Jleer Brand's Tips on How to Layer

Layering is essential during the fall and winter months - especially down here in the South where Mother Nature can never make up her mind! It is great to have a layer or two to take off or add on when the temperature fluctuates.

- Start with a thin, lightweight top
- Add a colorful cardigan or sweater
- Next add a jacket in a basic color
- A scarf is a must have!
- Last, add your accessories to dress it up
- Mix and Match - this goes for colors, textures and lengths

For your bottom half, leggings and skinny jeans are a must have for layering! We over here at JLeer, love the skinny jeans - especially ours! They pair up nicely with ankle boots, knee high boots, riding boots, the list goes on! Shop now to pick out your favorite pair of JLeer jeans to complete your outfit!

Happy Layering! Stay warm this winter!

XOXO ~ JLeer

The Ultimate Guy's Gift Guide

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Thanksgiving will be here in a few short days, and then the countdown to Christmas begins. Are you trying to think of the perfect gift for the guys in your life? No matter what “type” of guy you love, we think he’ll love our jeans.

Also, remember that we’re hosting a huge Thanksgiving sale this Thursday, 11/27 (Thanksgiving) through Monday, 12/1 (Cyber Monday), so it’s the perfect time to buy the best gift for the man you love! All jeans are 40% off with FREE SHIPPING (for both men's and women's jeans) when you use the code THANKS through 12/1. Afraid you’ll get his size wrong? No worries—we now offer free shipping for all exchanges and returns! We’ll make sure that he ends up with the size that fits him best. Shop now.

JLeer jeans are perfect for…

The Tech Guru

He’s brilliant, always has the latest tech device, and can solve your computer problems with his eyes closed. He lives, eats and breathes apps, html codes, and shortcuts. He sends you the best YouTube videos, and will probably invent the next big social media platform. When you go to the Apple store, he’s usually offered a job at the Genius Bar. Whether he’s a graphic designer, a video-game fanatic, a software engineer, or just loves to be connected, our jeans are an obvious go-to gift that he will love! Whether he’s an iPhone fiend, a Droid dude, or a Galaxy guy, his beloved smartphone will always be within arm’s reach, and he’ll look great wearing them.

The #1 Fan

Because of him, you personally know the names and statistics of all of the players on his favorite (or fantasy!) team, and you know that on Sundays (and Thursday, and Saturdays, and Mondays) the television will be set to ESPN. His rec-league team is the best in the league, and he’s probably been named MVP. He doesn’t just know about this season, but is a walking dictionary of sports legends, statistics, and plays. He’ll love that our SmartPockets leave mere inches between him and his fantasy football app, that they’ll guarantee that he can get into the stadium easily, and that they are perfect for tailgating. Plus, they’ll definitely go with his favorite jersey.

 

The Artist

Maybe he’s a photographer, a writer, or loves to paint. Your house includes countless renditions of his work, and his personality shines through his unique style. He’s creative and talented, but also loveable and smart. Although his creativity creates his work, he’s also business-savvy in a way that gets the attention of others. He loves to express himself, and that translates into his wardrobe as well. The entrepreneurial side of him will love that our SmartPockets allow him to stay in touch with clients with ease, and the artistic side of him will love them for a variety of reasons. JLeer jeans are a favorite amongst photographers, who love having somewhere to stick their lens cap. They’re also great for holding paintbrushes, memory cards, and any other tools of his trade.

The Handy Man

He’s strong and tough, and takes care of any spider that comes your way. He’s great with repairs, and can help you navigate a Lowes Hardware store like a pro. Flat tire? Don’t call AAA, call this guy. Leaky faucet? He’ll be right over. Your yard will always look immaculate as long as he’s around and he’s fascinated with what makes things tick. Replace those worn-out jeans he loves with JLeer jeans, and watch him come up with his own creative uses for the SmartPocket.

The Musician

His fingers are calloused from strumming the guitar, and he has the best taste in music of anyone you’ve ever met. He still makes you mix-CDs, and you’re excited for the day when it’s his voice playing through your stereo. His pockets are currently stuffed with guitar picks, set lists, napkins with potential lyrics, and his iPhone (to listen to Pandora for inspiration, of course). The problem? He can’t get to any of these items easily, and they’re cramping his style. Cue: the best gift ever. Buy him a pair of JLeer jeans that go with his unique style, but that will make his life ten times easier.

