Here’s the deal. It’s stupid. It’s nearly impossible justify spending that much money on something that you can get for much less. Sure, you can spend more money in the hopes that “it lasts longer” or that “it will be more comfortable” or that you’ll “enjoy it more,” but the reality is that the expensive version does all the same things the cheap versions do.
What am I talking about? Whatever you’d like. Cars, tables, fireplaces, a steak, anything and everything you can think of. Raw denim is no different. At its base, the concept of raw denim is a bit silly. Spending more than $70 on a pair of jeans may seem crazy to some, similar to spending more than $15 on a fine cigar. Nonetheless, people spend much much more on both. Why? Simple: because they want to.
In no way is it my intention to swindle you into paying an absurd amount of money on a pair of denim. I want to explain why I, and many many others, have chosen to invest in quality jeans. At the end of the day, it’s entirely up to you. Do whatever you want.
Honestly, it’s just a pair of pants.
What makes denim “raw”?
The main difference between raw denim and washed denim is just that: raw denim is unwashed. That means that after the denim is cut and sewn into a pair of pants, it is left alone and then shipped to the customer. Most of the jeans out there are given a water-based wash after they are sewn, giving them a lighter color, and sometimes adding artificial fading or tearing. This sets the indigo dye in place, and it changes very little with wear.
The main advantage in buying non-prewashed is that over time the indigo shifts and fades according to the way you move. You specifically. No one else. Just you. Raw denim is a physical record of the way its owner lives. You bend your leg just so, thus the combs behind the knee form as such. You lift your legs that high when you walk, and the whiskers around your crotch reflect that. Perhaps you keep your phone in your right front pocket, and your wallet in your back left; those pockets stretch and fade in the exact shape of their contents after extended use. This means that when you put on your jeans, they simply look right.
Think of those heinous jeans with pre-faded jeans. Every single pair of that style has the exact same pattern of light streaks, and none of them look quite right. Honestly most all of them look fucking awful. In comparison, when you look at a pair of raw denim that someone has worn for 2-3 years, the fabric has shaped to their legs, and the color is entirely unique to them. The contrast of the fading is sharper, the fabric moves with the lines, and there’s thousands of stories kept in the weave. What’s not to love?
Style
While everyone has their own reasons for ultimately purchasing and wearing a pair of raw denim, one of the biggest advantages is they look great. When you invest in quality jeans, you’re buying a pair that will live in your rotation for a long time, and will continuously evolve as you wear them. This means that every couple of weeks/months you’ll notice a new change in the fades, and suddenly they’re a new pair of pants again.
Dark indigo denim is one of the most versatile pieces anyone can have in their closet, I highly recommend everyone have at least one pair. They dress up or down with ease, are comfortable, and if you get the right fit they’ll make your legs look fantastic. That being said, there’s a delicate balance to strike with jeans. Here are some basic tips:
- Do not wear them to anything that requires both a jacket and a tie. (You can certainly wear them with a blazer, just not to formal events. They’re still jeans.)
- Do not buy overly-skinny jeans; aim for a slim-fit pair that is flattering but doesn’t restrict movement.
- Do not wear baggy jeans that slump in the ass or around the thighs.
Dress down dark jeans with a basic sweatshirt and some cozy layers .
- Do cuff your jeans. Stacking can look great as well, but I’m partial to the clean contrast of a 1-1.5″ cuff. Overall just don’t let them drag on the floor.
- Do wear them with OCBDs (Oxford Cotton Button Down, your basic collared shirt). An untucked OCBD in light blue, white, pink, brown, or forest green with some slim-fit denim is a killer look. So nice.
- Do wear them with boots and sneakers. So long as the shoes aren’t a similar deep-blue as your pants, they will look great. Just be aware that with raw denim a little indigo might rub off onto your kicks.
Picking the right pair
One of the most exciting parts about raw denim is selecting the pair that’s right for you, and when you’re committing to wearing the same pair for a few years there’s a lot to think about. Here are the basics.
Fit
The best way to get a the fit of your raws just right is to grab your best fitting pair of pants, and measure them. That simple. Follow this guide from 3sixteen, these are more-or-less the universal measurements. Practically all denim brands will proudly display their sizes for your perusal.
Weight
The denim that is sewn into jeans varies greatly by weight. Popular non-raw denim brands are most often made of 11-13 oz denim, meaning that a square yard of the fabric used to make those jeans weighs 11-13 oz. With raw denim you get the liberty to try a much larger variety of weight. The fabrics I’ve seen vary from 8 oz all the way to 32 oz. Now the latter is certainly no place to start, that’s for denimextremophiles only. (Check out @wizardof32oz on Instagram to see a man in the heaviest.) A good place to start is around 14 oz, which is heavy enough to give you the experience of breaking in thicker denim, and light enough to wear year-round.
Brand
This in particular is something that you’ll have to form your own opinion own; every single manufacturer of raw denim has their own pros and cons. There are the stalwart brands like Naked & Famous, the Japanese specialists like Japan Blue, the adventurers like Iron Heart, the classics like Levi’s, the small-batch passionates like House of One Culture, and so many more.
Caring for your raw denim
There is a common misconception that you “never wash raw denim.” That’s not true. That’s gross. Human bodies produce a ton of sweat, odor, and oils, all of which are rubbed into your pants every time you put them on. In addition, dirt particles in the fibers will wear on the denim, and potentially reduce the lifetime of the pants. So please, wash your damn jeans.
All-in-all, this topic requires another post all to itself. Just be aware that if you purchase a pair of raws you don’t necessarily just want to throw them in the washing machine with the rest of your clothes. It gets a bit more complicated when you factor in the indigo loss, and the potential damage that the spin cycle can do to the fades you worked so hard to create. Look out for that post soon; I recently spilled cider all over my summer denim.
Final thoughts
There you have it, a very basic introduction to the craziness that is raw denim. It’s a wonderful world to get into, and something that is continuously rewarding. Every couple of months when you put your denim in your dresser, or when the sunlight catches your jeans just right, you’ll notice a new evolution in the indigo. It’s pretty damn cool. I’ll be revisiting this topic many times, with more style recommendations and brand reviews.
If you’re curious for more, check out the #rawdenim tag on Instagram, visit Heddels.com, or ask a question on the raw denim subreddit.
If you’re convinced and you’re looking to buy an introductory pair, I would recommend The Unbranded Brand. They are on the introductory end of raw denim, but their lower prices don’t mean lower quality.
Dress Like You Give a Damn 