Who is Mike Amiri, how do his jeans fit, and how can you best care for them?

If, like A Boogie wit da Hoodie sings in Bleed, you “got more Mike Amiri jeans than Mike Amiri,” you’re definitely on top of your fashion game. Amiri’s eponymous label is one of the most sought-after brands in men’s fashion today, loved by influencers and celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Zayn Malik, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar. 

Since its establishment in 2014, the Amiri brand has grown from a capsule collection designed and crafted by the designer in a basement on Sunset Boulevard to a real fashion empire—largely thanks to social media.

 

“With the rise of social media, the walls that were once there in the fashion industry for independent designers were removed,” Amiri told Mr Porter.

 

Today, Amiri has a flagship store, several boutiques, and dreams of one day expanding into homeware.

Drawing upon LA streetwear culture, Amiri blends haute couture and a rebellious rock’n’roll aesthetic. The end result? Unique pieces, handcrafted in the United States with meticulous attention to detail, featuring distressed denim, skinny cuts…and a four-figure price tag.

Who is Mike Amiri?

Mike Amiri was born in 1976 in Beverly Hills to Iranian parents. As a teenager, he fell in love with rock’n’roll, looking up to Guns N’ Roses and Motley Crew for both their music and their style. He started experimenting with fashion, “deconstructing blazers and reassembling motorcycle jackets,” as he told Magazine C.

After high school, Amiri went on to graduate from Loyola Law School. But that clearly wasn’t his path—he started working as a consultant for local fashion brands, and eventually rented out a basement on Sunset Boulevard to create his own pieces. 

There, with a table, a sewing machine, and a pattern cutter, he designed his first capsule collection for prestigious LA retailer Maxfield. Given the success of this collection, which perfectly channelled the designer’s nostalgia for his upbringing in LA in the 90s, Amiri branched into womenswear, accessories, and footwear. Denim, however, remains at the core of the brand.

Did you know? Mike Amiri is credited with being one of the founders of K-POP! Before entering the fashion world, Amiri used to write songs and produce music for Korean hip-pop group Drunken Tiger.

How do Amiri jeans fit?

Two words best describe the fit of Amiri jeans: tight and comfortable. Yes, those two words can go together! Most models are made with elastane, which makes the denim stretchy and soft. We swear by this—Amiri Jeans fit you like a second skin. You might even forget you’re wearing them!

But before you spend $1,000 on a pair of Amiri jeans, you will want to make sure they fit you just right. Here’s everything you need to know about Amiri jeans sizing:

•  Amiri uses US sizing. Amiri jeans are available in men’s 28 to 38, and women’s 24 to 31. 
• Amiri jeans generally fit true to size. However, if you have thick thighs or calves, or if you simply prefer a looser fit, we recommend going one size up.
• If you’re bored of skinny jeans, consider a more relaxed cut, such as these women’s glitter track jeans. 

 

Amiri Size Chart

How to wash Amiri jeans

Amiri jeans are crafted using only premium-quality materials, which means they will last a long time in your wardrobe. That is, if you know how to properly care for them.

Before you chuck your Amiri jeans in the washing machine, make sure you check the garment care label. Dry cleaning is recommended for most models.

If that’s not an option for you, here’s how you can safely wash your Amiri jeans:

• Turn your jeans inside out.
• If possible, wash by hand using cold water and a neutral detergent.
• If not, wash at a low temperature (max 30 °C) on a gentle machine cycle, using a neutral detergent.
• Do not tumble dry!
• Iron on low temperature (max 110°C).

What we absolutely love about Amiri jeans, and what we think makes them worth the price tag, is that they are entirely made in the US—in Los Angeles, precisely.

They can take up to three months to produce, as each pair is deconstructed, reassembled, and customized by hand: every Swarovski crystal, brass button, or fringe wire detail is painstakingly applied by a team of skilled craftsmen wearing lab coats and gloves. Some pieces are even blasted with a shotgun in Joshua Tree by an artist Amiri met at the Rose Bowl flea market!

Discover our large selection of Amiri for men and Amiri for women, and save up to 70% on the original price tag!

Want more LA fashion coverage? Here’s a rundown of some of our favorite LA fashion streetwear brands.

About the Author

Alex English is the Head of Content Marketing at italist.com, building on a lifelong passion for fashion and luxury. After publishing a lifestyle blog for nearly ten years and obtaining an MBA in Milan at SDA Bocconi, one of Europe’s top business schools, he joined the italist team in 2019. His work since then has focused on upper-funnel messaging, brand storytelling, establishing italist as a thought leader in the space, and enriching the customer experience on the platform. Find him on LinkedIn.