Critical Shopping

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Prompted by a raw denim dilemma at hand, the Critical Shopper pays a visit to Self Edge on Orchard Street to fix his Levi's 501XX, check out the selection and get in touch with his inner motorcycle-riding tough-man self. It's worth noting that before visiting Self Edge, in an effort to break in his pair of 501XXs, the Critical Shopper actually considers sitting in a warm bath while wearing said jeans. The visit to Self Edge is a success as Jon Caramanica has his fancy Levi's chain stitch hemmed by a special machine for only $25 and checks out the goods from labels like Iron Heart and Sugar Cane—all while reveling in the manliness of it all. His overall impression ends with this sentiment: "And it’s possible to walk away with a head-to-toe bruiser look: thick work shirt, boots for stomping and magazines with which you can compare styles with other tough guys." [NYT]