Raw denim has gained a cult following, with hundreds of thousands of subscribers on the r/rawdenim subreddit praising the durability and unique fading patterns of this old fashioned way of making jeans. If you appreciate owning jeans that fit well and last a long time, especially when they’re hard to make and embody a significant … Read more
When it comes to the world of nice denim, it might be the most common question that gets asked: how do I get great fades on my jeans? For many, this is the whole reason they spend a little extra to buy selvedge jeans: the sturdier, old fashioned kind that’s made on shuttle looms. This … Read more
I was recently in London and after spending some time at denimhead meet ups, there was one place I kept hearing whispers of: Blackhorse Atelier. The biggest and only jeans factory in London, it’s entirely unique in the city’s landscape and a labor of love helmed by Han Ates, who created the company out of … Read more
Denim traces its origins back to France and the development of a kind of twill called ‘serge de Nimes.’ But the cultural icon that blue jeans have become is widely credited to Levi Strauss back in 1870s San Francisco. Back then, “Levi’s” were marketed as “shrink to fit,” meaning just that: you bought them a … Read more
The Canadian Tuxedo, Denim Leisure Suit, Ol’ Blue Blazer, the Trucker, Bluniform, Double Denim, or my personal favourite, the Dunville Dinner Jacket. No matter what you call it, we can all agree that denim jackets look pretty damn cool. There are a lot of options out there to complete the Cliff Booth special, and at … Read more
I’ve reviewed a lot of Japanese jeans on my site, but I thought it was time to try some American selvedge — and I went big. About 9 months ago, I bought these unbelievably cheap and unbelievably thick jeans from the Los Angeles-based company Brave Star Selvage. It’s a mythical, bulletproof jean that faded surprisingly … Read more
Launched in 2016 in Okayama, where most of Japan’s legendary denim is crafted, Tanuki has catapulted to popularity on the denim scene, achieving serious notoriety in a seriously short span of time. Some will say Tanuki translates as ‘raccoon,’ but it actually means ‘raccoon dog,’ a real animal that looks like its name and has … Read more
Founded in 1997 by Toru Nogami, Samurai Jeans was launched a fair amount of time after the Japanese denim scene kind of debuted in the 1970s, but while that’s when it started it really exploded in the 90s. That’s when Nogami-san starting out making cuts inspired by vintage Levi’s jeans, and they expanded into a … Read more
Starting a separate Instagram account dedicated to my clothes has been a humbling experience. Prior to this, I didn’t think anyone was as obsessed with exquisite jeans and boots as I am. I saw myself as a Froot Loop in a bag of Cheerios. It also did not help that in my daily life, I … Read more
“Made by hand, without compromise” is the slogan of the Kojima-based denim company Momotaro. Kojima is considered by many as the birthplace of Japanese denim — it’s home to the famous “Jeans Street” that houses many sought after storefronts of Japanese denim institutions. Momotaro is right there among them. The company has a big emphasis … Read more