Whoosh!
Hointer opens at Palo Alto
The Wall is coming down tonight!!! Behind it is our new Hointer store at Stanford mall in Palo Alto.
Nadia met with the Government of Singapore
Earlier this week our CEO Nadia met with the Government of Singapore and twelve retailers to discuss innovation and ways to help Singaporean retailers to combat rising rent and labor costs.
Nadia with Ms. Choy Sauw Kook of SPRING Singapore
Chicago, April 15th
Hointer today
Director of Research Mr. Alan Leong and University of Washington students and entrepreneurs had fun at Hointer today.
Tom Soderstrom, NASA/JPL’s Chief Technology Officer, stopped by Hointer this evening to check out the experience.
Nadia and the Hointer team were speechless, thrilled and honored.
“Tom is so cool and JPL is robotics heaven”, said Nadia
Shade55
Actor Gregory D Marks and Shade55‘s Paul Hagopian stopped by Hointer! Come by this weekend to try our selection of Shade55 Denim.
Go, DishOpinion!!!
Founders of DishOpinion Kumar Srinivasan and Matthew Marx stopped by Hointer today to shop for new attire. They both donned identical stylish Buffalo jeans. Go, DishOpinion!!!
Go Hointress!
We just had our first female customer! A broader selection is on it’s way. Go Hointress — Hointer for women!
Windows 8
Hointer now supports Windows 8 phone! Many thanks to Microsoft and Abhishek Mondal for working with us!
Jeans for Women!!!
AG Jeans for Women have just arrived at Hointer! This is our first jean for women! Much more selection on the way 
University of Washington’s ‘Every Body Fashion Show’
Hointer participated in the University of Washington’s ‘Every Body Fashion Show’ to support self confidence and positive body image!
Our location
Hointer is conveniently located at the intersection of I5 and 45th St. in North Seattle. Come on down!
HARLEM SHAKE (Hointer Edition)
We could’ve written a lot of software this week, but who could focus on software when Harlem Shake is taking youtube by storm.
It’s still Day 1 for our Harlem Shake — much to be done to improve, but our software developers are relentless.
Valentine Day gift!
Instead of expected chocolates for Valentine Day, get a Hointer Gift Card instead for your significant other! Great jeans make a great gift.
Hointer welcomes Retail Design Institute
Tonight from 5:30pm-8pm Hointer welcomes Retail Design Institute to explore Hointer experience.
Super Bowl
The Hointer team welcomes Super Bowl Fans to shop for jeans this morning. We’ll be closed for the game so our team can have some fun!
Shop with Color
Hointer launches a new way to find exactly what you’re looking for! Come on by and try it out!
150 styles at Hointer!
Looking for something just a little different? Swing by Hointer and browse through our selection of 150 styles!
Hointer welcomes our Canadian customers!
Hointer welcomes our Canadian customers, with the first international shipment of jeans heading northbound!
First customer using NFC tags!
Our first customer Chuck Ames used nfc tapping instead of scanning QR codes to request jeans. It worked!
NFC-enabled returns
Today we launched NFC-enabled returns; stop by the store, tap the tag on your jeans, and you’re on your way!
Big & Tall selection!
We’ve just expanded our Big & Tall selection! Come by this weekend and check out denim by Seven for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanityy Tommy Bahama, Joe’s Jeans, and Buffalo Jeans.
Now offering two alteration techniques
Now offering two alteration techniques; the standard (with matching thread), or a process that preserves the original hem.
Hointer launches NFC!
Instead of scanning QR codes, customers with NFC-enabled phones can now simply tap tags to try jeans in any size.
Black and Red Show at Hointer!
Lights, camera, action! The Black and Red Show getting ready to start shooting at Hointer. Stay tuned….
Hointer launches Big&Tall jeans for men!
Its a new year, and we’ve got a full range of new sizes! Come check out the big and tall styles from Tommy Bahama and Citizens of Humanity!
