Freddies of Pinewood is a UK-based vintage clothing reproduction brand most well-known for their 1940s and 50s repro jeans. People often gush about the quality and beauty of Freddies jeans so I’ve always wanted to try a pair, but my student budget unfortunately never allowed for it, so I figured I would just wait until that undetermined point in the future where I would finally be able to purchase a pair myself. That day came when I was scrolling through Depop, the clothing resale app, and stumbled upon a fellow Canadian selling their pair of Freddies. It turned out that they did not fit her, so she was reselling them new and unworn for about half the original price. To my delight, they were my size, so of course, I jumped on the opportunity to try out some Freddies and purchased them. This pair was their Classic Pedal Pushers, which are a capri-length, but since I’m pretty short at 5’4” they could pass as full-length jeans on me if I didn’t roll them up in the classic 1950s style. I’ve worn them quite a bit since receiving them 2 months ago, and so, I believe I am now qualified to answer the question: Are Freddies jeans really as good as they say?
- The Fabric
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Freddies jeans are made of 100% cotton denim for the most authentic 50s look, and let me just say that this fabric is breathtaking. It’s incredibly rare to find any company today still making 100% cotton jeans–even other vintage repro brands–so I have to hand it to Freddies for sticking to tradition and making their jeans from pure cotton. I own vintage jeans that are actually from the 1950s and I can honestly say that the fabric of the Freddies is comparable in quality and sturdiness to my authentic 50s jeans. I’ve also worn and washed them many times already and the fabric has not stretched at all, which is pretty impressive.
- The Hardware
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The hardware on the jeans includes the two metal rivets on the side of the waistband and the YKK zipper beneath them. The two rivets allow for two size options, which is really nice when you’ve eaten a bit too much and could use a bit of extra room in your jeans. The waistband is fastened by buttoning one of the rivets, which surprised me a bit because I’m used to snap-on rivets with my authentic 50s jeans. I might actually prefer these though because they allow for a bit more ease of movement than the snap-on buttons. I’m equally impressed with the quality of the metal YKK zipper, but the only aspect of it that I didn’t like was how deep inside the front pocket it was sewn because it made it a bit tricky to slip the jeans up my hips. Other than that, the hardware is virtually perfect.
- The Little Details
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I love the brown-orange contrast stitching on these jeans, which makes them look authentically 1950s. I think I could talk about the stitching alone for hours; it’s probably one of my favorite features of Freddies jeans and of 1950s jeans in general. I also adore the little red patch sewn into the back of the waistband with the lovely little Freddies logo. The huge front and back pockets are also a big plus and are great for holding all my snacks.
- The Fit
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The fit of these jeans is so classically 1950s, from the ultra-high waist to the side-zip style, to the tapered, pedal-pusher leg. The one aspect of the fit that was slightly disappointing to me was the small hip and thigh allowance. The thigh measurement was a bit tight for me, especially when I sat down, so it made the jeans slightly uncomfortable. The hip measurement was also a bit tight, which was surprising because 1950s style jeans are above all meant to accentuate the hips and create an hourglass figure. The issue might be that my hips begin a bit higher than for most women, but if it were up to me I might add extra hip allowance to the jeans starting about halfway down the rise rather than near the crotch. There is no denying that the fit of these jeans is still beautiful, but if I had to offer one piece of constructive criticism it would be to make the hips and thighs slightly roomier.
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So, to the question of whether Freddies of Pinewood jeans are really as good as people say, I would answer absolutely yes. After trying out the Classic Pedal Pushers, it’s clear why so many people extoll the virtues of this brand, from their sturdy denim fabric to the sweet 1950s details on their jeans. I would definitely purchase another pair if I had the chance, and I would especially love to try out their 1940s style dungarees next.Â