Denim heads - What raw denim are you currently wearing? What would you recommend?
Howdy Tildes,
I have been a raw denim "wearer" for close to a decade or so now. I have been a big denim fan ever since my then girlfriend now wife bought be my first pair of selvedge raw denim from American Eagle. Since than I have admired from afar some of the fun collabs of Naked and Famous and some of the beautifully designed and made Iron Hearts. However I have never branched out from Unbranded. Specifically the 401s and the 421s because of cost, fit and not having any raw denim shops within driving distance of my city. Well my UB401s have gotten a little long in the tooth, and to be frank, short in the rinse and I am looking to branch out!
So normally I'd ask over on /r/rawdenim but I'm trying to kick the shite Reddit habit so I figured I would try asking here and see if there are any raw denim folks lurking! What are you all wearing? What would you recommend? I'm 6'5" and about 205lbs. So fairly tall and lanky and I'm struggling to find jeans that I think would fit. I have a budget of about $200-285 (not a ton I know) - So I was looking at some of the Naked and Famous, Nudie, Rogue Territory but open to others. I dig slim fits but nothing super skinny.
So, let me know what you think (and any recommendations), lets some some sick fade shots and lets have a cool discussion about jeans.
Wanted to include a photo of my UB401s after roughly 7-8 years of wear. Front and back.
I bought a pair of RRL selvedge jeans. Splurged way more than I usually do on clothing ($175 for jeans and that was on clearance!) but God damn are these some comfy jeans now that I broke them in.
I've worn them every day over a month and still haven't needed to wash them. When should I think about doing so? I'll likely put them away for the summer (I wear something more breathable during that time) until cooler weather comes again.
Wash your jeans whenever! The old addage wash them at little as possible but just wash them when they smell or you feel like it.
N&F is the way to go if you want something solid, relatively lower cost, and good quality. I own something like five or six pairs of their stuff over the years, in all kinds of materials. I wouldn't call any of them my favourite pair but I also would not call any of them the worst either. Just a solid, fun choice. I like all the weird things they do with denim.
I picked up a pair of heavyweight Iron Hearts when I was in the UK and they are incredible. They're so heavy, they broke the machine at IH's own flagship store when they were hemming them! But they're so soft and comfortable, which I did not expect. They've become my "winter jeans" as they keep my legs warm in colder temperatures well, as good as a blanket lined pair I used to own. I hate cold jeans in the winter, and this pair doesn't have this problem.
If you want to get real fancy about it, I love PBJ, Oni, Samurai, and Momotaro jeans but definitely try them on before you commit to something like CA$500 pairs.
But for everyday beaters, Uniqlo's selvedge jeans. They fade as well as any higher end pair, and Uniqlo's repair service is dirt cheap for good quality darning fixes. If you find you frequently need your jeans repaired, I recommend budgeting for repairs. Every single one of my pairs has needed fixing at some point.
Lastly, as far as black jeans go if you're looking that way, Left Field NYC's Black Maria seems to be the choice.
If you already like Unbranded, there's little that can go wrong if you 'upgrade' to Naked and Famous. Unbranded is owned by Naked and Famous, so the construction will likely be about the same. Unbranded is all made in Macau which isn't a bad place for them to be made in compared to China's wildly varying levels of quality. I would personally hate to have spent $200 on a pair of jeans that I ended up not liking and being unable to return them.
There's a lot to look out for in the space unfortunately. The other day I saw a pair of Tellason jeans for $120, and they weren't even selvedge. If you want a low-risk option, Naked and Famous would be a good choice. But an even better choice is to not bother with anything else and just buy what has already made you very happy.
N&F I think is my next logical step. I like the Weird Guy in natural indigo dye but I also wanted something a little more heavy weight. Also double bonus for being made in Canada. Just was not sure of the length or the size and fit. Getting a lot of conflicting info online lol
Also a huge concern of mine - I want to find a store that has returns if possible.
I like UB but the front rise is, to be blunt a real ball buster and super not comfy to wear. I might try some of the other fits but not sure about where to buy them.
Either way, thanks for the input!
I got a pair of Naked & Famous Weird Guys in Blue Grass selvedge in mid November on sale for around $90 from Tate & Yoko. I’ve worn them every day since and they just got their first wash last weekend. They’ve been great. I normally wear 34 and after measuring my Levi’s Made & Crafted Japanese selvedge 511s, I went with 33 in N&F. Weird Guy is pretty close to 511s, though I’d say a little boxier, a little less slim. I think the jeans are 14oz, but they feel heavier, stiff. Weird Guys would be great for you as a tall and lanky person, especially because they come with like a 35 length. Just measure some jeans that fit you well and compare with their specific measurement guides on the jeans you want. They’re different for each style and denim. Measure again, think about it, measure again. N&F through Tate & Yoko only gives store credit for returns.
I really want to go Iron Heart for my next pair, but it’s hard to pay that price for jeans. I’ll probably do it anyway because I just don’t care. But I’ll be rocking my Weird Guys for quite a while yet. I’m really happy with them. My 511s still have a ton of life, too, and I may switch to them in the summer. I’d recommend N&F over Levi’s, though. Hope all this helps!
Not really a denim head, but I just went to Momotaro in Osaka and picked up some jeans. I love them! So much personality in such a standard jean. The inseam stitching is pink.
Japanbluejeans. Japan for whatever reason has one of the most vibrant denim industries, arguably more so than the US where it’s usually mass produced and contains synthetics. As a bonus, I have an easier time getting my size, as most US outlets only have much larger waist sizes.
That being said, the sizing numbers is very different to US brands, so I had to try them on in person in Japan and from then on I can reuse the size.
If you're interested in what that reason is, or just interested in Japanese Americana in general, I'd recommend the book Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style.
I've wanted to get into raw denim but between living in Europe and having a body type that is hard to buy jeans for (trans masc, so I'm short with thick thighs/hips compared to my waist) I haven't had the chance to properly try adding a pair to my collection, since most recommendations end up missing the mark for one reason or another.