Hointer is proud to introduce Brave Leather belts
Brave Leather is Toronto-based company that produces high-end belts. Brave Leather facility is a huge space with heavy duty woodwork stations and loud whirring machines with an incredible new car smell. Everything is imported from Italy in its rawest form for Brave Leatherteam to shape and design from scratch. From slicing leather with a 75 tonne machine to punching holes in the belts, every step happens at Brave Leather facility in Toronto.
Celebrating their 20th anniversary, Brave Leather is a Canadian mainstay. In addition to being on the forefront of trends, the label is an eco-friendly brand that only uses ethically made materials.
One of the most amazing parts of Brave Leather’s workshop is how easy the transition is between mechanical and hand-crafted work. They range from using really high-tech machines to a very old world way of doing things. Directly across from a digitizing software machine is a station where belts are being painted by hand.
From designs, distribution, and even manufacturing techniques, Brave Leather is constantly changing and reinventing itself.
Saturday late night at Hointer.
Saturday late night at Hointer.
Derek Pai’s dog Badger was full of fun tricks. Software Engineer Chris with his daughter and Badger.
What’s next? Maybe Hointer for dogs…. :-)
Springer Spaniel Julius shopped today with his master Matt Garman searching for the perfect jean. Julius happily roamed around and seemed to thoroughly enjoy and approve this new shopping experience. 
Ryan Dick from San Francisco’s startup discover.ly
Ryan Dick from San Francisco’s startup discover.ly enjoyed his perfectly hemmed James Jean. Meanwhile, the Hointer team was checking out discover.ly — fun! 
Hointer launches CITIZENS of HUMANITY
This week Hointer launched Citizens of Humanity in classic, slim and bootcut fits.
Several of our customers asked for an extra long jean, so we are excited to launch Citizens relaxed, 36” inseam fit perfect for taller men.
Shop at Hointer this weekend and receive a $20 Vittana gift card!
Vittana‘s very own Matt Duncan looked snazzy trying on flaming red hotDL1961 jeans. Matt found his fit in a classic pair of Nudies, instead.
Shop at Hointer this weekend and receive a $20 Vittana gift card!
Nudie Jeans (brand page)
Nudie Jeans is a Swedish brand known for flattering fits and high quality fabrics. Favored by denim enthusiasts the world over, Nudies are meant to be worn in, taking on the shape of the individual wearer. “Dry” or unwashed jeans take on a unique wear pattern as the indigo rubs off. Wallets and keys will create impressions on pockets and the knees and thighs will develop deep creases, making your jeans distinctly your own.
Wait as long as possible before washing, ideally up to 6 months or a year to achieve a high-contrast fade. Washing your Nudies more often will result in a more consistent, all-over wear pattern. The long life of Nudies make these jeans a wise investment for any jeans-wearer.
James Jeans (brand page)
Founded in 2004 by a husband-and-wife team, James Jeans takes classic cuts that have always worked and brings them up to date, making them simultaneously more comfortable and more stylish. James Jeans sets itself apart with a unique “dry-aging” process. After being hand-brushed, jeans are left outside in the sun to achieve a one-of-a-kind fading pattern. All James Jeans are made from super soft organic cotton, with a little elastane thrown in for stretch, making you feel as good as you look.
Hointer + Vitanna
This holiday season, help support Vitanna, a non-profit microfinancing organization that helps pair students in developing nations with backers who can loan them the money they need to complete their education.
From now through the New Year, shop at Hointer and Hointer will donate $20 to Vitanna in your name. Come browse over 150 pairs of jeans, suspended in the air. Use your smartphone to scan the jeans you wish to try on. Jeans are teleported to your fitting room as you shop, making it easy and fun to find the perfect pair of jeans for this holiday season.
100% of this contribution goes to funding the student’s education. If you wish, you will be able to log on to vitanna.org and designate that $20 donation to a student whose story speaks to you.
