UPDATE – May 30, 2010 – anti-spam reaction
In the almost three years since I wrote this post, it’s constantly been either the first or second most popular page on my whole blog. I haven’t ordered from makeyourownjeans.com again, though I still wear their jeans almost every day. The shirts eventually wore out and I had better ones, so they’re long gone.
However, I’ve been getting more and more annoyed with their sketchy business practices, and I can therefore no longer endorse them. They’ve tried to spam this page with positive comments numerous times, they used my pictures below without my permission, and just today I searched Google for ‘blog.mpdaugherty.com’ and found out they’ve been using my review when spamming other websites. The last one is the last straw for me, because not only do I have no control over it, but it also hurts my reputation. I would never add comment spam to someone’s blog or website, and I don’t want them (or Google) to think I do. If you’ve come here through one of those links, I apologize.
On the other hand, if you really just want to read the review I wrote so long ago, go ahead. It’s unedited below.
—- Original Post —-
A while ago, I wrote about makeyourownjeans.com, a website that sells custom-made clothing, that I thought might be the answer to the tall (or short) person’s dilemma. It’s been a long time, but on August 6, I finally went ahead and placed an order with them for two items – a pair of jeans, and a formal shirt.
The jeans cost $45, the shirt was $22, and shipping altogether was $20. I think the shipping rate goes down a little if you buy more items at a time. Still, the prices are fairly reasonable. $55 for a nice pair of jeans is just over average, and $32 is a little high (if you usually buy on sale), but possibly worth it if it fits perfectly.
I decided to measure myself according to the directions on their website and see how the items turned out. My shipment arrived yesterday, for a total production+delivery time of 18 days. Not too bad.
It turns out that the material and craftsmanship in both the jeans and shirt is extremely good. For example, check out how they lined up the stripes across the shoulder seam versus the black shirt from Express (which would have cost $45 had I not gotten it on sale). Unfortunately, the jeans don’t quite fit. I probably should have had a tailor help me get my measurements, since I wasn’t really sure how to estimate what the correct number for me should be, and the seat of my pants is slightly too tight.
Nevertheless, I’m very happy with the overall quality and will probably order from them again (after getting professionally measured).
August 23, 2007 at 6:25 pm
hmm nice shirt. but i wouldn’t stick with too-tight pants…especially with a nice shirt…
August 23, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Haha, no, I’m not going to wear the pants. In the picture, I just have on some old black pants. Even though this pair turned out tight, I guess the big picture is that I think they make good clothes, and I can probably get a pair that’s not tight, provided I change the measurements correctly.
May 18, 2008 at 12:02 pm
makeyourownjeans is a rip-off company based in India. When you receive a pair of jeans 2 to 3 inches smaller in the waist and the thighs than what you ordered, there is no way this company will ever admit they made a mistake. There will never be a physical address provided for a return/exchange. Your complaints to your credit card company and the Better Business Bureau will result in letters stating that they have attempted to contact makeyourownjeans and have failed. Email is the only means of contact, and the support emails will repeat numerous times that you are stuck with your jeans, as they never make mistakes in their measurements, and you are welcome to order a new pair of jeans at a discount. Never have I received such dishonest and illogical responses when I have attempted to reurn an item I have purchased. So much of my time away from work to try to correct their mistake, attempts at shipping, money wasted…and their sole response has been “we double check our measuring…we make no mistakes…”. MAJOR RIP OFF!!!!! DO NOT PLACE AN ORDER WITH makeyourownjeans unless you don’t mind giving your money away to greedy and unethical people.
May 19, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Hi Cyn,
I can understand your cynicism with makeyourownjeans.com. However, I’d like to say that when I bought from them, I did it with the understanding that this was a small, foreign company from which the product may be not worth the money I spent on it. Nevertheless, for $55, I thought it was worth taking a chance. In the end, I’ve been really happy with their product, even though it took two orders of jeans that didn’t come out right to get my measurements down. Now, I have four pairs of jeans with which I’m really happy and I would gladly recommend them to anyone.