No matter what your man's interests are, we're sure that our jeans would make the perfect gift for him, and what's better than 40% off + free shipping? Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping!! Remember to use the code THANKS at checkout!

Click here to shop now!

                        Xoxo, JLeer

By Amelia Beamer

An Artist We Love: Arsena Schroeder

Last month, we were excited to announce our very first sponsorship with singer/songwriter Arsena Schroeder. Today, Arsena released "You Made," a free (!!!) single from her highly anticipated upcoming album For My Artist Child, which is currently available for pre-order and will be released on December 2nd, 2014.

Photo courtesy of Arsena Schroeder & Kevin Currie

M e e t  A r s e n a

Born in Pittsburgh, Arsena Schroeder doesn't really "feel southern," even though she's lived in Charlotte, NC since she was five years old. 

"I feel more at home when I go up north," the twenty-three-year-old artist said, "especially in [Washington] D.C. ... that's where I started playing music."

When listening to Arsena's songs, it would be easy to mistake her for a life-long musician,. You'd probably be shocked to learn that she's only been creating music for five years, since the day she decided to teach herself guitar chords with a series of DVDs. Before picking up the guitar, music was present in Arsena's life in many ways. Her elementary school’s music class exposed her to classical music. Gospel songs were staples at the church she attended with her mother. She was on her high school’s dance team that performed routines to the brassy school songs of the marching band. 

Last week, we had the chance to sit down with Arsena to talk about her free single: "You Made," her upcoming album: For My Artist Child, life as an artist, her inspiration, her love of JLeer jeans and much more. 

We were excited to sponsor & outfit Arsena and her husband Stephen with JLeer jeans to wear to her official listening party, and we couldn't wait to hear their feedback on the product. (The verdict? They both plan to wear them on her upcoming tour!) Check out what she loves most about our jeans in the interview below & shop the same styles that Arsena loves, The Skinny Mary in black wash & her The Lady Mary Straight leg in medium wash. Also, we now offer free shipping for exchanges & returns to ensure that you get the perfect size for your body, so don't be afraid to shop now!

Arsena rocking our Skinny Mary style in our black wash

I n f l u e n c e s 

“Generally speaking, growing up here in Charlotte, in inner-city black communities, people listened to R&B and hip-hop,” Arsena said, “Do I like R&B and hip-hop that much? Not really… it was more like, ‘I’m a child, I want to be popular, this is what everyone’s listening to,’ but in my private time, I’d be sneaking like ‘Oooh, let me hear some other stuff.’ ”

With a list ranging from The Beatles, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake to Paramore, Amy Winehouse and Corinne Bailey Rae, Arsena became fascinated with performers that played their own instruments. Today, she plays the guitar, the “guitalele” (a guitar and ukulele hybrid), performs her own vocals, and is learning to play the keys.  She also writes all of her own songs.

“For me—I can’t speak for all songwriters, but that’s the difference between songwriters and entertainers. Entertainers—they pull from fiction, and you know, might sing about things they’ve never experienced. They don’t usually write the songs. I can’t process that side of the business. I don’t disrespect it, but I can’t understand it,” she said, shaking her head.

When Arsena writes a song, she writes the lyrics down, but because they are so truly "her story," she describes them as becoming quickly ingrained into her memory.

"I write the lyrics down," she explained, "I used to have a book, but now I just write on random pieces of paper. And somehow, they just get ingrained in you. I don't ever refer to that piece of paper again--it's just in my head... For me, it becomes an emotion, a feeling, a vocal inflection. To actually type it and look at it is really weird--it feels foreign... I'll usually write at the top of the page, you know--this is the intro, this is the chord progression for this verse, and then just like the lyrics, you keep playing it. You just remember it."

L a b e l s

Arsena’s combination of geographic and musical influences, and her ever-evolving passions have made it difficult to stick her with a label, genre-wise. Although she is very openly a Christian and described her music beautifully as being “dipped, bathed, and soaked in my faith,” in a 2013 interview with Breedlove Music, she also stated in the same interview that: “The Abundantly EP is a snapshot of where I was in my life during the years I wrote the songs. I was a new believer so the songs express my newfound faith, joy, and desperation."

When writing For My Artist Child, Arsena challenged herself to break free of this genre.