Hointer & Vitanna: ’tis the season for giving.
Vittana and Hointer
My first act of charity didn’t go the way I planned. Years ago as a recent graduate and a young Wall street professional I was eager to pay back and help those who needed me the most. After reading an article about the need for volunteers in a local dog shelter, I took a day off, bought a box of dog treats and drove to the shelter. Six dogs were scheduled to be euthanized on that day and the clock was ticking. I signed adoption papers on the spot and all six dogs ended up in my fancy, but small Manhattan apartment. They were now a part of my family, they were “in”. For the next twelve years I cared for them, literally living in the dog house, often thinking about finding a less painful, more sustainable and scalable way of helping others.
That is why I decided to explore Vittana. From my own experience, I saw how education can transform one’s life, making the investment in education a sustainable value. The most impactful event in my life was getting a scholarship from Princeton to come and study in America. It transformed me from a poor pumpkin to a high-earning professional, leaving a dream life.
This Holiday season Hointer is very excited to partner with Vittana to raise money for students worldwide.
Nadia
Jeans Go Green! AG uses Eco-Friendly Ozone Technology
Denim guru Adriano Goldschmied and manufacturing expert Yul Ku founded AG Jeans in South Gate, California in 2000. From the beginning, they set a new standard for their jeans, aiming for the highest quality in denim and design and leading the industry in eco-friendly manufacturing processes by adopting Ozone Technology, an innovative laundry procedure that significantly cuts down on water and chemical usage.
Electricity is added to oxygen to make Ozone, a disinfecting and cleansing agent. Ozone is added to water, eliminating the need for chemicals. Image credit: theozonecompany.com
When making jeans, manufacturers typically cleanse the denim of excess indigo (a natural dye that colors the fabric). While certain jeans are sold “raw” (unwashed and untreated), the majority of jeans that you and I wear are washed prior to being sold. Washing softens the denim and creates the stylish fades and distress-marks that characterize many of the jeans we like best. This process traditionally demands lots of hot water and bleach, as well as other chemicals.
Ozone technology used by AG cuts down the need for water, bleach, and other chemicals. An environmentally friendly molecule found naturally in the atmosphere, ozone also happens to be a highly effective bleaching agent and disinfectant.
Industrial washing machines with ozone technology
During the initial wash process, AG dissolves ozone in water and applies it to the wash wheel in place of chemicals. The ozone kills bacteria and lightens the indigo, eliminating the cost and environmental impact of chemicals like bleach. Because ozone is effective only at lower temperatures, AG reduces energy consumption by washing only in cold water, and because ozone is more effective than bleach, AG uses 25% less water overall.
Typically, in order to produce stylish washes, denim manufacturers will also introduce a secondary washing process: jeans are blasted with more hot water and bleach to create distress marks and faded areas. By using ozone as a bleaching agent, AG is able to eliminate the use of water and chemicals here entirely, further reducing their overall consumption.
AG’s use of ozone technology is energy- and cost-efficient, and creates an awesome array of signature washes.
An array of AG Jeans at Hointer
Our first alteration goes out!
This morning, we are excited to send out our very first overnight delivery.
For every customer that would like their pants hemmed, Hointer offers next day alterations with free overnight shipping. Customers can also stop by and pick their jeans up. We just want to get them to you fast!
Custom Alterations: Our Vintage Sewing Machine
For our custom alterations, we wanted to find a sewing machine that could match the quality of the jeans we carry. We chose this one: an old Japanese Mitsubishi LS2-150.
An industrial workhorse, the LS2-150 is favored by clothing manufacturers for its precision and durability.
We were very excited use this machine for our first ever custom alteration, and look forward to many more alterations to come.
