This Is What 4 Years in Raw Denim Have Taught Me
At the end of this month, it will have been four years since I bought my first piece of raw denim. In that time. I have learned a lot about denim, about the industry, and about garment construction – no to mention consumption as a whole. It’s been a great journey, here’s what I learned along the way.
My Raw Denim “Projects”
Unlike for most denimheads, my first raw denim garment was not a pair of jeans, it was a jacket; specifically an Evisu Jacket modeled after the Type I. And I’ll be honest, it hasn’t seen much wear. But, it still hangs on my rail as a marker. After that jacket, my pattern of consumption changed.
Over the years, I have collected a fair few jeans; I kept some and let others go.
The list of “project” pairs reads like this:
- Levi’s 501 STF selvedge: 6 months (I got too skinny for them).
- Nudie Average Joe’s: 20 months of continuous wear with no washes. They are retired now.
- Edwin Nashville’s: Made in Japan editions. Saw about 4 months before being passed on to a friend.
- Railcar Fine Goods Spikes X001: Passed along to a friend.
- Big John Rare 008: 8 months. Still in rotation.
- 3sixteen 31BSP: 4 months. Still in rotation.
- Pure Blue Japan. These were a pre-release from PBJ during the Inzuma Market at the summer 2014 Bread and Butter. The denim was unsanforized, super slubby and so new it didn’t have a name but the fit is the slim/straight.
Hanging on my clothes rail, there are a few extra pairs, mostly Levi’s Vintage Clothing 501’s that I collect for historical interest. The above list is the jeans I have spent a significant amount of time in.
I will admit that the list is missing some of the icons in raw denim, but I still have time.
