Firstly thanks for the blog, I enjoy following it and like to imagine myself in some of the more eccentric wear that is shown in your articles.
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| Distressed denims - good or bad? |
I have a question, I have always liked dark jeans, having in my teenage years purchased 501 shrink to fit jeans by mail order when they had their brief resurgence during the mod revival. As I am now in my early fifties I still enjoy wearing jeans but seem to have an issue with sizing and style, as most jeans seem to be distressed or over elaborated with detail. I tend to fall back on next for jeans due to their short leg availability, but quality always seems to be an issue.
My question is do you have any advice and recommendations for good quality dark denim in sizes which flatter the shorter grey fox.
Regards
Rob
Choice will depend on budget. I avoid cheap jeans, not only for quality reasons, but to ensure that I'm buying something that has been sustainably made and not in a sweatshop somewhere. Look at Marks & Spencer who trade sustainably and have a good selection at fair prices. At the luxury end, you can buy UK-made raw denims from Hiut Denim. These are made in Cardigan in Wales, where an old jeans factory has been re-opened, reviving skills that would otherwise have disappeared.
If anyone has any further suggestions of favourite raw denim jeans, please comment at the end of this post.
Regards
Rob
Grey Fox replies -
Hi Rob,
Many thanks for contacting me - you've anticipated a post I've been meaning to write for a while. I agree with you that there's too much artificial distressing. I too prefer natural dark blue 'raw' denim. As you know, that term simply refers to denim that has never been washed.
The great thing about raw denim is that you can make your jeans your own. Depending on how you wear and wash them, they can become battered, faded and distressed naturally or, if you prefer and manage them right, they will stay reasonably dark in colour and provide more of a 'smart casual' look. The choice is yours.
If you wear them for several months without washing them properly, they will acquire creases, wear and folds that reflect your use of them, even down to the marks on your pocket where you store your wallet or keys.
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| Image Hiut Denim |
My choice was The Jean Machine (remember that UK jeans chain from the seventies? It has been recently revived by the founder's daughter). I have two pairs of their raw (Japanese) denim jeans and am impressed - lovely denim, beautifully made and well-cut. As usual with good quality raw denim, the fabric is tough as old boots.
These jeans are comfortable, though the denim will soften and mould to the wearer with use. I went for the JM2 straight raw - fairly slim so go for more relaxed if you don't want that - but plenty of fits and lengths for all tastes. I like them long and wear them with turn-ups - that's a solution if you like shorter lengths, or simply get them turned up.
I look forward to distressing these naturally over the next few months and will write about this process again in future posts. Please let me know how you get on.
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These jeans are comfortable, though the denim will soften and mould to the wearer with use. I went for the JM2 straight raw - fairly slim so go for more relaxed if you don't want that - but plenty of fits and lengths for all tastes. I like them long and wear them with turn-ups - that's a solution if you like shorter lengths, or simply get them turned up.
I look forward to distressing these naturally over the next few months and will write about this process again in future posts. Please let me know how you get on.
Best wishes
GF
If anyone has any further suggestions of favourite raw denim jeans, please comment at the end of this post.
I'd seriously check out Albam's denim for flattering, hard wearing denim. Stay away from Edwin personally as the fits are seemingly unpredictable. My all round fav is Levi's though, can't beat 'em
ReplyDeleteThanks Matthew, I'm planning on a visit to Albam soon so will have a look.
ReplyDeleteGF
+1 for Albam. I also like NN.07
ReplyDelete+1 for Albam.
ReplyDeleteI like NN.07 too for their finishes and reasonable pricing.
I have never tried raw denim - always used dark blue Levi 501s and let them evolve as they are worn and washed. I find them a good fit and my tailor can make adjustments to them fairly easily to make them a precise fit. Perhaps after 30 years of Levis I should now experiment?
ReplyDeleteMark
Since I posed the question I have picked up a couple of pairs of 501 stf from eBay. A little disappointed in the quality of the denim though, not as heavyweight as I remember but now in the midst of wearing them in after the initial shrink and hang dry.
ReplyDeleteI also just found a pair of "Big E" unshrunk selvedge jeans in TK Maxx for £20.00 can't find much about the brand online though. Anyone got any experience of these ?they are really heavy and thick denim !
Can I suggest APC for good quality raw denim jeans.
ReplyDeleteAgreed Mark, you simply cannot go wrong with APC denim. Great fit, great quality at an affordable price.
ReplyDeleteThank you all very much for the comments and suggestions.
ReplyDeleteGF
If you're after something a little bit special, I'd get in touch with Rivet & Hide. They deal in rare Japanese denim, with quite a selection of brands you'll never have heard of. I visited them a couple of months back and bought a pair of Iron Heart jeans, in heavyweight 21oz denim, and absolutely love them. Since then I've bought another pair in black, and a pair of Iron Heart heavyweight cords. Wonderful stuff! Not cheap, by any means, but very special, and will last a long time.
ReplyDeletehttp://welldresseddad.com/2013/08/10/shop-visit-rivet-hide-rare-denim-for-purists/
Thanks WDDB - I'll have a look at those denims.
ReplyDeleteGF.
First thing first, Raw denim jeans are not for everyone: fitting, wearing and washing (or not washing them) are all much more a "lifestyle" than a matter of finding a pair of jeans ( lets not even speak about selvedge or not). So depending on wether one wants to wear jeans on week end with a tweet jacket or wear them on a daily basis for workwear, the shape and style of the pair of jeans will differ.
ReplyDeleteMost brands do Raw denim: from experience as a "heavy user", I would recommend Hiut, Atelier LaDurance, Edwin, PRPS but I found some cheap brands such as Duck and Cover, Denham that do good denim. I am not a big fan of APC though.
Thank you all for these excellent suggestions, making this a good resource for choosing jeans.
ReplyDeleteGF