A pair of Hointer jeans receiving a custom alteration
Two Looks: Tech Industry Leaders Wear Jeans
At last week’s GeekWire Gala, Matt McIlwain, Managing Director of Madrona Venture Group and GeekWire’s 2012 Newsmaker of the Year and Charlie Bell, VP of Technology at Amazon Web Services, stood side-to-side looking sharp in Hointer jeans. Each chose a different cut and color for this evening event, highlighting the wide spectrum of jeans that look good on guys.
Matt looked fantastic in his 7 for All Mankind Greenwood jeans. When Matt came to Hointer looking for a nice pair of jeans for work, he liked the way the Greenwood’s classic straight-leg fit flattered his frame. By pairing his jeans with a classic navy blazer and brown loafers, Matt showed us how perfectly distressed dark denim can transition from day to night.
Fellow jeans-wearer Charlie Bell looked rugged and cool in the James Jeans San Juan Island. A slim-fitting grey jean, Charlie chose this pair from Hointer because of its snug fit and fashion-forward color. Charlie likes wearing these jeans to work, and, like Matt, paired them with a sleek blazer and loafers for the night out.
From Charlie and Matt, we get two different jeans, and two different takes on a classic jeans, loafer, blazer combination. Whether slim fitting and grey or dark and distressed, wearing a perfect pair of jeans is a great way to go right from the office and instantly impress at an industry event.
The Sustainable Jean
Nudie Jeans is a Swedish brand known for their wide range of impeccable fits and quality organic denim. Many of their jeans are raw, or unwashed. Stiff and tight at first, they break in over time, conforming to the shape of your body to fit like a second skin.
As they become more comfortable, raw jeans take on a distinct wear pattern. Creases in the thigh, outlines of wallets and keys, and fading in the knees all give a clue as to the owner’s lifestyle.
Hointer Software Engineer Austin Brown recently picked up the Nudie Jeans’ Deer Lake, a regular fit with a straight leg. Skinny and a little taller than your average guy, Austin had trouble finding a pair jeans that flattered his frame, and says that Nudies are way better than anything he’s been able to find before. Although they were a little tight (“not too tight”) at first, he loves the way they loosened up slightly over the first couple days of wear. Two weeks in, his jeans are now super comfy and he already has a back pocket outline showing where he keeps his wallet. When asked how he felt about wearing his jeans for several months before washing them, Austin said, “I’m cool with it. I’m a dude.”
Stay tuned for how Austin’s jeans age!
A pair of new raw denim next to a pair that’s been worn for one year and washed three times
Hointer Attends the GeekWire Gala
Last night, the Hointer team donned our finest jeans and attended GeekWire’s annual Gala. Greeted by festive holiday decorations and glasses of champagne at the beautiful McCaw Hall in Seattle Center, we had the opportunity to meet brilliant folks from all different lines of work. Dressed to the nines, everybody had their unique personal style on full display.
The Hointer Team, on the way to the Gala
One of the night’s highlight events was the annual best-dressed contest. MC’d by GeekWire CEO and style-guru Jonathan Sposato, the contest featured everything from steampunk garb (the winner) to a flowing gold sequined gown.
Jonathan Sposato announcing the contest winner
One of our favorite contestants was the charismatic man with the staff. There with friends, he was dressed, “as myself, at an ugly Christmas sweater party, in the 23rd century.”
Never to be outdone, we are now taking pre-orders for this gold sweater.
Never content to be mere spectators, the Hointer team got busy posing in the Usnaps photobooth, one of the event’s most fun and happening draws. Friends, family, and coworkers posed for the camera in a variety of costumes, from Kanye-shades to monkey-masks. Whether in a tuxedo, a monkey costume, or a great pair of jeans, everybody looked sharp and had fun.
Hointer CEO Nadia Shouraboura and her daughter Caroline looking fabulous and festive
The Hointer Men, showcasing their finest looks
Hointer Launches New Custom Alterations
At Hointer, jeans come to your fitting room in thirty seconds flat. Now, you can get them in right length overnight.
