Local finds: Hur Jung-un Bespoke Denim

If you can custom-make a tailored suit for more formal occasions, why not get a pair of custom-made tailored jeans for the everyday? At Hur Jung-un's Bespoke Denim, you can do just that. Unlike several shops that use ready-made patterns to make "custom tailor" clothes, this store custom-designs a pair of jeans so that it will perfectly fit the person's body shape. Hur Jung-un explained how his store got its start: "I simply loved clothes when I was young, and then I started thinking that I wanted to make clothes for myself. I did my research and started making clothes, and when that happened, I started getting orders from those who admired my jeans." He imports materials directly from leaders in the jean industry, such as Japan, Turkey, and the U.S., which are reputed for good denim and highly advanced dyeing techniques. A customer who visits his shop picks the type of denim fabric that she or he likes, is measured, and discusses designs. Once the design is roughly decided upon, the customer can choose every detail of the product, including buttons, zippers and even the color of the threads. After basting is done, (for a perfect fit, they use denim instead of cotton cloth) the customer finalizes the details for the end product. One pair of jeans involves three trips to the store and costs quite the pretty penny, but it might be worth it to create the jeans of your dreams. The shop opened last year in January and this February they opened their second branch at the Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam.