I've been buying stevie ankles for years from retailer and been very happy. the past two pairs i bought had a heavy chemical smell, which i imagine is some kind of starch/chemical to keep the denim stiff. with the first pair, after enough washes to get rid of the bad smell (4), they lost all form and looked terrible since they were washed i couldn't return them. the 2nd pair arrived with the same heavy smell and i returned them. it may be they are made elsewhere now, but it's disappointing.