Introducing free next-day custom alterations. Simply come back in or let us ship your jeans to you by the next business day.
Finding the perfect length should be as easy as finding the perfect jean.
Hointer team having fun hemming software engineer Chris’s jeans
Our First Hointress
Uma Raghavan, Director of Incubations at eBay Research Labs, visited Hointer today with several of her male colleagues. Excited to check out the store’s technology and design, and perhaps see some of her co-workers pick up a pair of jeans or two, Uma didn’t expect to shop for clothing.
But, while her colleagues tried on jeans, Uma found herself checking out a soft grey pullover and decided to try the Hointer experience out for herself.
Minutes later, she emerged, looking confident in what she said perfectly fit her need for a comfortable shirt for frequent business travel.
“I’d been having trouble finding something like this,” she said. “Whenever I walk into Macy’s, I get overwhelmed by all the clutter.”
Somewhat surprised to have found a shirt in a men’s store, Uma said, simply, “I love the ease of walking around this store.”
Uma looking fantastic in her new shirt outside a Hointer fitting room
James Jeans
Welcome to Whoosh, Hointer’s new blog! Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be featuring our “Brands of the Day,” showcasing some of our favorite jeans from around our store. To kick things off, I’d like to share a little bit about James Jeans and their awesome modern take on the classic straight leg jean.
On a break from work the other day, Hointer Designer Dan and I went down to Gasworks Park in Northern Seattle. He snapped some pics of me in the James Jeans Orcas Island, the most comfortable pair of pants I’ve worn to work in a long time.
I’ve long been on a quest for the perfect pair of straight-leg denim, but nine times out of ten, they either look great, or feel roomy enough to move. I’ve been hard-pressed to find both, and I’m usually willing to sacrifice comfort for good looks. I love James Jeans because they feel stylish and comfortable at the same time.
Founded in 2004 by James and his wife, designer Seun, James Jeans takes the classic cuts that have always worked well and brings them up to date, making them simultaneously more comfortable and more stylish. Freakishly flattering, these are the jeans that your wife, or your girlfriend, or that cute barista at your favorite coffee shop, want you to wear, and are so comfortable that you’ll want to wear them too. Made from soft organic cotton with a little elastane thrown in for stretch, James jeans are hand-brushed and “dry-aged” out in the sun, creating unique fade patterns that we think are pretty darn cool.
My favorite James jeans are the Lopez Island and the Orcas Island. Sharing the same straight leg fit, these are the type of jeans that would make any guy feel confident. I have a short, athletic build and these fit me perfectly. These are a little tighter in the thigh than your classic straight leg fit, making you look sleeker and sexier. Women love the look of a form-fitting straight leg jean because it makes your legs look longer and leaner, all while showing off your thighs and butt, things that women (my girlfriend at least) seem to really love. And these jeans are so soft I forget I’m wearing anything at all.
Whenever a pair of jeans is getting a lot of head-turns or comments from your significant other, it never hurts to get them in a few different washes. With its dark crosshatched selvedge denim, somewhere between indigo and long, the elegantly simple Orcas Island is a jean I would wear to work or a nice dinner.
The Lopez Island is a little bit edgier. The heavy fading and whiskering mirror the effects of breaking in a pair of raw (unwashed and untreated) denim by wearing them for months on end—without all the effort and discomfort of breaking in the rigid denim. A faded jean tells a story about its owner—where they have been, what adventures they have been on, and is typically a more casual look. James elevates the Lopez to near night-club territory with its dark and inky over-dye, making that story a little bit mysterious. Sophisticated and rugged, I’d wear these to a concert or a nice bar when I really wanted to set myself apart from the crowd.
Classic and masculine, James Jeans’ flattering fits are in the details. From contoured waistbands to slimmed down legs, their jeans just look and feel better. The Orcas Island and Lopez Island straight leg fits are both more fitted and more comfortable than your average straight-leg jean, making them one of Hointer’s favorite pairs.
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