I guess what I’m saying (and this goes for everyone), is that when you buy from a possibly untrustworthy company, you should keep the first order low and look at the money you’re spending as paying for the knowledge about the product, not necessarily the end result. I even used a temporary credit card number with a limit just barely above the price of the order.
I hope your future online transactions are better than the last.
June 24, 2008 at 3:27 pm
MakeYourOwnJeans is a RIP OFF! Took money out of my account and never sent anything nor responded to the multiple emails i have sent them. They are a scam! Now i’m frustrated and lost $70.
December 16, 2011 at 5:23 am
I did the same thing. I cannot get in touch with anyone. I would rather have crappy non fitting jeans for the $70 than nothing at all. Still trying to reach them. And yes,m email is the ONLY way….going around the internet now posting everywhere to make sure even though i’m out of my money maybe i can save others from losing theirs.
July 17, 2008 at 12:45 am
As a first time buyer I was so impressed at the fit and presentation of my custom made jeans I immediately ordered two more pairs and rang two friends who need to know about you! I thank Myoj for offering such a valuable service for those of us who are “jeans challenged” when store jeans do not accommodate our shape and when we lack the tailor skills to create our own garments,
I’m surprised to read some of the above comments, this is probably the lowest priced custom jeans on the net offering great quality, did you try to order again with new measurements, infact I ordered after seeing their review in Oprah mag, now how can that be fake, the key certainly lies in tweaking.
September 7, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Couldn’t be happier with what I ordered from them.
I did have a couple of minor issues with my order, but they worked out in the end. I ordered a pair of jeans, and measured myself as the website instructs. However, unlike the website, I measured my rises, waist, and seat while in the buff, because I didn’t want them to be baggy or relaxed. And I said as much in my order. You know how it is…if you go to just about any jean manufacturer’s website and look at their men’s offerings, the “standard”–i.e. not relaxed, not easy, and not baggy.
They also ask you to provide the outer seam length, which I did based on some jeans that I already own. What I didn’t realize was that I’d lost weight, and by asking for measurements based of nude measurements, I’d be getting a much tighter fit. A tighter leg “steals” an inch or so from the length. That wasn’t their fault. In any event, although they definitely felt too tight when I first put them on, and still do when first put on after washing, they soon loosen up to a comfortable fit.
For a slender guy who doesn’t like baggy clothes, this company is a godsend, as there are virtually no men’s jeans sold in stores that I want to wear. Even other custom-made jeans websites don’t come close, and the choices offered to men are a joke. You can’t specify the rise, but you can tell them if you want a coin pocket or not. “Why sure! I’ll pay $50 extra to choose not to have a coin pocket, so my jeans can look like freaking Rustlers!”
September 7, 2008 at 12:51 pm
“You know how it is…if you go to just about any jean manufacturer’s website and look at their men’s offerings, the “standard”–i.e. not relaxed, not easy, and not baggy.”
should be
You know how it is…if you go to just about any jean manufacturer’s website and look at their men’s offerings, the “standard”–i.e. not relaxed, not easy, and not baggy–is itself rather baggy. They tend to look like there’s an inch too much room all the way around.
January 10, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I am not impressed with this company. I ordered a pair of jeans from them, and the resulting pair, while fitting pretty well, are not even REMOTELY like the color ordered — the color was supposed to be a deep/dark blue; the result would be appropriate at a 1980′s Bon Jovi concert. Horrible white stripes, weird light grey acid wash mottled. Awful.
Also, the rear pockets were put on almost right against the side seams, not centered like they are in every other brand on the market.
When I complained, I was told that I had no reason to expect that the color would match the description or the photos, and that the pocket placement was due to their “technical assessment”. Fortunately, I am only out $65.
I would never order from this company again.
February 10, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Update – I’ve been getting a lot of comments from the company on this post… I’d be happy to let them speak, but they keep trying to make it seem like they’re a disinterested-yet-extremely happy third party who’s ordered from them. It’s too bad; that’s a sketchy business practice.
Watch out when you read reviews online, as usual. They’re definitely trying to fill them up with good comments. (Note, their ip addresses are usually in the 59.183.11x.xx – 59.183.120.xx range.)
