Oni

I usually write about casual and durable menswear that any guy would find wearable, but today we're focusing on extremes: the heaviest, thickest denim on the market. In the world of raw selvedge denim, enthusiasts (often called "denimheads") typically wear jeans that are heavier than what the average mall brand sells. Inevitably, an arms race came about to make the heaviest fabric on the market, and it led to many brands over the years laying claim to the heaviest denim on Earth. For this article, I sat down with Stridewise contributor and resident heavyweight denim enthusiast Troy Barmore. We discuss both the most unreasonably heavyweight jeans and the heavyweight jeans we actually like to wear. https://youtu.be/Aw2Gu7D_GSQ?t236 In our heavyweight fabrics video, we go over the heaviest canvas, jeans, t-shirts, and jackets on the market. The jeans section that this article is based on starts at 3:55 What Makes Denim "Heavyweight"? Fabric is usually measured in ounces per square yard. Most jeans are made from denim that weighs 11 to 12 ounces per square yard. The average person would probably consider 15-ounce denim "heavyweight." But that weight is unremarkably common in the industry, where denim is usually considered heavyweight once it's 18 ounces or heavier. Troy's 25-ounce Iron Heart jeans. Why Wear Heavyweight Jeans? It drapes, fades, and fits differently; it's a new way to wear your favorite pants. More denim more durability: they're generally more abrasion resistant and longer lasting. It's warmer: It's always a thrill when it gets cold enough to wear your heavy jeans. You feel like you're wearing armor: you're literally more protected in these, and you feel like you are, too. It's cool. It's fun! Some heavyweight jeans have obvious practical benefits — they're warmer, they offer more abrasion resistance, they last longer — while others exist purely because someone wanted to know just how thick denim can get. "It depends on the use case," says Troy. "Some heavy jeans have practical benefits, while others are so heavy that the only justification is novelty or bragging rights." 25 ounces is the upper limit of what we'd consider "heavy but wearable." Others (like me) would put that limit at 20 ounces! Note that there's no judgment attached to the second group, to which Troy and I definitely belong. "At the end of the day, it's just fun," says Troy. "Plus, it represents innovation of humankind. We've been making stuff out of cotton for thousands of years, and none of these fabrics were possible until recently. It's cool!" Such heavyweight denim is practically always selvedge, meaning woven on antique shuttle looms. Most of today's jeans are made on projectile looms, but enthusiasts prefer the more old fashioned looms. They work far more slowly and are much harder to maintain, so making such Space Age, unprecedented denim on a shuttle loom is an even more impressive achievement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v20am4ZH0-zc 1. Naked & Famous: The Heaviest Ever, But You Can't Really Buy Them (40oz) Naked & Famous's founder, Brandon Svarc, is often called the Willy Wonka of denim. Every single season this Canadian company comes out with fabulously innovative fabrics that have included jeans made of milk, cashmere, some that glow in the dark, even some made from Scratch 'n' Sniff. When they released their 32-ounce denim, it was the heaviest ever made. In the following years, other brands came up with ways of making fabrics that are slightly heavier, so in 2025, Naked & Famous ended the conversation by releasing 40-ounce denim jeans — nearly four times heavier than average. Never washed, 32oz denim. (via @wizardof32oz) According to Garrett, a high-ranking Naked & Famous employee whose job is to actually wear the stuff, the jump from 32 to 40 ounces is significant. While plenty of people found that the 32-ouncers became relatively comfortable with wear, the 40-ounce pair simply doesn't obey the usual laws of nature. I'm being a bit hyperbolic there, but still: you know how most jeans develop a bunch of fades behind the knee from where the fabric bends and scrunches? In most jeans, even the 32-oz ones, there are so many of these fades that it's called "honeycombing." In the 40oz pair, as you can see in the picture below, there's pretty much just one fold. In these 40-ounce jeans, there's far less creasing behind the knee. Further Reading The Ultimate Guide to Getting the Best Denim Fades I chatted with Zeke Hartwell from Naked & Famous to get tips to achieve dramatic fades. Learn more → Because of these innovations, Naked & Famous deserve the