Waiter, this denim is raw!

I recently reentered the world of raw denim. I’ve dived into the indigo pool of obsession and absorbed the dye until i’m ready to be faded into perfection. Like a lost lamb, i’ve found my way back, guided by a lovely pair. Constructed from a deadstock 14.5oz double black selvedge, they fit me incredibly well.

I picked them up for a bargain, less than half price! Theyre are pair of the Nudie Jeans Clean Eileen cut, which are a higher waisted pant that has a SENSIBLE FUCKING RIVET (see the picture at the bottom) that doesn’t have the annoying nipple that catches on skin. Also nudie has a lifetime free repair program on any pair of their jeans which is just fucking awesome if you ask me.

A decade ago, back when I was still a guy, raw denim was really my first introduction into the garment construction and i suppose fashion as a whole. I can’t say my fashion was good, but i think it gave me that irritating view that garments should be well constructed and the best ones tell a story.

Now there has been thousands of articles written about raw denim, whole subcultures have developed out of it. Hell there’s even a worldwide fading competition dedicated to getting the best fades out of a pair. I don’t think there’s much I can add to that overall body of work, but its nice to remember a little part of myself i had forgotten about from a previous version of me.

Sous vide denim

Raw denim is an interesting one for me, the culture around is is steeped in a manufacturing tradition that is almost completely divorced from its original product. Denim has been around for a while, originating from Nîmes in France a couple of hundred years ago, but jeans as we know them in the standard five pocked configuration originated in 1901 (Thanks Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis!).

Almost all popular raw denim jeans manufacturers still broadly adhere to the various models of Levi’s produced post world war II. The Levi’s 501 is ubiquitous, but the 501 has changed wildly over the decades to the point that Levi’s makes 501 models based on the version of the pant from that year. Seriously go on the levis website! you can get a 1947, 1954, 1955, ’90s or original fits, all pants that are actually pretty different in sizing!

For various economic reasons (seriously, go read Ametora by W. D. Marx.), the second half of the 20th century saw Japan become the place for denim. The Osaka 5, a collection of five denim manufactueres based in… well yeah… Osaka, ushered in a new age of high quality denim reproductions and interpretations of classic american workwear. Denim heads lust over selvedge denim produced on toyoda shuttle looms, unwashed for the best fading opportunities.

I think my denims gone a little stale…

The downside of this obsession with tradition, is that innovation can sometimes get swallowed up. Many raw denim pants are (in my humble opinion) fairly timeless in style, but they are timeless in the sense that they have changed fairly little. There is something to be said for designs and manufacturers that are trend immune, but many of these interpretations on older fits are simply not that comfortable or usable. Low rises and tight crotch allowances mean that the pants often experience crotch blowouts. It means limited range of motion for those who are more active.

The fades are always the same type, combs, stacks, whiskers on the same fits. What about fades on climbing pants, or from skating in fits that would offer better movement?? Higher rise, wider fit raw denim pants seem to be the bigfoot of the raw denim world.

There’s a great (William Gibson interview)[https://www.heddels.com/2015/03/william-gibson-interview-buzz-rickson-line-tech-wear-limits-authenticity/] where he explains that ‘Authenticity’ doesn’t mean much, favouring functionality and durability. And here’s the rub, most raw denims aren’t that functional. Look at the fades and you rarely see anyone using the front pockets (because inserting your hand would remove all skin given the weight and tightness of the fabric). How many blue collar workers do you see pulling on a pair of Iron Hearts?

Hunting for Fresh Denim

There are some smaller makers doing some interesting things however! Greasepoint Workwear makes these absolutely incredible looking pants that i’m kind of itching to try.

I’m writing this because i’m considering entering the Indigo Invitational this year, i’d really like to push a pair of pants with my climbing and hiking. But i can’t seem to find many that would actually allow me to climb in them in a way that wouldn’t compromise either the pants or my ability to scramble up a wall.

So I guess I gotta learn to sew…