her. Then I got to experience it myself with the magic of movies. ohhhh when "Saturday Night Fever" came out, I felt like I could now find out what went on...And boy did i wish I could be a part of it. The disco was fun, but the part that was my favorite...the roller skates! I wanted to be exactly like my sister with high waisted jeans, fluffy hair and roller skates that made me look 6' tall. and then of course the 80's came and i looked 6' tall just with the hair spray I used! lastfewartists@yahoo.com

Posted by roller girl | Apr 13 2008 9:50PM

the use of color! especially the bright oranges/citrus colors. oh and of course the wedge shoes too. dwbrosnihan@gmail.com

Posted by deirdre wynne | Apr 8 2008 8:35PM

NYC was alive in the 70s--it had a personality back then. It was gritty and exciting and THE place to be. Sadly, that is no longer the case.

Posted by fashionscribe | Apr 8 2008 4:46AM

The Partridge Family, The Brady Bunch, and listening to Casey Kasem's top 40 with my 'bestest friend'!

Posted by kathyb | Apr 7 2008 12:25AM

I wasn’t born in the 70’s but I look to every decade for my style inspirations. The seventies gave us bell-bottoms, hippy chique, and love beads. The decade brought us some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, like Farrah Fawcett, John Travolta, and other greats. Endless streams of classic TV shows are now on reruns for every generation to enjoy. lfrits20@student.scad.edu

Posted by lfrits20@student.scad.edu | Apr 6 2008 11:07PM

The best thing about the 70's is that I was conceived as the "love child" of my wacky whACKED OUT PARENTS. Then I was also born. Yea 70's!!! amyrosee@gmail.com

Posted by 70's Love Child | Apr 5 2008 2:13AM

In 1970s I liked to collect calendar cards and cards for which storage I had special original bag.

Posted by Lyudmila Sizova (lusizova@rambler.ru) | Apr 5 2008 1:46AM

My favorite things about the 70's: ABBA-a song for any kind of mood you're in, the Brady Bunch-answers to all your questions, and the smiley face-the ability to wear your smile on a t-shirt. jdsweek@yahoo.com

Posted by jd | Apr 4 2008 8:39PM

Favorite TV show had to be Three's Company. Dug the clothes on that show. Favorite band is Blondie (late 70s)! lucky3redding [at] yahoo [dot] com

Posted by Come knock on my door! | Apr 3 2008 4:10PM

The Monkees! Come on, you know you love them - they're undeniably hip. And the groovy clothes! The beads...mandarin collars...dashiki style shirts...the hats and boas...Brilliant!

Posted by norma; normavr@aol.com | Apr 3 2008 2:31PM

The best thing about the 70's was my feeling of invincibility in my light blue, polyester, flutter sleeve, made by my mother, Princess Leia iron-on shirt.

Posted by Jennifer | Apr 3 2008 11:47AM

Sorry, that's Kristina AT KristinaHughes DOT com.

Posted by KristinaH | Apr 3 2008 10:48AM

The best thing about the 70's was learning how to play the harmonica to New Riders of The Purple Sage in my dad's orange VW bug on visitation Sunday (my folks divorced) while waiting in line forever to get gas! Thanks for the trip back in time. ~Kristina

Posted by KristinaH | Apr 3 2008 10:47AM

Oh the 70's! Born in 1971 the vinyl records - Sitting in my room wood paneled with yellow/green carpet right next to my orange and white record player and playing Undercover Angel my first vinyl! Sitting in my favorite white denim shorts with a rainbow on the pockets and my favorite purple bandeau top. Wearing headbands and finding my love for make-up and blue eyeshadow. Seeing my mom and dad getting ready for a night on the town my mom dressed in a white bell bottom jumpsuit and my father in a white suit. The greatest memory of the 70's michelleromero3993@yahoo.com

Posted by michelle3993 | Apr 3 2008 10:13AM

I wasn''t born in the 70s, but my husband was. So, he definitely is the most fave thing of mine from the 70s! :) bunnybox9 [at] lycos [dot] com Thanks!

