21.5 OZ JEANS: My Brave Star Selvage Review (100 Wears)

I’ve reviewed a lot of Japanese jeans on my site, but I thought it was time to try an American brand.

About 9 months ago, I bought these unbelievably cheap and unbelievably thick jeans from the Los Angeles-based company Brave Star Selvage. If you’re happy to wear jeans that are twice as thick as mall brands, you’ll be pleased to know that they broke in and faded surprisingly quickly after the 100-ish wears I’ve given them.

It’s true that this denim is Japanese (good luck finding such thick denim from anywhere else), but the fabric is cut and sewn in LA, the leather is from Texas, and the buttons are from Kentucky. Brave Star is a very important feature in the American denim landscape not just for where it’s made, but also for the price.

Let’s look at their very thick, 21.5oz denim.

Brave Star Jeans Pros & Cons

What I liked:

• Extremely good value
• Fades relatively quickly
• American made
• 5 fits to choose from

Downsides, not dealbreakers

• Their fabrics don’t tend to be very slubby or irregular, which many denimheads prefer
• No high rise, wide, or relaxed fits
• Not great at keeping products in stock
• Not very transparent for a brand that’s all about American-made — show us the workshop!

Brave Star’s Heavyweight 21.5oz Denim

• 21.5oz sanforized denim
• Twice as thick as Levi’s
• Left hand twill weave
• Smooth and regular
• Fast faders

This is 21.5 ounce sanforized denim. (Practically speaking, sanforized just means it won’t shrink too much when you wash them.)  For a little context, your average Levi’s are about 10 or 12 ounces, so it’s twice as thick as the jeans you’re used to.

There’s no elastane, no spandex, no polyester. It’s a 100 percent cotton, a classic left hand twill woven on shuttle looms and made with rope dyed yarn.

This is a great “first pair of heavy jeans” because of the price and because of how approachable the fabric is: it’s not outlandishly slubby or neppy or hairy or irregular. Most people will just see jeans that look like regular jeans but feel like armor.

It’s true that a lot of seasoned denimheads crave irregular denim that’s rough and knotty and streaky, and if that’s you, you won’t be quite as excited about Brave Star’s jeans. But plenty of people want their jeans to be simple, or they’re happy with the weight being the main differentiator. And after all, nep and knots can remind some guys of piling on low quality cotton. 

So some find it uninteresting, others find it refreshing, but in any case, it really is hard to complain too much when you’re still getting 21.5oz Japanese selvedge denim jeans for under $200.

How Does Brave Star Fade and Wear In?

The waist did stretch out a little over an inch as I wore them, but it certainly didn’t stretch so much that they became unwearable or gave me diaper butt like some brands I’ve tried.

If you’re unsure about such “normal” looking denim, you’ll be glad to know that it fades pretty fast. After 9 months, 100 wears, and one soak, these are pretty considerable fades that you wouldn’t often see so quickly in a lot of brands.

When you hear about Japanese selvedge that’s smooth and not bumpy, you might think of Iron Heart, who are famous for how smooth and comfy their selvedge is. I’m not saying these are the same level of quality as Iron Heart, but it’s nice to know that Brave Star’s out there making non-weird selvedge at a far lower price and it fades a lot faster than notoriously fade-resistant Iron Hearts.

So, for guys that don’t want to wait 5 years for fades, Brave Star could be a great bet.

Brave Star Jeans Details

• Pretty basic design 
• Red orange threads
• Big cowhide waistpatch
• Star on right pocket

As for the details, once again this is a pretty basic  design that lets the quality speak for itself. There are no fancy pocket arcs, there are no designs on any of the rivets. The red orange threads make for a really classic Americana look and they’re made from core spun polyester for extra durability. (Most guys don’t want cotton threads on their denim because it’s less durable than polyester, but if you prefer really old fashioned jeans, check out Full Count.)

 The waistpatch is natural cowhide, stamped and cut in Los Angeles with this really cool design:

Some don’t love the waistpatch because it’s so large and it’s about a quarter inch thick, but it makes for a casual, almost Western style, and it’ll darken nicely with wear. (It looked a lot cleaner before I got indigo all over it with the soak.) 

The main distinguishing mark for these jeans is the trademark star on the right pocket, which I love. It’s such a simple pair of jeans that I find the star adds the perfect amount of splash.

How Brave Star’s Jeans Stretch With Wear

I picked up a 32-inch pair and if you check out the sizing on their site, they note 32-inch pair will actually measure 34.5. These are the rest of the measurements for when you get them:

• Waist: 34.5
• Front rise: 10.25
• Back rise:  14.5
• Knee: 7.75
• Opening: 6.875

After 9 months of wear and one warm soak, the measurements are:

• Waist: 35.5
• Front rise:  10.5
• Back rise:  15 
• knee: 8.9
• Opening: 7.2

Brave Star’s Fits (updated in 2026)

When I first bought these jeans (I’m updating this review a few years after writing it) I wasn’t very happy with their variety of fits — they were all straight or slim. I’m a high rise, big thighs kind of guy.

But today they offer the Strongman fit, which is what I would have gone with.

When I first looked at them they were just selling straights and slims: Skeleton Skinny, Slim Taper, Regular Taper, Slim Straight, and True Straight.

Today they sell Mojave Western Cut (a subtle bootleg), Strongman, True Straight, Slim Straight, and Slim Taper.

“True Straight” is the closest you’ll get to a Relaxed Straight (the 33.5″ waist has an 8-inch leg opening), but they don’t really do high rises or wide legs if that’s your jam.

Brave Star Price

Good God, these jeans just cost $178 now. 

Brave Star make the best USA-made selvedge denim jeans at this price point, especially given they’re 21.5 ounces. Most jeans this thick are well over $300.

And it’s worth emphasizing here that many Brave Star’s lighter weight jeans, like the 12, 13.5, and 15oz jeans , are under $120, and they’re often made with American denim. The value is obscene with this brand.

Wrapping Up

Brave Star’s jeans are American made, they fade fast, and they’re inexpensive. That’s more than enough reason to buy them, especially given I happen to be a pretty big cheapskate. 

The main downsides people note are that a lot of denimheads prefer fabrics with more character, they don’t have as many fits as some competitors, and some people say the sizing’s inconsistent — although that wasn’t my experience.

And hey, it’s a small company and they’re doing a great job catering to their base and keeping American denim alive.