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Post by gaseousclay on Oct 28, 2014 17:20:45 GMT -6
I only recently discovered the world of selvedge denim and was curious how many of you are devoted denim-heads? I'll admit that my current rotation of selvedge denim all consist of cheap brands, so 3 pairs of Uniqlo and a pair of Gap selvedge (which really suck). I've been apprehensive about pulling the trigger on different brands mainly because of the fit issues I've read with Gustin. Someday I'll take the plunge.
With that said, I don't consider myself an avid collector of selvedge/raw denim. I recently picked up a pair of Levi's 513 slim straights and I love how they fit. Granted, the cotton feels lighter (and cheaper) but it has all the characteristics I look for in jeans. I like them so much I may buy a couple more pair.
What about you? Do you exclusively buy selvedge or raw denim? Or do you own mainstream stuff like Levi's and such?
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Post by ickes on Oct 28, 2014 17:28:42 GMT -6
only raw selvedge denim here, nothing else.
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Post by DigDug on Oct 28, 2014 20:08:20 GMT -6
Mostly wore Carhartt up till 3 years ago. Searching for a nice wallet brought me to nice leather belts which brought me to Selvedge denim.
First pair was Kicking Mule Work Shop (Wicked Awesome Denim). After a tailor butchered them and they went out of business I found Gustin.
Bought a few others (N&F, Japan Blues, Twelve Bar) but found Gustin to be the best value Fit, style.
My advice is to buy one cheaper pair (Gustin HA, or my favorite the Okayama's). But then save and buy one really perfect pair. Do research on the denim,cut,fit,quality. Then work with a good supplier, one who measures them for you and your able to send back if need be.
Having a beater pair and a perfect pair will hold you back (for a little while) from buying a bunch of middle of the road jeans.
Then put the time needed in them to make them yours.
The question of devotion to denim in General or to one Wicked Awesome pair is whats different for each of us.
I'm still dating denim and not yet devoted. But I'm hoping the KingZims are "The One".
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Post by Derek G on Oct 28, 2014 22:35:08 GMT -6
I still own/wear levis 511. I have worn levis my whole life and loved denim.
I was looking for an alternative, and was actually thisclose to buying into the true religion hype, when I discovered Gustin.
I had all but forgotten those stiff raw jeans I wore as a kid. Anyways, after looking around at selvedge, I though, geeze, this stuff is too expensive...then I found Gustin and the fine gents there on the forum. I'm never looking back. I will always buy selvedge denim from now on. It probably wont be Gustin, but I will always be grateful for them offering raw denim at a great price I could afford. also to all of you for saving me from a true religion fate
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Post by julian on Oct 29, 2014 2:01:45 GMT -6
Collecting denim is something of a hobby for me. I think I have around 130 pairs of jeans now, although I haven't actually counted them all up for a while. I'd say about 70% of it is (or was) raw selvedge.
It's worth noting that a denim being selvedge doesn't automatically make it great denim. I have plenty of pairs of non-selvedge denim that are higher quality than some of my selvedge pairs.
I agree with DigDug that it's a good idea to save up for at least one 'grail' pair if you have the interest and are able to. While brands like Gustin do make good denim available at affordable price points, you will notice the difference in the top-flight brand pairs the minute you put them on. With those purchases, it really only makes sense to go to a shop that sells what you (think you) want and then go and try those on but also some other pairs you may not necessarily have considered. It's surprising how a great fitting pair of jeans will make you feel and the patch, brand name, type of fabric etc. will all go out the window and you'll HAVE to have that one pair.
And that, ultimately, is how jeans should be purchased, IMO. A crappy pair of jeans that fits you perfectly will always look better than your dream pair if they fit you badly. Fit is everything.
There are some pairs in my collection that I'm well aware don't fit me nicely, so I never wear them. There are other pairs that aren't ever going to be considered top-tier that fit me beautifully - and I wear those regularly.
In some ways, I get more of a kick out of seeing (and trying to guess) what other people are wearing than what I'm wearing myself.
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Post by gaseousclay on Oct 29, 2014 5:51:54 GMT -6
And that, ultimately, is how jeans should be purchased, IMO. A crappy pair of jeans that fits you perfectly will always look better than your dream pair if they fit you badly. Fit is everything. There are some pairs in my collection that I'm well aware don't fit me nicely, so I never wear them. There are other pairs that aren't ever going to be considered top-tier that fit me beautifully - and I wear those regularly. In some ways, I get more of a kick out of seeing (and trying to guess) what other people are wearing than what I'm wearing myself. I agree that a well fitting pair of crappy jeans will look better than a nicer pair that fits poorly. I've been very pleased with the fit of my Uniqlo selvedge denim and Levi's 513's, so i've been trying to find other brands with similar fits. I'll just have to find a few local retailers that sell selvedge denim and try them out. The only drawback for me when it comes to selvedge/raw denim is price. I can certainly afford some of the more expensive brands, but I guess I choose not to spend $200+ on jeans out of principle. I'd rather look to the <$100 to $150 range and see what's out there and use the rest of my money to round out my wardrobe. |
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Post by ickes on Oct 29, 2014 10:40:57 GMT -6
gaseousclay; measure those Uniqlo and 513s you have and then compare them to the fit guides on the various brands that are in your price range (Gustin, Tellason, N and F, etc..) and you should be good to go.