top spot, but here's the thing: you can't buy them. Every now and then they'll do a run of these jeans, but not only do they only release them every few years, they also sell out immediately. That said, Naked & Famous are almost always selling plenty of heavyweight jeans in the 18- to 25-ounce range. The filter on their site can be a little janky, but their heavy denim named Elephant is one to look for. The brand's wide range of heavyweight denims combined with their relatively low price (thanks to favorable trade relations between Canada, where they're made, and Japan, where the fabric's from) keeps Naked & Famous the undisputed kings of the category. Honeycombing on the 32oz jeans. Why we like Naked & Famous No brand is as dedicated to pushing the boundaries of denim; they simply deserve your business. Literally the heaviest denim ever manufactured. They offer many levels of heavyweight with different aesthetics, from 17oz and up. Downsides Seldom available: both the 32oz and 40oz fabrics come around only once in a blue moon. (But it's easy to find jeans from them in the area of 20oz) Probably too heavy for all but the most dedicated denim hobbyists. Image courtesy of SoSo Brothers. 2. SoSo Brothers: The Best Superheavyweight Jeans You Can Actually Buy (33oz) If you're reading this article because you want to find out the heaviest jeans you can actually buy, check out SoSo Brothers. The denim they've affectionately named The Breaker Of Legs is a whopping 33 ounces. Not only is it heavier than the Naked & Famous denim first go at the heaviest ever made, but SoSo sell three different versions of the fabric and, most importantly, they do a good job of keeping this fabric in stock. Which is to say you can actually buy it. SoSo's jeans are made to order, so they won't arrive overnight, but the upsides are many: they're relatively inexpensive (currently $399) and you're able to customize them: not only can you pick the color of your thread and the metal of your rivets, they'll even let you customize the fit. Image courtesy of SoSo Brothers Why We Like SoSo Brothers Customizable: You can make your extremely rare jeans to be 100 percent unique. Price: Because they're made to order in Thailand, the price is lower than anyone else making denim this heavy. Availability: This isn't the heaviest denim ever sold, but it is the heaviest on the market. Variety: They sell three versions of this fabric, even though they already had the crown of "heaviest denim you can buy." Downsides, Not Dealbreakers Jeans this heavy need special skills for repairs; if you bust a seam, you'll probably have to mail them to Thailand. Because they're made to order, it takes five to seven weeks for your order to arrive. Honestly, I think that's impressively fast and definitely worth it for the price. 3. Iron Heart Denim: The Most Popular Heavyweight Denim (25oz) Lots and lots of people consider 25 ounces the uppermost limit for what they can comfortably wear. And these days, there are quite a few brands selling denim that's over 20 ounces — so which has the most accolades from the world's hardest-to-please denim hobbyists? Iron Heart Denim! While a lot of Japanese denim brands work hard on making slubby, bumpy, hairy, knotty fabrics with a fascinating degree of complexity, Iron Heart excel at making smooth, consistent denim. That's a feat unto itself when you remember that it's woven on those bouncing, chattering shuttle looms that are famous for producing irregular fabric that's full of flaws. (Many love those flaws, but I digress.) I personally own a black pair of their 21-ounce jeans, but Troy has their world famous 25-ouncers. (And his Iron Heart review has over a hundred thousand views on YouTube!) “These are the heaviest jeans in my collection, and probably about as heavy as anyone should reasonably own," says Troy. "They’re ridiculous. When they were brand new I wore them on a short walk from Greenpoint to Williamsburg and came home with bruised hips. They could literally stand up on their own — like haunted pants.” Troy's 25-ounce Iron Heart jeans when they were new. Worn with Grant Stone's brass boots and a rare Taylor Stitch leather jacket. Many people consider Iron Heart's heavy denim to be the most comfortable on the market. Troy hypothesizes that this is in part due to the brand's ability to keep their denim relatively smooth. "Most of the time, the biggest pain point for me with jeans is right between the legs, where folks often get crotch blowouts," he explains. "There's usually this really big, chunky section where all the fabric comes together in this big block that gets really