Pin Partner Eric Yelsma

With a yardstick and sharpie in hand, Eric Yelsma would go to work tapering his jeans. The 6-foot-4-inch tall Yelsma, who considered himself “tall and gawky” in high school, couldn’t find a pair of jeans that struck the right balance between tight and baggy.  So he made them himself.

“I would turn them inside out, iron them flat and then just kind of sew them in a little bit more for a thinner leg,” Yelsma said.

The 43-year-old isn’t in high school anymore, but you can still find him behind a sewing machine. In 2010, Yelsma opened Detroit Denim Co. His workshop in PonyRide is filled with the equipment he needs (nearly 15 machines in all) to make jeans from start to finish.

The Skinny:

• Fun Fact: In high school, Yelsma wrapped an old log chain around a new pair of jeans, hooked it to the back of his VW Bug and drove up and down the road to break in his jeans. He would also sand holes in his pants.
• Detroit Denim Co.
• PonyRide building
  1401 Vermont St.
  Detroit, MI 48216
• detroitdenim.us
• Contact

“Both my parents grew up on farms and just that idea of creating something really appeals to me,” Yelsma said. “Maybe that’s more of a Midwest thing.”

Yelsma doesn't have any formal training. Instead, his five-pocket, straight-leg jeans are born of a passion and dedication to make the pants he wanted, but could never find in a store. The Michigan native uses raw denim to craft his men’s jeans. It’s a material fitting for Detroit: it’s meant to be worn, and worn hard.

“The harder you are on them the better they’ll be,” Yelsma said. “Wear them for everything and anything. These are work jeans.”

Pin #1: “Navin Field Grounds Crew is a grass-roots volunteer group in Corktown dedicated to restoring and maintaining the historic baseball field that was home to Tiger Stadium for nearly 100 years. Old Tiger Stadium is located just a few blocks from our shop. We often see the grounds crew working on the field getting it ready for the next game. This is a poster for a game that we went to. I’m inspired by the dedication and hard work that this local group exhibits every week in bringing a historic area back to life. Just a few years ago this was just a vacant lot. You can sense the history when you are on this field.” –Eric Yelsma

Pin #2:  "The original denim used for jeans was known as 'selvedge,' a condensed version of 'self-edge' denim, meaning that the edges of the denim were finished rather than rough. We use denim milled in North Carolina from the original supplier of Levi’s. I know immediately when I’m working with selvedge denim. It’s superior to typical denim used today. I know that whatever I make with it (jeans, apron, bag etc.,) will be better as a result.” –Eric Yelsma

Pin #3: "We listen to the “Searching for Sugarman” album at least once a week, and it’s always good. Very good. “I Wonder” is one of my favorite songs on the album. Rodriguez plays around town somewhat often, too. His music is fantastic and it’s great that he is getting recognition after over 40 years. Rodriguez’s music has transcended decades. Good music is music that lasts beyond trends and fads. Apparel is the same way." –Eric Yelsma

Pin #4: "The Detroit Institute of Arts is a result of Detroit’s glory days. It is huge and holds a significant amount of world-renowned art. The DIA is always a vibrant and busy place with ongoing activities and exhibits. You can’t visit the DIA and not be inspired. Thousands of world-class art pieces (such as Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker”) are right in front of you." –Eric Yelsma

Pin #5: "This is our oldest (and my favorite) sewing machine. If you look closely, you can see the name “Rosie” scratched into the body of the machine. She’s over 100 years old and runs incredibly smoothly. She will, no doubt, continue to run smoothly for many more years. It’s deeply inspiring to work on a machine with so much history. I enjoy crafting jeans on a machine that works so well and has so much soul. It’s also inspiring working on a machine that was truly built to last." –Eric Yelsma

Pin #6: "Charles and Ray Eames both taught at nearby Cranbrook Art Institute. Their furniture designs are iconic and key elements of the mid-century era. I’ve searched many garage and estate sales hoping to find a piece of their collection. Their LCW (lounge chair wood) is one of my favorites. These chairs are not only beautiful but comfortable as well. Not many can nail both form and function. An ideal pair of jeans also looks, feels and wears well." –Eric Yelsma
 

Pin #7: "We design our products so they get better with age. The wear marks, creases and whiskering all make a pair of jeans better and more personal. This set of teacups examines the same ideal. The interior surface of the cup is treated so as to stain more in predetermined places. The more the cups are used, the more the pattern is revealed. I like the notion and purposeful intent of something not being at its best until it has been well used." –Eric Yelsma