Read about it here!

Repairs are accepted through an application process every 3 months, roughly December, March, June and September. SIGN UP FOR THE EMAIL LIST to be notified of the next repair booking. All repair work is done via mail-order.

When I open submissions you'll upload a few photos of your jeans and fill out the application that tells me a little bit about your jean and what you're looking to have repaired. Each application is for one item, max of 2 individual entries per person, per booking.

Applying with your jean ensures that your pair is the right fit for a repair from Indigo Proof. Pre-screening jeans allows me to make sure the jean is repairable in its current condition and so I can more accurately schedule the work in my repair queue. I want to make sure all jeans I receive get the beautiful and long-lasting repair they deserve, and this screening allows me to ensure you’re getting the quality repair your jeans deserve.

I’ve created a HELPFUL PHOTO GUIDE on taking photos of your jeans for repair. I need to see clear, well-lit photos showing the damaged areas you'd like repaired.

Once I've gone through all the applications I will email you letting you know if your application was accepted or if I will have to pass on repairing your jeans (I'll always tell you why I had to decline your application).

The acceptance email will contain a link to place a repair deposit. After a deposit is placed you will receive a pre-paid USPS shipping label, a work order form and instructions on shipping. After I receive your jeans I will give them a thorough evaluation, looking at all present and looming damage and you will be sent an invoice with your repair total and shipping fees, less your deposit. Once your invoice is paid your jeans will enter my repair queue in the order the invoice was paid. In other words, first in – first out. The faster you get your jeans sent in and pay your invoice the sooner your jeans will be repaired and returned to you.

YES!!! You MUST wash your jeans in a washing machine on a spin cycle with soap and allow them to fully dry before mailing. Dry cleaning, freezing, tub and ocean soaks, etc. are not a substitute for machine washing on a spin cycle with soap and water. If you don’t wash them often (or ever), you will probably need to wash them twice to ensure they are clean enough for repair. When repairing I take apart seams by hand and darn fabric in very close proximity to my face – sending in dirty jeans is unsanitary and extremely disrespectful to me.

If jeans are received not adequately clean, they will be washed for a fee of $25. Refusal of this will result in your jeans being returned to you, and you will be refunded your deposit, minus shipping costs and processing fees.

I recommend washing your jeans inside out in cold water on a delicate spin cycle with a detergent like Woolite Dark, and hang drying.

Beyond hygienic reasons for this policy, dirty denim actually does not repair as well as clean denim. On clean denim, darning sinks into the weave of the fibers resulting in a seamless repair that ages beautifully. On dirty denim, old sweat and grime caked up on the surface of the weave prevents the darning from sinking into the fabric, resulting in a repair that sits on top of that layer of grime. The dirt is then trapped inside the fabric, and the cotton will not be able to breathe, which causes premature breakage. So, repairing dirty jeans is actually a roundabout and costly way to accelerate the damage and kill your jeans. Oh yeah, and strangers' dirty jeans are just downright GROSS!

If you’re unsure if your jeans are clean enough just go ahead and give them an additional wash!

To get a ballpark idea of how much your repair will cost check out the REPAIR PRICING GUIDE. These are minimums and averages and pricing depends on the extent of damage so please use this page as a helpful guide on price, not an exact number.

Repairs are priced based on the work that needs to be done to restore the specific damage on your unique jeans. During evaluations I use my experience and expertise in repairing denim to look your jean over and find all areas in need of repair, reinforcement, and replacement, when necessary. Hands-on evaluation allows me to determine the obvious areas needing repair AND the areas of the jean that need reinforcement to slow looming damage. This ensures you’re getting the full value of my service and also helps to keep your jeans from needing new or further repairs shortly afterwards. You get what you pay for, right?

Payment plans are available upon request and if you'd like to edit the scope of the work after viewing your invoice just shoot me an email – I'm always happy to make recommendations based on a budget.

This is a very small operation, and every step of the repair process is done in-house by me. From massive reconstructions of blowouts to preventative maintenance, I take the time to repair things right for a truly high quality restoration. All repairs are done on my famous workhorse Singer 47w70 darning machine and other specialized industrial machines. The fabric is rewoven and reinforced using thread - that means no bulky patches or crude heavy stitching getting in the way. I especially love to blend thread colors to recreate unique faded denim patterns. Read more about my repair philosophy!

