Them

Being someone who doesn't really have a huge stock of jeans sitting in the closet, (I own one pair of black ones that are thrown on when I have nothing else to wear) I've had a hard time finding a pair that fits well, looks good and has a simple, clean aesthetic.

That's when I reminded myself of my boyfriend's good friend, Brian Kim.

Brian is a Los Angeles-based designer/musician who used to co-own custom jean shop, Work, in Echo Park. His friend David Hershberger, now designer of Endovanera, was a seamster there and these guys were wheeling out custom jeans with precision tailoring and only the best Japanese denim found.

Now, both of them have recently opened two new shops:

David has Front St, where he sells his Endovanera line, his fabulous lower priced line, Nortwick and other local designers like Himiku and Scout.

It has a kind of classic clean look with a bit of some well styled, old-worldly charm (much like his clothing!)

Neighboring him is Brian's custom and ready-to-wear clothing shop, Them Atelier.

The prices are affordable for most people, starting at $90. And knowing Brian, he would construct a beautiful pair of custom jeans that would fit the contours of anyone's body.

I like the idea of buying something directly from the person who made the clothing and you know it's made with careful craftsmanship, good editing and a lot of heart. Both Brian and David are some of the best dressed, handsome, talented and down-to-earth human beings that I have meet in the Echo Park area. I really believe in their work and seriously recommend stopping by these two stores if you are living in or visiting the Los Angeles area.