Hundreds of jeans await customers in The Jean Shack. All of these jeans are second-hand and priced especially for local patrons. Photo by: Emory Smith
By Emory Smith
Jeans are an essential part of the general public’s wardrobe. Nobody knows that better than the students at Plymouth High School and the owners of The Jean Shack, Plymouth’s local go-to spot for inexpensive jeans.
Jeans are a basic piece of clothing; in fact, students wear them multiple times a week. Senior Joel Simms said that he wears jeans “everyday, even in my sleep.” Junior Taylor Fulton said, “Whenever I’m out in public, but if I’m just at home I wear shorts.” Senior Morgan Hite said, “I wear jeans all the time, I wear them at least three times a week.”
Jeans extend beyond students; they date back to the 1850s. Tasha Alexander, from The Jean Shack said, “I think that they go back even to the old coal miners. They always wore jeans. It was something rugged and tough. You got your cowboys that wear the Wranglers. You got your men. You got your oil workers, your rig workers, your fishermen.”
Because the demand is still high, there are numerous stores that supply students with jeans. Sophomore Hailey Rains said, “I have some jeans from American Eagle, Macy’s, and one pair from Buckle.” Fellow sophomore, Chris Whitley, buys jeans in “Michigan City” or at the “South Bend Mall.” Fulton said, “All sorts of places like Hot Topic, Pac Sun, American Eagle, skinny jeans are from different places.” Hite said, “I buy my jeans anywhere where they are on sale or cheap. I don’t see the point of buying expensive jeans when they fade, rip, stretch, etc.”
Along with department stores, students shop in second-hand boutiques. Freshman Kaila Himes said that she buys jeans from second-hand shops because “some are really cute.” Freshman Jessica Drury said, “Jeans can get really expensive and when you buy at a second-hand shop you can get them in decent condition.” Freshman Sierra Strickland said, “I would [buy the jeans] if they looked newer and if they were decent looking jeans. I doubt that they would take jeans that looked torn and worn out.”
Strickland’s guess applies to The Jean Shack, one of Plymouth’s local second-hand boutiques. Tasha Alexander said, “We ask that the jeans be gently worn. You always have a different person that has a different type. Maybe they might like them light or dark. We start around a 5T, and the largest we have now is a 50. So we do have the whole range of our body styles. We have all kinds of brands. We have the new age stuff, the Silvers, the Hollisters that are really popular. We like the Tommy Hilfiger, the Tommy Bahama. We have the Urban Pipeline. Anything that is out there we pretty much have. We even do maternity jeans too. So, anything denim, bottom.”
Students get their second-hand shopping fix in downtown Plymouth. Strickland said, “The last time I went shopping for clothes downtown was about two weeks ago.” Himes said, “Last weekend.” Some PHS students are even catching on to The Jean Shack, located near Granny’s. Rains said, “I have been to The Jean Shack, and I do like the shack because the store has reasonable prices for high quality jeans.” Senior Daniela Mendoza said, “I have been there and there is a lot of jeans, any kind. And the jeans are cheapers.”
When it comes to shopping locally, Freshman Lauren Wiegand said, “It depends on if I know the person or not. If I know them personally, I am more compelled to go there. When you have a more personal relationship with someone, you want to support them in their business as much as possible.”
Like Wiegand, stores, especially local stores, want to have a personal relationship. The Jean Shack is no exception. Tasha Alexander said, “I think it routes back to the community. You get to know everybody on a first name basis. You get the repetitive customers that bring their jeans in to sell and pick up another one for a Friday night date. It is the Plymouth community, tying into the Plymouth community, into the local people, here in town. The money stays in the community.”
Students perch on the edge of their seats in a group formation. To the impercipient eye, this picture is not particularly intriguing, but if you observe closely, you will notice they are all wearing jeans.
However, building local relationships was not the only goal when the owners opened The Jean Shack. Alexander said, “This a business venture. The owners wanted to invest. They had a couple of stores in the past. They had a bagel shop, and they did some other retail ventures, and this one was brought to their attention. So, they went ahead and bought the Plymouth location because they are in different towns. There is one in Warsaw, Goshen, and I believe there is some talk about opening one up north somewhere in Mishawaka/South Bend.”
From owning a bagel shop to owning a jean shop is an intriguing change. Alexander gave her thoughts on the subject. She said, “Denim, everybody needs denim. No different than we need a casket when we perish, and we all need a car, and we all need medical assistance. So, jeans is something that is original. We don’t have that around here any more. So, its something that is different, and different sells.”
Aside from the merchandise, the atmosphere in The Jean Shack was described by Alexander as having an, “Outdoor, woodsy feel. And, you kinda get that diversity with the woman bringing in the children and the man still feeling at home, but he can come and sit and still feel welcome and have the T.V. The woman can shop off to the side. We get a lot of the mothers with their daughters. I’ve seen from a little tyke to a sixteen year old girl with their moms. We did have dads in today too.”
At the heart of the shack are their ideals, their principles. Alexander said, “This is a hometown rooted place, and our prices are for the working family. So that way, that dollar will stretch a little bit farther than if you would venture out into the bigger stores and malls. You’re still getting the same quality, buying the same merchandise, but it has been passed a little bit.” To add on to the built-in savings, The Jean Shack features “@ The Shack” days. They include: “Twos Days: Buy 2, get 1 free,” “Humpday Wednesday: Work in Marshall County? Great deals,” “Seasoned Thursday: 55 and older? Age= discounts on 2nd pair,” and “School Day Friday: 20% off for students and staff.”
The Jean Shack gives to their community, but to continue their success, the community must return the favor; they must sell their gently worn jeans to The Jean Shack. Alexander said, “The jeans, we buy them here from other people. We outsource those in different communities. That helps other people as well because we are paying cash money to other places that help out other people. It is an ongoing thing.”
Considering the plethora of jean shops and how often students wear jeans, companies must distinguish their product and market to teenagers. According to Freshman Cole Holiday, they should follow the Levi model; he said, “I prefer Levi’s because they are very durable when doing outside chores.” Agreeing with Holiday, Alexander said, “I think that jeans are really made to be worn and worn hard. Back in the day, when kids were in college, they would get a pair of Levis and wear their pair of Levis all week.” But Fulton said, “I like skinny jeans because they just go best with the shoes and shirts I buy.” Strickland said, “I like jeans if they fit me and if I can wear them with most of my shirts, I will gladly take them.”
Jeans are crucial to people’s everyday styles. Students at PHS have varying opinions on which brands, cuts, and stores are the best; they all come together at The Jean Shack, a second-hand shop that sells jeans to the community.