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Post by Mattbert on Oct 29, 2014 11:12:11 GMT -6
Also a recent convert to selvedge here. Up until this summer, I only ever owned a couple pair of jeans at any one time and those were basic Levis or similar. We're talking stuff in the $50 range or cheaper. Part of that was because for most of my working life (about a dozen years), I was either wearing business casual (or a suit) in the office or Carhartts in the field. So denim was pretty much a weekends-only proposition, and even then I'd be just as likely to be in shorts or chinos or canvas work pants depending on the circumstances.
Now I work in a casual office where a nice pair of jeans is perfectly appropriate attire at least 95% of the time. I don't remember exactly how I stumbled onto Gustin this summer, but I did. They had some interesting stuff, and the prices were generally within the clothing budget I can justify to myself, so I took the plunge. I now have seven pairs of jeans in my closet, and that number is likely to swell to around a dozen before the end of the year. Most will be Gustins, but I am attempting to branch out and try some other mid-tier brands to see what else is out there.
I expect that once I have all those denims in hand (and probably pare it down by a pair or three from there), then I'll have a nice foundation that will last me a good while. From there, I may or may not start looking up at some of the more expensive big names, but I definitely don't anticipate buying non-raw denim ever again.
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Post by drstrange on Nov 13, 2014 14:06:29 GMT -6
denim newcomer here ... I did own "jeans", say 2-3 pairs at any time, almost exclusively Levi's (but to my knowledge never any from the LVC-line) ... to be frank, I would never have considered "jeans" to be something to wear whenever the slightest kind of dress code felt to be appropriate ... as Levi's perhaps doubles the US-price here (Switzerland), and I don't happen to travel to the States often, I thought I'd give it a try and ordered a pair of Gustin's Summer this year ... result was, I'll perhaps never go back to "jeans", but will stick to what I'd call "denim", which I feel is an appropriate wear even in the office (provided I am not receiving high value clients, which would be expecting me in a suit), then again it helps that it is my very own office, so the dress code is entirely at my own pleasure and currently is: suit when appropriate, otherwise business casual meaning chinos or light denim and shirt or a polo-shirt in summer, corduroy or heavy denim and shirt or a roll-neck/turtleneck in the colder months, always paired with a jacket (mostly including a pocket square ...)
btw, being new to (raw) denim and therefore in search of information I stumbled into this forum and truly like the company here, down to earth, accomodating, no (or negligible) swaggering ...
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Post by wdw on Nov 13, 2014 15:43:41 GMT -6
I was never into denim, but the Gustin thread on TFL got me interested so I put my toe in the water a year ago and now have about 8 or 9 pairs, along with jackets, a shirt and two chinos. Since coming here I've switched allegiance to Lawless, and am just waiting to see what my upcoming jeans, vest and shirt come out like before buying more. I still know very little about raw denim, so have a lot to learn, and appreciate the knowledge being passed on by you guys.
I'm much more into leather jackets and boots, and have got to the point of not telling my wife about more incoming, as she thinks I have a serious problem. But having so many jackets and boots means I need something to join them up, like good denim, so surely she can see that it's medicinal rather than addictive.
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Post by gaseousclay on Feb 25, 2015 20:01:23 GMT -6
*bump*
I have to say, I've changed my opinion on raw denim considerably in the last 4 months. In the beginning I was oblivious to raw selvedge denim. I then tested the waters with Gap's selvedge jeans (which I don't like anymore) and then Uniqlo's selvedge jeans which I still wear daily. I've learned so much about fit that I was able to pull the trigger on my 3sixteens with confidence. I'm surprised that I went against my own advice and spent $200 on jeans.