March 2, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I read review on makeyourownjeans.com & was really impressed about the web site. I took chance & ordered two cargo pants… When my cargo arrived in New York, was excited looked at them…
First thing was “WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY”,
I could have sponsored one india kid for a year for that money.
Material was no where comparing to Gap/banana republic… Stitching was so poor, One pant even have hole out side on tha pocket. They even do not look like Cargo, it are ordinary pants… Nothing like for $60.
Believe me, I am from India & was wondering how come, they are offering so much good stuff on internet. But Now I know what a garage they are selling & fooling people.
if you have money to waste…. go ahead…
May 6, 2009 at 8:18 am
I ordered twice from them. I wanted a denim skirt with measurements similar to one I already have. I gave my waist and seat measurements, and then the length and width (flare) of the skirt I have. What I got was a strange tulip-shaped skirt that was narrow at the waist, widened at the seat, narrowed again at the thighs, and the suddenly widened into a wide flare. The quality looked pretty good so I decided to give it another try.
I ordered another skirt and asked for it to be A-line and straight, like a pair of pants. I also asked that the measurements be the actual measurements of the skirt. Instead of a 36″ waist, I got a 32″ waist, and the same exact tulip-shape as before. Stating that I wanted A-line and straight had no effect whatsoever.
If Make You Own Jeans worked, it would be wonderful. If they followed your instructions and measurements and genuinely cared about the customer, it would be a real winner. Bu they don’t care – they seem to just want your money. So far all the e-mails I have exchanged with them have been “you are wrong, we are right”. This kind of business model of theirs is doomed.
May 6, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Now that I’ve had some more experience buying professional clothes for myself, you guys are right. This company does need to be more responsive and customer oriented. Buying from them was a hassle and took more time and energy to get something right than it should have.
However, it hasn’t soured me on the idea of buying clothes online by any means.
Probably no one reads updates on these comments, but if you do, would you try to buy custom made jeans online again from another company? What would it take to convince you to try them? Less sketchiness? Located in a large Western city? A physical store?
Just something I’ve been thinking about.
July 1, 2009 at 9:37 am
I am not sure what you guys are talking abt..
I bought two cargo pants… Finally what a crap arrived at my home in New York…
Believe me .. I even did not try single time….
Boot CUT Cargo pants had holes….
Stitching very poor… Cloth quality is very very poor….
No comparison with GAP or BANANA REPUBLIC.
I wasted $130 for tow pants….
I could have arranged myself from India for $10 since my family is in INDIA.
Bottom line… Looking for quality… do not do internet shopping from INDIA.
What a waste of money , I could have contributed that money to child support….
December 29, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Being 6’6″ and having an lean muscular body it’s virtually impossible to find good fitting clothes. My first pair of jeans from makeyourownjeans was disappointing but that was my fault from not measuring correct. However I did order a button fly and got a zipper, that sucked, and then the zipper handle broke the second time I zipped it. Got a 15% discount on my next order to remedy the situation.
For my second pair I made the adjustments needed and was very pleased. I got a button fly. These have been the best jeans I’ve ever worn.
I am now waiting for my third pair and have mad minor adjustments to my measurements.
The website is not the best. It should have more of a description of the fits, and explain what they do to your measurements for the certain fits. Also they should have a fit under the drop down menu that is “fix” meaning to create the jeans to exactly the given measurements.
Love the jeans! I’m an avid banana republic shopper and these are at minimum equal to their quality, and probably better. I think the tailors may overlook small details from the mundane aspect of their job, ie button flys. Regardless I’m a buyer for life.
February 2, 2010 at 2:56 pm
i’ve now placed two orders with makeyourownjeans.com and i must say, i’m all finished. i’ve never had a good experience. “so why order a second time?” because i wanted to give them a chance to redeem themselves. i learned a little in placing the first order. i made some adjustments and placed the second order accordingly. still, the quality was mervins-esque and the fit was piss-poor. not at all what i had requested. from now on, instead of taking the gamble and hoping something works out in an online purchase, i’m gonna’ just wait it out and spend a little (or a lot) more on something i can touch, try on and (if i decide i must) return with little to no hassle.