If your damage is significant and your jeans need a lot of repairs or extreme repairs, the cost to repair your jeans will usually out-price the original cost of your jeans. Please do not email me telling me the repair is more than you paid for the jeans - the original price has no bearing on the cost of the labor to repair your jeans. Repair cost is based on the time and labor to repair your jeans, not the retail price.

I have a first-in-first-out policy, so the faster you communicate with me, mail your jeans in and pay your invoice, the sooner your jeans will be repaired and mailed back to you. On average 4-8 weeks. Sometimes longer. Sometimes shorter. It really just depends on what work I have in at the moment, but that’s not what’s important! The important thing to remember is that quality trumps speed when it comes to repair, and while you may be without a jean for a couple months, the lifespan your jean will gain back through repair and reinforcement will be far greater than that measly down time. Quality > Speed!

Shipping jeans, especially heavyweight and raw denim, is expensive, and operating this business is more than just sewing labor, so please understand that shipping is not a negotiable cost. I use USPS Ground Advantage or UPS Ground shipping with tracking to make sure your jeans arrive safely and quickly! Both services include $100 of insurance and you will have the option to purchase more insurance and signature required for your return shipping.

No, I do not accept in person drop-offs/pick-ups. All work is done via mail-order.

I love repairing jeans from around the world! If you would like a repair and live outside the US - please email me in advance! For international customers, you will have to mail your jeans to me (I can't provide prepaid mailing labels due to customs restrictions) and then you will be invoiced for return shipping. Shipping from the US is often insanely expensive and cost prohibitive but I'm always happy to get a shipping quote for you, just shoot me an email!

In the event that you elect not to have your jeans repaired after receiving an invoice, your jeans will be returned to you, and your repair order deposit will be refunded less shipping costs and a $25 evaluation/handling/credit card processing fee. This is worst-case scenario though and I’d much rather you communicate with me if there is an issue so we can work it out together.

You are always welcome to edit the scope of the work listed on your invoice and I’m happy to suggest repairs based on a budget. I also offer a half now, half later payment plan. Once the first payment is made you will secure your spot in my repair queue, but I will not begin work on your repair until the invoice is paid in full.

Whatever happened to your jeans, I can most likely repair it. From rips, holes, old failed previous repairs, broken zippers, missing/broken buttons or rivets, belt loops, torn buttonholes, ripped pocket bags, shredded pocket entries, back pockets, broken stitching, hem reconstructions, and the list goes on!

I can repair and alter pretty much anything made of denim. As far as non-denim items, I occasionally work on pants considered “workwear” and made from heavier, natural-fiber fabrics like canvas, duck, and various heavier weight twills (no chinos, dress pants or anything made of waxed canvas). I have an extensive library of thread colors that covers pretty much every shade of denim - all colors of indigo, stonewashed, black, gray, tan, white, red, purple, green etc! I’m a color and texture matching nerd :)

I do not work on: waxed canvas pants or jackets, extremely thinning “soft all-over” jeans, extra lightweight fabrics, jeggings (leggings disguised as jeans), lined garments, chinos or dress pants and Carhartt-type cargo pants and jackets (both lined and unlined). Nothing against Carhartts or work pants! Just not my specialty. If it’s made of denim, I can probably repair it. I do work on denim jackets and occasionally a shirt, however due to the over-engineered nature of construction on certain jackets, not all repairs are possible. In terms of pricing - jackets are more expensive to repair than jeans as deconstruction/reconstruction is extremely time consuming. I assess jackets on a case by case basis, so I’m happy to take a look at yours and let you know what’s possible if submitted for repair.

Sometimes! Even though they’re both made of denim, jeans and jackets are constructed very differently and jackets require much more labor to repair. More labor = more $. Repairing jackets is expensive, there’s no way around it.

All jacket repairs are addressed on an individual basis - get in touch to see if we can help you!

Yes, up to 25oz denim on most brands - I love heavyweight jeans and I’m one of the only repair services in the USA that offers to work on them! Since heavyweight denim requires some different set-ups on machinery, is heavier and more difficult to handle, any denim 20oz and up will add additional fees to your total repair cost. Extra heavyweight like 25oz will incur further additional labor and shipping costs due to the extreme nature of this fabric.