“I’m a Christian, but over time with this project, I really challenged myself to write it in a way that people from all walks of life will listen to, enjoy, and get something from it—this is not to dumb down my faith, but just to challenge myself as a songwriter and to push myself to connect with an audience who might be different from me,” Arsena explained. “I find that with these new songs, all kinds of people can really find things that they can connect with.”

Arsena’s music is also commonly labeled as “neo-soul,” and while that doesn’t necessarily alienate potential listeners, Arsena isn’t crazy about the stereotype it conjures.

“I think when a lot of people hear that label [neo-soul], they think of a black girl with curly hair and a guitar—and they’re like ‘Oh it’s neo-soul,’ –but well, I think I have elements of, for sure R&B, but I think there’s also a very indie-folkish influence as well.”

So what genre does Arsena fall under? She is a self-proclaimed “acoustic soul” artist, because she performs solo acoustic for the majority of her shows. All of the shows on her upcoming tour are “house concerts”—Arsena’s favorite type.

“Basically, you have someone that likes your music that wants to host you in their house. You turn their house into a venue for the night and they bring their family and friends, and they’ll usually do a potluck dinner if you want and we usually just get really intimate and people can ask questions about the songs,” she explained. “I love them because you can really engage and connect with people in a way that you can’t at a traditional venue.”

Photo courtesy of Arsena Schroeder & Kevin Currie

C o n n e c t i n g  &  I n s p i r i n g

Connecting with others seems to come naturally to Arsena, not only through her music, but also through her easy-going personality and goal to inspire others through her journey. Even if you’ve only just met her, she has a genuine spirit that makes it feel as if you’ve known her for ages. For My Artist Child consists of twelve songs, all of which were inspired by people and experiences in the musician’s life. This was a challenge in itself to Arsena, but she also wanted to challenge herself to push through and bring life to challenging creative song ideas. The result: For My Artist Child will include several full-band songs, a few full-band acoustic songs, a solo acoustic song, a rock song with a "dark, haunting" sound, and even a DJ/dubstep version of one of the songs--a bonus track. 

“This album is really the first time that I’ve ever written songs that people have inspired,” she admitted, “It makes me so vulnerable.”

Arsena explained that the free single, “You Made,” available here today, was inspired by a failed friendship. Her goal with all of the songs on her new album was to write songs that would cause others to contemplate the feelings and messages that her songs evoked, while also enjoying the music. In addition to writing about a failed friendship, For My Artist Child also includes a song about the artist’s relationship with her rarely-there biological father.

“Someone might hear the song about my father, and not think about that at all. They might think about a problem within themselves. Maybe they are a father, and you know, it connects with them there,” she said.

Also on the roster is Arsena’s first-ever love song, written for her husband.

“It’s called “Words Just Won’t Do,” she explained. “He kept asking for years, like, you sing all these songs…where’s a song about me? …I have a lot of songwriter friends that find it easy to talk about their love life, but for me it’s different... words just won’t do—boom, I ended up going with that theme."

Photo courtesy of Arsena Schroeder & Kevin Currie

F o r  M y  A r t i s t  C h i l d

The title For My Artist Child is a nod to Arsena’s journey via Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, a 12-week guide aimed to help creative individuals reach their highest point of creativity through spirituality (check out Arsena's blog post about the twelve things she learned from The Artist's Way here).

“A term used in the book a lot was your ‘Artist Child’ and how your creativity is like a child and needs to be taken care of and nourished, because you don’t want it to die off. When I started writing for the album, I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to write something for my artist child, rather than writing what I think sounds cool and hip,' ” Arsena stated.

The album is available for pre-sale for both hard and virtual copy here and will be released and sent on December 2nd.

Photo courtesy of Arsena Schroeder & Kevin Currie

A r s e n a  &  J L e e r

here

Arsena wrote a fantastic blog when we decided to sponsor her music that answers the question of why she would pair up with a jeans company as an artist, and that delves into her personal beliefs about building relationships with other individuals, projects and brands that you personally believe in. We are proud to represent her, and excited that she wanted to represent our product as well! Check out the blog post here!

When asked about her opinion of the product, Arsena's answers showed exactly how JLeer solves everyday dilemmas, as well as those particular to the world of musicians.

