Thursday, July 29, 2010

Washed Denim

These days it feels like everyone is preaching raw denim or bust as if it's the end all be all when it comes to your jeans.  I've helped feed the beast on this one, no doubt, but consider this my way of making up for lost time.  While raw denim is a favorite of the style set due to its unique fading and the various personalization that comes with each wear, it's not always the best move in S/S.  The heavy nature of the raw (unwashed) and often stiff fabric is a recipe for an uncomfortable outing, especially in the dog days of summer.  Assuming you don't want to ditch your jeans in favor of chinos, shorts or various other cotton trousers, what are you gonna do?  Well, white jeans are always a popular choice, but they can be tricky to pull off.  Not to mention, if you doubt yourself while wearing white jeans you're as good as finished.  At this point it seems as if conventional style knowledge tells us that our only choice is to suffer through the heat.  And don't get it twisted, you can totally do that if you want to. I've done it myself and I'm sure I'll do it again at some point.  If form truly outweighs function in your specific case, who am I to tell you that you should change - just keep doing you.  But for those of you who are looking to avoid the unfortunate scenario of sweating right on through your pants, you might want to look into a pair of great fitting, washed jeans.  Shit, maybe even selvedge.


[Pictures courtesy of The Sartorialist, GQ and Jake Davis.]

There's no real tricks or rules.  Wear them just like you would your most prized pair of raw denim.  Dress 'em up with a tucked in shirt, knit tie and blazer or neat roll them so there's no break and pull out your haggard ass Vans.  You love your raw denim, not just because of how they represent your specific lifestyle (i.e. your grease stains, your creases, etc.), but also how effortlessly they can bring a kit together.   With such a classic and stylish base, even your white tees look unstoppable.  I don't think there is any reason to think washed jeans can't do the same thing.  Except this time you won't look like you just got ambushed by some punk ass kids on a water balloon drive by - that's never a good look.  In fact, you could even argue that washed jeans look better this time of year.  Their light coloring and smooth texture really has that whole S/S aesthetic vibe thing on lockdown, eh?

The marketplace isn't as flushed with washed jeans that keep things classic and understated (i.e. the wash itself and the cut of the jean) as it is with raw options so a little bit of digging is encouraged.  If you are a little hesitant about going back to washed or are just straight up broke start at the mall (blasphemy!).  Gap, J. Crew and Levi's should have some options, some of which may indeed be selvedge, which really helps when showing off to girls how many blogs you read on your lunch break.  If you're big doggin' it and money aint a thang brands like RRL, Brunello Cucinelli, Spurr, Billy Reid, 4 stroke and Baldwin Denim have pricier numbers that will last longer and hold up despite the thin, washed cotton.  So I guess what I was trying to say was that raw denim is great and everyone knows it, but that doesn't mean it's your only option.  Washed denim - try it out.  Or not. Whatever. Food for thought.

-L.A.S

[Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who helped me out with this one over on that Twitter thing and read Prepidemic's take for some more insight.]

25 comments:

  1. My first pair of selvedge, though I didn't know it at the time, was a pair of Ruehl's. I got them in tenth grade from my older cousin who worked at a storefront design studio for A&F. I think they were a prototype, 'cause I'm not sure Ruehl ever sold selvedge.

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  2. Levi's has light wash 501 shrink-to-fits, if you're going for that personalized look. It would just take a couple months of rough riding to make them look lived in.
    http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3631317&cp=3146842.3146844.3146854.3194290.3692024

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  3. Shorter Sart Post: "I just saw a photo of some old Wop in a double-breasted jacket wearing faded jeans. So I guess faded jeans are cool now."

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  4. I hate that second picture. I've seen it before. That's exactly how I wear my jeans and desert boots, and now that it's out in the public, it brings me down. Man, that just sounded very narcissistic! Linen's always a good way to go.

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  5. Anon @10:49- Dude, you're totally, like, in my head right now. Inception?

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  6. good post, i peeped some light washes at rag and bone the other weekend and it got me thinking...

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  7. I've have this attitude towards washed denim for a while now. Been wearing my Our Legacy light stone wash jeans since spring. I've been meaning to do a write-up about it but I don't quite have the literary dexterity that you display. I've actually been finding it hard to make the transition back to raw denim. I tried them on the other day after months of washed denim and couldn't believe how dark they looked.

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  8. Great pix....I don't what the heck those anons are talking about.

    +8!3

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  9. Take one pair of raw denim from a brand you like. Wear & wash the shit out of them over the winter and as if by magic you'll have a lovely, soft, light coloured jeans for summer.

    That way you get the best of both worlds.

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  10. Pipe down, Drizzy. Or should I say, Lawrizzy?

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  11. Birdman- Lamest comment ever on Sart Inc. Congrats, brah.

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  12. I'm done with raw denim. I've never been a big denim head, and I'm sick of indigo rubbing off. In the past year I've stained, boat shoes, dirty bucks, an OCBD and a carry-all.

    Those of you who love it, can continue rocking it, but for me, it's more trouble than it's worth.

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  13. never had great luck with raw denim. people flip for pictures of worn in APCs but for some reason when a flash hits them for the picture it makes the jeans look a lot better than they would to the naked eye.

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  14. I am not sure that any "dude" who thinks about denim this much is worried about what girls think.

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  15. Anon @11:43- I feel the same way about dudes who comment on style blogs.

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  16. Hard to worry about pussy when your holed up in New Jersey jerking off to the RRL website.

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  17. Anon @11:46- Damn, someone's being a massive herb on this lovely Friday.

    P.S. RRL doesn't have a website.

    Thanks for dropping by.

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  18. You should give some credit to Jake Davis for the crispy image you jacked off his Test Shot.

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  19. Anon @12:16- You are absolutely right. How wack of me to not give credit where credit is due. Thanks for the reminder.

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  20. My mang, whatever happened to the lands end canvas slim fit pants, specifically....how they fittin?

    Also, I notice alotta ppl dogging u for ur lingo...so here are a few new phrases to use
    -realtalk
    -nuffsaid
    -namean
    -ifuknowadimsayin' (after a joke)

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  21. I have been rocking my Our Legacy Autentics and super washed out Acnes all summer... both killer, OL's fit a lot like 501's same sort or rise but slimmer through the leg, go to the OL's boys three different wash's and lets be serious that woven rear patch is killer

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  22. my argument against raw denim...white couches

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  23. To me, the appeal for raw denim is not that it stays dark and inky, but rather that it fades according to the work that I've personally put in. It's not a "keeping it real" thing - it just looks better. To me, there are rarely washes that looks natural and authentic. That's the issue here. I'm guessing that most raw denim fans don't have anything against washed denim, so long as they've done the work themselves.

    I'm totally with you on having a pair of worn-in jeans (or several) in one's wardrobe. I just think they look far better if they were aged naturally instead of at a wash house.

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  24. The guy in the last picture looks amazing! good example of dressing up worn in jeans.

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