My Favorite Item

To start off the discussion concerning staples, I wanted to detail what is my personal favorite article of clothing, easily being both my most versatile and most worn, seeing almost everyday use. This item is shared with me by many men for its comfort and casual appearance and has held its place strong in men's fashion since it's popularization by James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. As you might have guessed, with that hint, this item is a pair of jeans.

(Thanks)

Now, I don't think I have to persuade anyone or go into detail about the positives of wearing jeans. Enough men wear and love them for me to assume that this ground is covered. However, not as many people are enthusiastic about the sort of jeans I enjoy. I am a fan of slim fit, raw (or dry, for another term), selvedge, indigo denim.

When it comes to denim, most (and when I say most, I mean the vast majority) of the jeans you will find in a department store has been run through a washing process. This serves to shrink and soften the fabric, and it removes most of the excess dye while sealing in the color. You will also find that a good portion of jeans are pre-distressed. This gives the jeans a rugged and worn appearance immediately.

Raw denim jeans are jeans that do not go through any distressing or washing after the dying process, though many employ a process known as sanforization to minimize shrinkage, allowing for a more accurate sizing upon purchase. However, in most cases with raw denim, you're left with a stiff fabric that carries a good deal of excess dye. For the first few wearings, the jeans will be rather uncomfortable, and for even longer, they'll be prone to what's called 'crocking.' As well as that, if you size the jeans correctly, what will happen is the jeans will be a bit tight, too, and you'll have to wear them a few times to stretch them out. But that's not the worst part.

To get the full desired effect of raw denim, while you might have a pre-soak if the denim is unsanforized, many of the instructions for owning raw denim recommend not washing for a period of months. In fact, I've seen it more often recommended that you wait 6 months to a full year (honestly, though, this is hardly even a guideline, in my opinion), and you hand wash them. Thus far, I'm not making a good sales pitch, but here's where it gets better.

As the jeans stretch out, they will stretch out according to the figure and activity level of the person wearing them. Because of that, they actually morph to take on the shape of the individual, becoming the closest thing to a perfect fit you will ever find. Also, the longer you wear the jeans, the crocking process of the dye bending and shifting around as you move will create creases and fades unique to you. Essentially, they become your own personalized jeans. And the effects can be beautiful.

Even more, in the long run, these jeans are also more cost effective than many of the pre-washed, pre-distressed jeans you find in stores. As it has neither been washed, nor gone through any distressing process, the denim retains a lot of its initial integrity, making it more durable and longer lasting.

Now, as for the other terms, indigo and selvedge, these are a bit easier. Indigo is essentially the dye they use for jeans, both the type of dye and the color. Indigo is quite genuinely the dye used for most jeans for their gorgeous blue color. For me, I prefer my jeans to remain this color instead of trying out the more varied options. Keeps it simple, and it will still look good when these jeans start to fall apart on me after 10 years.

As for selvedge, have you noticed how a long of people today are rolling up their pant legs? When they do that, you can see the stitching on the inside seams. Now, something you may have seen, especially within the past few years, is that some of these jeans have a white edge around the stitching. This is called selvedge. Essentially, it's an edge that keeps the seams from fraying. Small detail, but it makes it lasts longer and, quite frankly, is cool to look at. You won't find all raw denim to have selvedge, and not all selvedge is raw, but it is something I personally prefer in my jeans.

Now, when it comes to raw denim, pricing is all over the place, but generally will be a bit more expensive than some store-bought denim. While many denimheads will praise the jeans that can hit categories in excess of $200-300, some going even into the four-digit range, there are a good many options for people like myself who think this is ridiculous.

There are some brands I would check out first, even if you don't want to hit the three-digit range. Levi's 501 STF, color 'Rigid,' is recognized as raw, and was my personal first starting pair, which I still wear. This one is especially good for learning how to care for raw denim. Another brand to check out in the affordable price range is Uniqlo, which sources from Japanese mills that used U.S. mills. This tends to be a good quality denim, and their price is hard to beat. Unbranded also has a good reputation.

My personal favorite brand is a bit more expensive, as well, but as I wear it pretty much every day for casual use, I didn't mind spending a bit more, and it didn't cost as much when I bought it as it does today.

There is a lot more detail to cover, but hopefully, this whets your appetite to dig more into it. I understand that it isn't for everyone, but for people like myself who tried and fell in love with the whole process, these jeans are amazing.

Disagree with anything, or have your own preference of jeans? Do you have a personal favorite staple? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time!