“I rarely ever wear new denim; all of the shopping I do is for vintage,” explained Mara Hoffman, the New York designer whose print-driven clothes are must among women of the global, haute-hippie style persuasion. So where on earth, you ask, did she score the perfect-fitting Levi’s Orange Tabs she’s wearing here? At A Current Affair, the L.A. vintage show that recently started traveling to N.Y. “Hands down the best denim,” she said. And her jacket, which is covered in hand-drawn characters from “The Simpsons”? (Scroll down. Really, it’s something you don’t see every day.) “At Narnia in Williamsburg,” she confided. Write this down, guys. It’s serious intel!
We’re calling Mara’s Levi’s “superjeans” because they do the two things so many women want their jeans to do – enhance both body and mind. “They accentuate my assets,” Mara said (putting extra emphasis on the “ass” :), “and I feel confident when I wear them. Confidence is a good thing for the mind.” We couldn’t agree more.
About Mara’s jacket… Scribbled inside the right chest pocket in permanent marker is a name: Nick R. Ferrara. Presumably, Nick is the artist responsible for covering the jacket in “The Simpsons.” Who knows. Mara is dying to find out. And now, we are, too! So Nick, if you’re out there, send us a note, a tweet, a DM via Instagram (@jeanstories). We want your story, too!
Describe your Levi’s in one word.
Forevers
What’s your very first memory of them?
They’re relatively new to my collection. I found them at a vintage show recently, so I guess my first memory would be feeling so grateful that we had found each other.
If your jeans could talk, what would they say about you?
You’re one saucy, casual, tiny-bit-rodeo lady.
What do your jeans know about you that the rest of the world does not?
That I just got laser hair removal on my upper legs and bikini. Whoops, now everyone knows.
If you could go anywhere in the world in them tomorrow, where would you go?
I’d hit the desert.
What attracted you to this particular pair?
I’m a sucker for a good vintage fit – the fade was just right. All in all, a 10.
What usually attracts you to a pair of vintage jeans?
All of the above – they need to fit all the points: wash, fit, feeling. I’m open to all vintage pairs but I do always keep an eye out for 501 or 517 Levi’s.
What’s the best possible thing you could be doing in your Levi’s right now?
Riding a horse through the countryside.
BABY GOT BACK The trick is to wear them tight. “They accentuate my assets,” Mara says of her 501s with a wink. “I feel confident when I wear them. Confidence is a good thing for the mind.”
What’s the best possible ending you could imagine for them?
Wearing them down until they’re threads – then I’ll know I’ve worn them at least 500 times.
Fill in the blank: In my jeans, I feel _________.
Pretty rad, kind of sexy, and ready to hit the wide blue yonder.
What’s the thing you wish you knew about your jacket the most?
My burning question is: Who is the real Nick Ferrara? (The name which is signed inside of this jacket and whom I believe to be the creator of this artwork.)
On what occasions is this jacket perfect?
I would say on most occasions, excluding weddings and funerals.
If you could give your jacket to anyone in the world dead or alive, who would you give it to?
My son – very much alive.
Do you have a favorite “Simpsons” character? If so, which is it?
Marge is pretty awesome, but I’m also a fan of the baby.
Fill in the blank: In my jacket I _________.
Always have at least three people ask me about it, and three more people staring at it with confusion.
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