uncomfortable. I feel it on other brands, and I don't at all with my Iron Hearts. These are really comfortable." https://www.youtube.com/watch?vWov633Dd_W4 Why I like Iron Heart Comfortable, due to a range of factors including the fabric's consistency and the jean's construction. Multiple heavyweight denims to choose from: 21, 23, and 25oz are available in several colors. Smooth, regular texture: more subtle look than many Japanese jeans. Great customer service: they're quick to answer e-mails and make sure you're getting the right fit. Downsides, not deal breakers They're remarkably smooth and slow to fade: many love raw selvedge denim for wild fades and texture, which you don't get here. Further Reading How to Break in Jeans Fast: The Right Way and Wrong Way to Soften Raw Denim Learn how to break in the stiff, starchy, often very thick denim worn by people who like extra tough pants and dramatic fades. Learn more → 4. Oni Denim Co: The Fuzziest and Softest Heavyweight Denim (20oz) There are two kinds of raw selvedge denim: the impressively smooth and regular (like Iron Heart) and the impressively knotty, hairy, and weird. Oni's "Secret Denim" is perhaps the most famous and widespread example of the second category. It's available in plenty of colors and weights, and my 20-ounce pair is my favorite heavyweight denim. With my banger kangaroo Chelseas Troy's Iron Hearts needed a lot of breaking in, but my 20-oz Onis were comfy from day one. Instead of smoothness and precision, you get texture: a hairy, towel-like fabric that's dynamic as all hell. It's not just hairy and neppy, and not only does it fade faster than Iron Heart, it even changes colors as it shifts from an almost sea green-like color to dark blue. Where Iron Heart feels engineered, Oni feels organic; both are heavy, but the experience couldn’t be more different. And it's a delight to break them out when it's cold: it feels like wearing a warm, protective carpet. My 20oz selvedge denim from Japan's Oni, about twice as thick as your average mall brand jeans. Paired with Iron Heart's deck jacket and Onderhoud's service boots. Why I Like Oni Denim Comfy from day one: soft and furry, the 20-ounce Secret Denim feels like a cozy towel. Textured and dynamic: Secret Denim, for many guys, is the peak of how funky Japanese denim can get. As Japanese as it gets: with no English language website or even an Instagram, Oni feels rooted in craft rather than marketing. Downsides (Not Deal Breakers) Drops are sporadic and stock can sell out quickly, making specific fits or fabrics hard to track down. With no direct-to-consumer website or strong social presence, you can only get them from retailers; there's none of the great customer service you get with other brands. A nicely faded pair of 21.5oz Brave Star jeans. 5. Brave Star Selvage: The Best Value Heavyweight Denim (21.5oz) Finally, if you want to try superheavy denim but you've been balking at the over-$300 pricetags, you're in luck: Brave Star are somehow able to sell 21.5-ounce denim jeans for under $200, which is all the more impressive given they're made in the USA from Japanese selvedge. I've worn a pair of their heavyweight jeans before, and at the time, I wasn't that jazzed about them — simply because they didn't have the kind of roomy fit that I prefer. But in the years since penning my review, Brave Star has become a much more impressive brand: they now sell more fits, more fabrics, more products, and have better customer service than ever. Usually, when a brand comes out with such shockingly low prices, it's because they're amateurs or scammers — in other words, they don't last. But Brave Star have exceeded my expectations. Further Reading The 5 Best Raw Denim Brands You Can Buy Years in the making, these are my favorite denim brands for no matter what kind of jeans you like. Learn more → Wrapping Up The world of high end denim has a lot of corners that are simply too esoteric to appeal to the average guy, and we don't hold it against guys who don't find anything interesting about vintage loom maintenance or ancient dyeing techniques. But everyone can feel the difference between jeans like these and your average mall brand. One hundred percent of guys who try out heavyweight jeans notice that armor-like feeling: you just feel more protected and battle ready. Some pieces are practical, some are excessive, but they're all products of incredible skill and each have their own identity. In the end, heavyweight clothing isn’t just about durability — it’s about texture, presence, and the simple enjoyment of well-made things taken a little further than necessary.