July 27, 2010 at 4:41 am
They sent me a pair of jeans that was the wrong color. When I complained, customer service basically said tough luck. I’m, however, one of the lucky ones… from the many complaints regarding makeyourownjeans.com, I can at least wear my jeans. Most can’t even wear their jeans. Stay away from this company.
August 3, 2010 at 3:37 am
Hmm . . . I have always had trouble with jeans, even expensive ones like Not Your Daughter’s jeans leave me with the dreaded, uncomfortable “muffin top.” I can sew very well (I even made my own wedding gown) but like most of us, am time-challenged these days. I was thinking of ordering from this company, but after reading these negative remarks, I’m going to whip out the old Singer again. For those of you who are interested, Butterick has a basic misses’ jeans pattern, #5403. Sizing is comparable to ready to wear and it’s multi-sized so you can “tweak” it to your body Good luck!
August 8, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Hey MST, good luck with your new jeans. I wish I had the skill to do something like that…
January 5, 2011 at 1:28 pm
This place is a joke. My boyfriend ordered a pair of jeans from this website, as he is tall and it is difficult to find jeans that are the right fit. We spent a lot of time measuring exactly what he wanted, and ordered from makeyourownjeans.com. The jeans arrived and were not at all what we ordered. They were SEVEN INCHES off, needless to say they did not fit at all. When we contacted customer service they gave us the run around, and did not offer to fix the problem. The told us that we could order and pay for ANOTHER pair and would give us a small discount, but that we would still have to pay for the pair that they messed up. DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS PLACE, they will keep your money and you won’t receive a product to the specifications that you request.
September 9, 2011 at 8:44 pm
I sent measurements per their specifications. The jeans I got were 1/2″ to 3″ off in many areas. Multiple emails to them regarding the problem get boilerplate responses or “We didn’t get your previous email due to technical difficulties, please resend. We await your prompt response.” Also, they charged me more than what my invoice shows, including some fee CBC fee. False advertising on website states: Get Tailor Made Jeans As Per Your Specifications Starting at $49, Customize your measurements as below. We make them to fit your needs, your measurements, your special requirements. All our garments are hand cut and individually sewn, as a testimony with and made products they may sometimes differ slightly with the measurements submitted, however as we check each product individually the difference will not be much. Company finally answered asked me for measurements where they were wrong (which I did in 3 previous emails), they told me they sent the right size, to look at the writing on the inside of the jeans and that jeans will stretch! How absurd is that…I can’t even zip them shut. I also have photos with a measuring tape showing they are liars. I’ll never do business with them or an overseas company again. So much for helping the global economy. Have filed a report with my credit card, the FTC, here, BBB and several other places. Here is part of email they sent, stating the size I ordered for waist…take a look at what it actually came in as. I can’t close the zipper, certainly won’t get them to stretch almost 3″ more! “We rechecked our Cutting report and find that:- 1. The waist measurement you have given is 28 inches and our designers have made it 28.5 inches.You can see on the reverse side the waist measurements it is infact cut more than what the waist you have given. You can measure the waist again from the button to the button eye hole stretching it fully.The jeans will become more loose as you wear them. 2. The Front Rise measurement you have given is 10 inches and our designers have made it accordingly. You have ordered stretch jeans, they stretch when you wear. All stretch jeans are made this way. Let us know where are we wrong in following your Measurements.” And of course they go by paperwork, I have the actual finished, incorrect product.
They have yet to respond to two photo evidence I have sent them or offered my money back. They think because they’re in India they’re not reachable but they are wrong. I’m filing a complaint with their local police department, high court and anyone else I can write to. People like them are a disgrace to their country and to business on the net in general. STAY AWAY FROM THEM!
January 30, 2012 at 7:51 am
Do NOT order from Make Your Own Jeans. I ordered one pair several months ago, and they came out pretty well. I then ordered 2 pairs of the exact same fabric and measurement. They are terrible. I honestly believe that they have faked the denim to look like Selvedge by sewing on a white edge. The fabric is thin and when washed, twisted, and will not hold the shape. The seams twist from the sides to the front of the jeans.
I wrote to them a few times, included pictures at their request. They will do nothing.