"I have two pairs of JLeer jeans now and my experience has been awesome. Before I had them, I always put my phone in my back pocket (doesn't everybody?) So the SmartPockets are very convenient. Not [keeping your phone in your back pocket]-- especially in the car-- I mean, you shouldn't text and drive, but if I have to grab it really quick, I don't have to do all of this," Arsena said, wiggling and digging into her back pocket while giggling. 

"Sometimes, I'll be sitting on it and I won't even realize it," she added, "and I don't know where it is. So my experience with my [smartphone] being right here has been super convenient. The alternative for me, is usually in here," she said, opening her large purse/endless abyss. "I have a lot of stuff going on in here" she said, "So it’s the bomb to have somewhere specifically for my phone."

"As a musician, I also love using the pockets for guitar picks. If I'm not wearing my JLeers, my guitar picks have to go in my bra," Arsena said, erupting with laughter. "No really, they do. But now, I don’t have to do that! I love the hidden pocket ones; both pairs of mine are hidden pocket styles." 

"Overall, I just love the fit for me—they’re comfy!" she said. "Also, I have long legs and these are the first jeans that have ever given me enough jean to where I can roll them at the bottom, and I’m like 'Ahhh, this is the best ever!'  I’ve always seen people do that, and it’s so cute, and I’ve wanted to do it, but with every other pair of jeans, rolling them would make them look like capris and that would be weird. JLeers are just a genuinely good quality of jean."

Photo courtesy of Arsena Schroeder

Arsena also expressed her excitement over the "jegging" style that we have in the works. 

"I love jeggings!" She squealed. "I love wearing them, especially with a drapey shirt. I can't wait for them [JLeer's jegging styles], I'd probably wear them every single day," she said.

...We hope you will, Arsena! Thank you for letting us sponsor you through the exciting time of your first full-length album release, and for the free single download! Make sure to go get your free DL of "You Made" here (now!) and remember to pre-order your copy of For My Artist Child (we got to cop an early copy, and it's really REALLY good, y'all!) 

Connect with Arsena on Facebook here, and
  Follow @ArsenaMusic on Twitter & Instagram!



As always, make sure you're following us on Facebook, and Follow @JLeerBrand on Twitter & Instagram!

   Xoxo, JLeer Brand

By Amelia Beamer

Football Season is Finally Here!

The preseason has ended, you’ve selected your Fantasy Football team roster, and you’ve made plans to be in the stands when your favorite team faces their archrival. Soon you’ll be cheering, chanting, and going through all of your lucky rituals—you know, those little things that you do to ensure victory, because the one time you didn’t, your team lost?  If there’s anything better than college football Saturdays & NFL Sundays (and Monday nights!), we haven’t found it yet, and we’re here to make sure that you have the best football season ever.

For starters, we kicked off our Great Tailgate Giveaway on September 1^st, and you can enter through September 19^th by clicking here

One lucky winner will receive a pair of JLeer jeans, a jersey so that they can represent their favorite team & player, koozies to keep their drinks chilled, and a flask for pre-game cocktails. 

Not only do our jeans look good, but they’re also perfect for game day. Why you ask? Our SmartPockets, of course! Think of all of the necessities that you can fit into your jeans--especially in light of the NFL's stadium bag policy ("The NFL strongly encourages fans to not bring any type of bags" and will only allow fans to bring in bags that are made of clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC.)

Don't risk having to throw away (or trek 2 miles back to your car to put away) your favorite handbag, ladies!

Here are just a few examples of what you might need for game day that fit perfectly in our Smartpockets: 

Tickets- double check that you have them before leaving the house! 

Credit Cards & I.D. - how else will you buy that foam finger that you have to have?

Cash - (Snacks on snacks on snacks!)

Keys - Just don't forget where you parked!

Lighter - You'll actually be able to find one when you need one to light the grill during your tailgate!

Headphones - Don't miss the pre-game sports talk just because you're tailgating!

Lipgloss - You never know what cute guys might be sitting near you, ladies!

Smartphone - This one's a given-- how else are you going to meet up with your friends or take pictures when you get SO CLOSE to your favorite player? Pics or it didn't happen!







The possibilities are endless, really. A few others that you might want to bring along:

• Your flask
• An emergency poncho
• Gloves/mittens/earmuffs
• Facepaint 
• Tampons
• Koozies

What items are we missing? Comment below to let us know what you'd carry in your Smartpockets on game day & remember to enter our Great Tailgate Giveaway right here, right now!

Happy game day from the JLeer team!



By Amelia Beamer