When I was working as a gardener inside an art museum (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum), I had the funny experience of working around internationally recognized artists, patrons, and in front of Bill Cunningham’s lens. Getting dressed for work was problematic (to put it mildly). I had experienced the dearth of women’s work pants for about a decade up until that point, but the Museum and my time with Bill Cunningham inspired me to think about a solution to the problem. Like all great things, with time and effort, the dungarees I designed over the years got even more beautiful as I wore them to work each day. Many people were asking me to make them a pair and so here we are!

As our first dungaree introduction, the Slim Slouch is a mid-rise dungaree, which I designed with my pattern maker (who has 40 years in the biz) to sit higher in the back and scoop just below the navel in the front—it’s designed to be comfy for bending over for extended periods (a position not unfamiliar for most gardeners). These dungarees are made in a nano scale factory, where Carhartt and Levi’s were once made, pre-NAFTA. The talented women who sew our dungarees use machines that date back to WWII —the strength and elegance of the stitches reminds me of the importance of recognizing American craft, and pausing to think about the unique way jeans fit into the cultural fabric of this vast landscape.

Celebrating the selvage edge of this remarkable, deadstock 12 oz denim from the now extinct, White Oak Mill in N.C., we’re proud to make use of the last rolls of this gorgeous textile that already exists, saving precious resources where we can. To continue the tradition, we’ve adopted a virtually identical proxy from Japan. Large, old school patch pockets in both the front and back fit everything from a phone to a folded saw. The easy slide buckle-back allows you to further control the fit, making for a more comfortable ride and extended no-wash wear. Reinforced knee panels keep dreaded blow-outs at bay, and the open bottom seam prevents debris from getting trapped. As these dungarees break in, the unique wear patterns fingerprint your denim and carry the signature of your work.

• Mid-rise, slightly higher back rise.

• 100% cotton 12 oz. selvage denim.

• Sanforized (pre-shrunk).

• Lovingly made in Tennessee

• Straight leg.

• Available in 4 inseams and 3 fits.

Please get in touch if your desired size/inseam is not in stock to be added to our next run: Whitney@gamineworkwear.com : )