Too Old for A Turn Up?

Having worked in customer service at Hiut Denim for eight years I have heard many opinions when it comes to people's individual style choices. I am used to hearing ‘I’m too tall, I’m too short’ or ‘I have an odd-shaped body ’; none of these surprise me anymore, but the one phrase I can’t get used to hearing is ‘I’m too old for turn ups’.

I have heard this statement from customers in their 30’s up to their 70’s, and every time I ask myself, ‘what do they mean?’ How can you be ‘too old’ to turn up the hem of your jeans if that’s what you would like to do? Having heard this said again today I am prompted to write down my thoughts, not necessarily with the hope of answering definitively if you really can be too old for a turn-up, but to open up the discussion.

Looking back at the history of the Turn up, or ‘Cuff’, we know it began for purely practical reasons, jeans too large in the waist? wear a belt, too long in the leg for you, no problem, just turn them up, function over form, but somewhere along the line this practical way of wearing jeans became a fashion statement.

The gradual transition from workwear to fashion staple hit a peak in the 1950’s with movie stars such as Marlin Brando and James dean sporting a chunky turn up, these cultural icons were symbols of rebellion and anarchy, so I ask, are these traits so synonymous with youth culture that you can feel excluded from that, perhaps not worthy of the symbol a turn-up represents

In the 1960’s the turn-up fell out of favour, largely due to the rise in pre-shrunk denim and the desire for ‘skinny’ fits, It seems to me that this also coincides with the teenagers of the 1940’s and 50’s maturing and perhaps wanting to move on from the fashions of their youth.

The turn up made a huge comeback in the late 80's and 90’s due to the craze for vintage clothing, wider fits came back into fashion, a big turn up was everywhere and not just sported by teenagers, a real desire to ‘show off’ the Selvedge line on vintage denim in any Denim Heads collection meant that it was, and still is an indicator of the quality and authenticity of the denim.

When I work with a customer to help them choose their perfect pair of Hiuts, we always start with the top half, once we’ve decided on the fit I often have to brace myself for the discussion on leg length, the objectively simple question of ‘would you like to wear your jeans with a turn up?’ can provoke quite the response, it’s not always a simple ‘I’m too old for turn ups’, it can sometimes be a disgusted look followed by quite a vehement refusal to consider one, but when I ask why they feel that way, nobody seems to really know, how can a simple fold of fabric illicit such passionate responses?

Ultimately, I understand the decision to turn your jeans up is a personal one, there are many different factors to consider, what shoes will you wear with them? Does the style suit a turn-up? What fabric are we working with and is there a Selvedge line? All these things and more will influence the thought process, and there really is no right or wrong answer to this, and I wouldn't try to influence one way or another, but to dismiss the idea of it altogether purely based on your age? This is something I struggle to understand and, in my opinion, is well worth a discussion.

Lex, 
Customer Service