“Ever since I was a kid, I have always wiped my hands on my jeans – seems so natural for jeans to be dirty. Like they are asking for it,” Lauren Soloff said. “Naturally, I love being able to do that when I am cooking.” It’s no wonder, then, that Lauren, an architect and interior designer, chose to wear a denim apron for our shoot.

Lauren, who lives in Los Angeles and has one of the warmest, most welcoming homes I’ve been in yet, also has this jean jacket – Levi’s, vintage, bought at Canal Jean Company in New York in the 90s. It has a splash of pink ink on the right shoulder. “From a project for my son’s preschool, years ago,” she explained, reinforcing her carefree attitude toward denim in general. Discolored? Grease-stained? Aged? It’s all good.

So, does Lauren decorate with denim? “I have tried it once or twice, but still haven’t found a way to use it that feels just right,” she told me. “I guess I am a bit of a purist in that I believe denim is for wearing.” I can’t argue with that!

Describe your Levi’s jacket for me in one word.

Magical

What’s the first memory that comes to mind when you think about it?

I immediately go back to NYC in the 90s. That was a long and powerful decade for me.

If your jacket could talk, what would it say about you?

My jacket would probably say how moody I am.

What does your jacket know about you that the rest of the world does not?

That I am messy.

Lauren StoloffHOME, WORK Lauren in her living room in Hollywood. “I have tried it once or twice,” she says of using denim to decorate, “but I still haven’t found a way to use it that feels just right.”

What do you and your jacket have in common?

We are both loyal.

How are you different?

I am temperamental. My jacket is very consistent and even.

If you could go anywhere in the world in your jacket tomorrow, where would you go?

We’d be off to Pondicherry, India. I would love to see that old denim against the backdrop of all those vibrant, acid colors.

What’s the best possible thing you could be doing in it right now?

Using it as a pillow while napping under a huge tree.

I noticed a very faint pink ink stain on the right shoulder. Do you know how it got there?

Working on a project for my son’s preschool, years ago.

Lauren Stoloff
Lauren StoloffLET’S DRINK (TEA) TO THAT Denim in the kitchen? Lauren’s favorite apron is one she found in Bolinas, CA. “I love being able to wipe my hands on it when I am cooking, and know it’s getting better and more seasoned with age.”

When is it always right to wear your Levi’s jacket?

Always

When is it wrong?

Never

Has anyone else ever worn your jacket?

While it’s been in my life, no, I am the only one.

What’s the best possible ending you could imagine for it?

Passing it along to a grandchild.

Fill in the blank: In my denim, I am _________.

Forever young.

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We found an amazing selection of one-of-a-kind vintage Levi’s jean jackets like Lauren’s at DenimRefinery.com – shop them below!