Posted by Bunny | Apr 3 2008 5:04AM

My favorite memory (besides that I owned a pair of Dittos in every color) was the perpetual hunt for the "correct" tight fit. Laying down on the floor of the dressing room - zipping up the Dittos with a pair of pliers while sucking in your tummy and holding your breath. Otherwise - I don't remember much else from the 70's for lack of oxygen.

Posted by mimic90272@yahoo.com | Apr 2 2008 11:37AM

Not sure this is a "favorite" memory but I remember the well-accepted way to find the right size was laying down on the floor of the dressing room and if you needed pliers to pull the zipper up - AhHA! you have the right pair. Otherwise, I can't remember much from the 70's for lack of oxygen reaching my brain.

Posted by nvrtwoyung@mac.com | Apr 2 2008 11:34AM

the thing about the 70's was, it felt like 'anything' was truly possible... that there was nothing that might not come true... i also had my first lovey daughter in '79, so she's the Very best thing that i got to do! nikkiriverhilton@hotmail.com

Posted by nikki | Apr 2 2008 3:45AM

Even though I was born as the decade was coming to a close, I just loved the style and 'look' of the 70s! High waisted jeans, platforms, bell bottoms, everyone seemed so hip...my opinions were formed strictly by looking at old family photos, and I thought my mother was just so BEAUTIFUL back then!! missliz7ic@yahoo.com

Posted by beef | Apr 1 2008 4:31PM

The best thing about the 70s was The Doors! captainchrisandrews@yahoo.com

Posted by The Captain | Apr 1 2008 2:22PM

The best thing about the 70's were my lime green hip hugger dittos. Until my mother cut them into shorts when they got grass stains on the knees. I'm still in mourning! Still! I have to admit, I also liked my denim window pane suit (jeans & matching jacket). Sadly, I left the jacket on the camp bus.

Posted by Uma | Apr 1 2008 12:40PM

my fave 70's memories are Dittos tuxedo-backs in powder blue denim; also, I used to love Chemin de Fer jeans as well - I remember thinking $30 was a lot of $$$ for a pair of jeans! shollihan@yahoo.com

Posted by Godric | Apr 1 2008 11:41AM

Ah, the 70s ... so many fashion disasters to choose from! Marshmallows (the high, white wedged shoes - with dark colored uppers, of course - that we all HAD to have); Buffalo sandals (light tan leather sandals, again with a high wedge heel - a theme? - this time w/a sueded finish on the curvy (tho not quite Ferragamo cury)wedge; windowpane jeans (modest bell bottoms with a windowpane-shaped, sometimes multicolored patchwork pattern to the denim); and I haven't even BEGUN to mention the stuff we wore to the teen disco or to the block parties where rappers and scratchers were starting to make their mark! My favorite '70s outfit, though, would have to be the pale blue satin "track" shorts with white piping that I wore - with a cap-sleeved, white, "silky" shirt with a keyhole neckline that had a drapey bow - to Disneyworld in about 1976. I think the outfit was completed with white socks and clear jelly sandals (which have made a comeback recently - I wonder if they still start to melt on hot asphalt in a NY summer?). I was TOO fly, LOL!! flexablesistah@hotmail.com

Posted by FlexSis | Apr 1 2008 11:28AM

My favorite 70's memory, missing an entire day of high school to hand stud with silver stars the outside seams of my favorite bell bottoms (terribly blooding myself in the process), so I could be totally hot in the first row of an Edgar Winter (true 70's rock) concert where I promptly curled up and fell asleep from a contact high. Even then I knew, looking good was the best revenge. nshaw@dsmtfl.com

Posted by studded stars | Apr 1 2008 10:18AM

My favorite were "x-rated movie jeans" an actual style. These were HUGE bell bottoms with two zippers running all the way down the front for easy removal. My parents wouldn't let me get them though, I wonder why? shakeup1@aol.com

Posted by tubbytoast | Apr 1 2008 9:57AM

Besides the fact that it's the decade when I was born, I think my favorite physical "thing" from the 70s is the DVF wrap dress, which is still a classic and an icon today. s_shepston at yahoo dot com

Posted by DVF Wrap Dress | Apr 1 2008 9:50AM