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Selvedge Jeans - looking for suggestions

bond

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,535
Location
Third coast
Great thread. I too have been looking for a decent selvedge jean. I have been looking for a pair with a zip fly, long rise, slim fit and I want a lighter weight denim I can wear in warm weather. Is there such a jean???
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 

chamboid

One of the Regulars
Messages
247
Location
London
Tellason= great American made brand, jeans are at the top end, and very very good, pricey but will last a life time.

http://www.tellason.com/

Levis do loads, they have their 'Vintage' and 'Made & Crafted' ranges now, but still do a selvedge on their standard range. prices range drastically from the compatative to rediculous.

Lee 101=are always good, my favorite for a slimmer selvedge fit and true waist size, and for the momey the best if you like the raw, though as sandpaper selvedge.

Garbstore= on of the best pairsof jeans I own, not a slim but, but a true 40's-50's cut, highish waist and the best construction and attention to detail I've ever seen. Below is the pair I have.

http://www.couvertureandthegarbstore.com/Product/?p=3363&i=3377

There are loads more, but the thing is finding the one or two you like and sticking. And never pay full price, just hunt, and you'll be rewarded, selvedge tends to me over priced and oversized.

Always find out if it is Sanforized or not, which means no shrinkage, Lee are, Tellason are I believe. If not expect shrinkage of anywhere between 1" and 3" of the waist and or leg.

Hope this helps and isn't teaching anyone to suck eggs.
 

JanSolo

Practically Family
Messages
879
Location
Ever so sunny Westphalia, Germany
Are these Lee 101 Z jeans? Very similar.

YES!! I'm glad that you can get them over there. And the price isn't too bad... although not exactly cheap.

SCOTT, the waist on those runs true to size but as I said they are slightly longer fitting to allow for a cuff. The fabric is heavier (13 3/4 oz) in fact it feels more like 16 oz denim but it is still lighweight when compared to certain Iron Heart, Samurai or Eight G jeans. Especially Eight G jeans are unwearable at 30 oz fabric weight...

the+Eight+G+04.jpg



NOT for ME:

the+Eight+G+01.jpg
 

St. Valentine

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Germany
I have to confess that I also was lured by the promises of a real selvedge jeans, or "raw denim" which seems to be a not so misleading name. One really has to browse the www and learn a lot about this kind of jeans which was quite normal back in those days. Ok, after studying a lot of jeanology I found that japanese denim seems to be the real McCoy and so I went for a "Japan Blue Momotaro". 14.8oz heavy denim, non rinsed, non washed and sanforized. It has a regular fit and the only available length is 36. I already love it and might go for a second one soon.

DSCN2498.jpg


Samurai battle stripes on the back....
DSCN2499.jpg
 

seabass

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,161
Location
nor cal
You Want some jeans to compliment the horsehide ?
well here ya go. the perfect complement for your areo utility's & flight jackets... high waisted for the short jackets & true stove pipe legs.
check out these places in LA try the Sugercane 1947 1 wash, Or the Mr freedoms there about $50.00 - $75.00 more than those Lee 101Z but there killer
there are many cuts try the full 1947 & stay away from the ( skinny cut ball crushers with the 2''zippers fancy pants selvedge):cool:. try on the vintage cuts
http://www.misterfreedom.com/?p=2175

http://www.misterfreedom.com/?p=1135

http://www.selfedge.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=65&products_id=279

yea they cost but there are japanese ones that cost way more & hey if you got the jackets these will be purrfecto
 

Mr Badger

Practically Family
Messages
545
Location
Somerset, UK
Hey Butte!

There's a world of difference in the way that selvedge denim looks and wears to the 'regular' stuff. The basic difference is that 'regular' jeans are now woven in a different way, which re-incorporates all of the cotton fluff that used to be lost (to the air!) during the 'selvedge' era manufacturing process, when they were woven on narrow shuttle looms. The modern way of denim manufacture is efficient, and hence more profitable, as the weaving method produces more cloth that's bulkier (some say spongier), but is intrinsically less hard-wearing than 'selvedge' denim, as it has more 'broken' threads (i.e. the aforesaid fluff) in it.

There's really no need to spend a huge amount on a pair of selvedge jeans these days. I had a chance to look at the Levi's 501xx premium selvedge jeans in New York last November, and they're really nice, but even on sale at $120, I couldn't justify 'em as I do have around 16 pairs of selvedge jeans (some of which are now well over ten years old)! The (ahem) bottom line is that these Levi's Premium ones are goodies and you'll pay a good $150 more for the privilege of having a 'big E' tab on the back pocket of you plump for the now vastly overpriced Levi's Vintage Clothing range!

I'd wait until sale season and bag 'em then:

http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10948887

An even better way to get into selvedge is to do what my wife did, and buy a pair from UniQlo for $89 – they're well cut, good Japanese denim and are wearing in really nicely:

http://www.uniqlo.com/us/CPaGoods/itemcode=070931

As with a great many of the good things in life (such as Aero jackets and engineer boots!), unwashed selvedge jeans get a bit of getting used to – some manufacturers allow for shrinkage in their sizing, others don't, and there's a hella amount of colour transfer you gotta watch for. I'd advise you to get a pair with a little extra room, wear 'em for a month or so, then get 'em dry-cleaned (but remember to say ixnay on the pressing!), that way you'll start to see some nice patina develop, but won't get the stiff denim rubbing against itself and starting to create weak spots, and the dry cleaning will mean much less colour bleed from thereon in. Alternatively, if you really find the raw jeans to be a pain, you can reduce the stiffness and colour bleed by soaking them in a cold bath that has a small amount of 'travel wash' liquid in it, to take out the starch, then hang them up to dry – this is what I did for my wife, and it made the jeans more comfy for her from the get-go.

There's a lot of snobbery involved in the world of selvedge denim, but you don't have to subscribe to it! :D
 

St. Valentine

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Germany
@daizawaguy: Very, very nice jeans you´ve got there! :eusa_clap

@Mr. Badger: I think you are right about the "snobbery" part, we still need to use our common sense when shopping for clothes.
 

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