I'm still experimenting with different brands and now believe that sometimes it is better to spend a little extra to get the quality you want. I suppose I'll try Gustin someday but until I nail down my size I'll have to rely on other brands. The one downside to forums like this is that it does nothing to prevent me from buying more stuff, whether it be denim, waxed canvas goods or leather goods
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Post by seth on Feb 25, 2015 20:28:43 GMT -6
*bump* I have to say, I've changed my opinion on raw denim considerably in the last 4 months. In the beginning I was oblivious to raw selvedge denim. I then tested the waters with Gap's selvedge jeans (which I don't like anymore) and then Uniqlo's selvedge jeans which I still wear daily. I've learned so much about fit that I was able to pull the trigger on my 3sixteens with confidence. I'm surprised that I went against my own advice and spent $200 on jeans. I'm still experimenting with different brands and now believe that sometimes it is better to spend a little extra to get the quality you want. I suppose I'll try Gustin someday but until I nail down my size I'll have to rely on other brands. The one downside to forums like this is that it does nothing to prevent me from buying more stuff, whether it be denim, waxed canvas goods or leather goods I totally understand that price is the big obstacle to trying more high end raw selvedge denim. I found one great way that got me from entry level to mid/higher end jeans - go to the semi annual Barney's sales and try on sale denim - assuming you have a Barney's in your city. My first year into raw selvedge i was able to get N&F, Raleigh, Big John, and 3Sixteen all at $120 or less each. Several of them were $69. Could have also picked up APC, Nudie, RRL and so on at a steep discount. You don't know what you'll find in stock, and they only have sales in June and December, but it's a great way to take another step at a reasonable price point. (It's also a good reminder that all retail clothing is highly marked up.) |
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Post by gaseousclay on Feb 26, 2015 9:11:31 GMT -6
I totally understand that price is the big obstacle to trying more high end raw selvedge denim. I found one great way that got me from entry level to mid/higher end jeans - go to the semi annual Barney's sales and try on sale denim - assuming you have a Barney's in your city. My first year into raw selvedge i was able to get N&F, Raleigh, Big John, and 3Sixteen all at $120 or less each. Several of them were $69. Could have also picked up APC, Nudie, RRL and so on at a steep discount. You don't know what you'll find in stock, and they only have sales in June and December, but it's a great way to take another step at a reasonable price point. (It's also a good reminder that all retail clothing is highly marked up.) price is definitely a consideration for me, but i'm not as hung up on it as I used to be. I used to sneer at the idea of paying more than $100 for jeans, then it was $150 and then $200. I think my threshold for jeans is around the $250 mark, but then again, I factor in fit and fabric in addition to cost. my cut-off point for raw selvedge would have to be $250, not because I can't afford it but because I think there are lots of other companies out there making similar product at comparable or lower prices. I also try to think of the other awesome clothing purchases I could make with $250 and that usually keeps me from splurging on jeans. |
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Post by brentkuz on Feb 26, 2015 12:59:53 GMT -6
hedonistic adaptation.
Started with Gap now it's Samurai and soon Iron Heart. Funny. First pair of selvedge was $25 2011 Gap selvedge. Now it's $200 jeans.
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Post by gaseousclay on Feb 26, 2015 14:51:21 GMT -6
hedonistic adaptation. Started with Gap now it's Samurai and soon Iron Heart. Funny. First pair of selvedge was $25 2011 Gap selvedge. Now it's $200 jeans. Yep. It's the natural progression of clothing addiction. I have the same issue with waxed canvas jackets. First it was Gustin, then Filson and now I want the $400 Freenote Cloth waxed canvas riders jacket |
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Post by dz00 on Feb 26, 2015 18:16:23 GMT -6
Agreed on the 513s. Im chasing that fit in all my other denim. Perfect fit, they nailed it with that cut. I've got my Levis size&style locked down.
Also have a great pair of Uniqlo slim selvedge that fits great. But the rise is about an inch or so too low, otherwise real good. I can size down on their regular fit selvedge, which is more mid rise, but i still think they could use a taper from knee down.
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Post by gaseousclay on Feb 27, 2015 7:27:35 GMT -6
Agreed on the 513s. Im chasing that fit in all my other denim. Perfect fit, they nailed it with that cut. I've got my Levis size&style locked down. Also have a great pair of Uniqlo slim selvedge that fits great. But the rise is about an inch or so too low, otherwise real good. I can size down on their regular fit selvedge, which is more mid rise, but i still think they could use a taper from knee down. My 513's don't get as much wear as i'd like, primarily because they're incredibly lightweight and not practical in freezing Minnesota weather. I like the cut for the most part but wished it had thicker fabric and a slightly lower rise. My Uniqlo's, on the other hand, fit perfectly. I have 4 pairs of their regular fit and they're all pretty consistent fit-wise. The main reason why I like my Uniqlo's is that I use them as my daily knockaround jeans, so if they get damaged in any way I won't freak out as much. Uniqlo does do vanity sizing on their jeans, despite what some of the reviews say. All of mine are a 34 waist but I have a true waist size of 35.5" and the fit was perfect. The waist has stretched out a little but I wear a belt everyday anyways so it's a non-issue. I just wished Uniqlo offered regular fit selvedge jeans in black. |
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Post by dz00 on Feb 27, 2015 9:38:24 GMT -6
Yep, i'd add a dark grey to wishlist too.
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