How to be a Denim Diva

Kate Ogle started Ruby Jeans six years ago on a shoestring budget. Now, it's a worldwide brand with a celebrity following, and Ogle knows all the secrets to finding – and making – a good pair of jeans.

Having a passion for fashion is one thing, but actually getting your dream line off the ground is completely another. Just ask Kate Ogle, the founder of Ruby Jeans. Started on a wing and a prayer, the company now spans the globe with their classic but trendy take on denim, and counts Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan as fans.

She shares her tips on how you can buy the perfect pair of jeans, as well as the story of how she used her last paycheck to launch her brand.

How does a denim diva like Kate Ogle find great jeans for herself?

1) Take a risk. "Jeans are a product we grow into," Ogle advises. "Every denim gives. Is it tight in the fitting room? It's cotton, it stretches once you've worn them a half day."

2) If you go for stretch, be careful of the lycra/spandex ratio to denim. "The recovery on the thinner denims that stretch is always quite weak. If you go for a stretch, go 98/2 or 99/1 -- it will last longer."

3) Feel the fabric. "Feel the hem and scrunch up the fabric, then ask yourself: would you like this against your skin?" Ogle asks.

4) Don't follow trends. "If you're older, go for clean washes because they won't date, and they'll stay crisp and fashion forward." Ogle also suggests tobacco or tone embroidery for the same reason, but adds that you shouldn't be afraid of skinnies or wide-legged no matter what your size. "If you dress properly, the skinny jean will suit anyone," Ogle says. "If you're not Kate Moss, wear them like leggings. Wide legs are perfect and so smart with Converse or sneaks -- either of these will see you through a year." No matter what the style, Ogle says clean denim is timeless.

5) Back pockets are essential. Says Ogle, "Don't ever go without them because it'll make your bum look bigger. Unless you're Sienna Miller, pockets should be 14 by 14."

6) Go for brands that are not just a name. "It's essential," Ogle insists. "Choose a brand where the people know what they're doing. Look for denim brands that are specifically denim brands."


If only creating her label had had its own simple six-point shopping plan! "Everything kind of fell into line," Ogle recalls. "I was given a contract to go into one of the big retailers, Warehouse, to do their casual line. As my contract was coming to a close, they approached me and asked if I would represent them and help expand their client base."

Ogle accepted their offer and used her last paycheck, worth $2300, to launch her own brand. As Warehouse's denim demands grew, Ogle called her sister to help with production. Before Ogle knew it, she and her sister were help creating styles for designer brands like Barney's. Ruby Jeans's factory was Ogle's kitchen, but as orders grew they sought out cheap space so they could continue their denim version of world domination.

Says Ogle, "We built it up so slowly, cannot tell you how painfully slow it is. You have to go slowly unless you have huge investments. You have to be a manager of people and use every tool you can, really."

But the result is a globally recognized brand that not only decorates the behinds of Hollywood A-listers, but donates to charity. The Ruby straight leg, for example, is a tribute to African tribe people. Ogle's niece designed a flower for their upcoming private line for Nordstrom that will go inside the pockets, which in turn inspired her to have children in Africa do their own drawings for the insides of pockets with the mandate of donating some of the proceeds to African aid projects.

As summer gets into full swing, Ogle and Ruby Jeans are working on three seasons at once: clearing out spring, delivering Autumn/Winter 2007, and working on Spring 2008. As busy as they are and as far as they've come, Ogle still hasn't lost sight of what her company started with: a simple family inspiration.

"I wanted to bring groundedness to products," Ogle says. "It helps me in designing not to get into celebrity craziness, so inside every jean is a saying. This season's is, 'Ruby says, sleep where you will wake with the strength to deeply love.' So if you're a girl and you've saved up for these jeans for a special night, and it hasn't gone as you expected, when you're folding up your jeans at the end of the night, seeing that saying might give you inspiration to carry on. That's what Ruby, my late grandmother, was all about. Each jean has an inscription from Ruby to inspire people to be a precious gem in a beautiful world. That's what it's all about."

Ruby Jeans have been featured in InStyle Magazine, Hello!, Harper's Bazaar and many others. In the US they're carried by Intermix, who stocks the autumn/winter highwaisted straight leg, and Lord and Taylor, who stocks the John highwaisted wide leg. For more information about Ruby Jeans, visit them online at www.rubylondon.com.

For more tips on getting the right pair, check out 'Nine Jean Styles to Fit Every Body'