I don’t encourage invisible-style darning repairs on anything that is less than 98% cotton or natural fiber denim. Anything under 98% is too unstable, can fail unexpectedly and does not respond well to darning. Even using a percentage as a bracket for repairability is difficult since the fabrics vary in stretch and hand-feel so much.

If the fabric is substantial enough to handle darning, I can usually repair stretch denim with “invisible-style” darning, however this is contingent on catching damage very early. As soon as you see a weakened area on your stretch jeans, that is the best time to repair and reinforce. Preventative maintenance is the best way to ensure you have a comfortable, well-wearing repair that isn’t too thick or restrictive. For anything too stretchy for darning or if there are actual holes in the fabric I usually recommend patching - this is not an “invisible” style repair like darning repairs. I will patch the jean from the interior, inserting into the seams using a similar stretch denim and secure it with a few lines of stitching. The repair will be visible but as subtle as possible, and will allow the area to continue to stretch and move with you. If your jeans have lines of puckering across the lap or seat, that means the fabric is breaking down and your jean is not a good candidate for repair.

Almost anything can be repaired - the real question is, “does this make sense to repair for me?” The more destroyed a jean is, the more a repair is going to cost, and the more obvious it’s going to be that extensive repair work was done. If your damage is significant, the cost to repair your jeans can sometimes out-price the new cost of your jeans. This is because skilled repairs take a lot of time, and I take the time to do it right to give you a long-lasting and functional, as well as subtle, repair. If your jeans are extremely thin and have rips all over (especially on the front thighs and knees), darning may not be the right answer for your pair, and patching will be recommended. Darning needs enough strong material to weave into for a repair to be done and to last over time. Evaluations are done on a case-by-case basis, and I will let you know what is possible for your pair.

It really depends on the repair. Most all repairs previously done by Indigo Proof can be re-repaired (unless otherwise specified). I will not accept jeans with previous repairs using tape, glue, iron-on interfacing or anything sticky, unless replacement is an option - such as front pocketbag replacement.

Darning repairs from other repair services can occasionally be fully removed and re-worked if they are minimally stitched on; sometimes I can remove parts of it to re-work; and sometimes I can’t work with it at all if the repairs are very thick or there are multiple patches or layers of patches and small tiny darning stitches. Repairs using hand-stitching can usually always be re-repaired, and hand-stitching is a great way to keep things together when you’re in a bind or between open bookings.

During the repair application process you will be able to upload photos of your damaged jean and I will let you know if re-repair is possible. Occasionally a repair will be accepted and the repair is not able to be removed - in that case I will need to work around the area, or decline it at that time if re-repair is not possible in that area.

I’ve seen (and seam-ripped out) my fair share of attempted repairs gone wrong. If you’re comfortable with a seam ripper you can certainly remove old repair work prior to sending your jeans in, whether it be hand-stitching or zig-zag on a home machine, or if you took it to a local dry-cleaner type tailor for a quick patching job. If your jeans have been patched, you can remove it pretty easily from the inside - that way you won’t damage the jeans further. If you do not own or feel comfortable using a seam ripper, or there’s a lot of layers of stitching on your old repair don’t attempt to do this!

In the service of providing the best possible repairs, I do attempt to remove prior repairs when possible. Hand stitching and zig-zag stitching on a home machine is usually fully removable. I do include the removal charge in the repair fee - unpicking stitches is difficult tedious work and sometimes can take hours of time to remove entirely. This results in a removal cost- anywhere from $20-$65+ depending on how much work there is. Removing old repairs when possible allows me to repair your jean better!

If your jeans are starting to show signs of thinning in high-wear areas such as the crotch, pockets or knees, it is a good idea to start rotating them out of regular wear and start thinking about repair. If the thinning breaks through and you can see the horizontal weft threads - shelve them until you can repair them so the damage doesn’t get worse!

Preventative maintenance is the #1 best thing you can do for your jeans if you want to wear them for a long time. Get your jeans repaired early and you will have comfortable, long lasting repairs that keep your jeans going for the long haul.

Also wash them as frequently as needed! This will allow the fibers in the denim to breathe and clean the seams from fabric-destroying dust and grime.