Selvedge Jeans - looking for suggestions

[ButteMT61]

So, I finally decided to have a look at some of these things that everyone seems to love. What do you guys wear/recommend? There's no shortage of brands and styles, and I don't think I'll be dropping $300-$500 on a pair. Any good, reasonably priced denim that has a more traditional cut? Nothing low and skinny for me. But I'd love to see what you guys have regardless. Even in the khaki or olive colors. Open to somethin' new whilst we wait for jacket weather again

 

[strokes1251]

501s never fail unless you already wear those!

 

[ButteMT61]

Thanks Strokes. I got a couple pairs of 501's and have started wearing 'em this week. Both are dark, non-faded or worn in. So I look forward to seeing what they do on my butt for a while

 

[JanSolo]

LEE 101Z or 101S without doubt. My grab and go jeans. Superb quality, no comparison to the vastly overpriced LVC stuff (Levi's Vintage Clothing). The 101 and Archive series is Lee's premium brand. Will from Aero is great fan of them too.

- Double selvedge
- Very tightly woven (sometimes Japanese) denim which is sanforized (no shrinkage)
- Bottom hem heavy duty chain stitch
- Generous length - their inseam is at least an inch longer than stated which gives you plenty of extra length for a decent cuff
- I'm 6"1 and I usually take a 34 inseam with LEE 101 jeans. That length still allows me to have a two to three inch cuff

At your height and build I would recommend a pair of 101 Z jeans with 36 inch inseam. Could be possible that you can't get those in the US because LEE's premium stuff doesn't sell well in a country that mainly expects clothing to be cheap (and oversized). Will ususally has all variations of these in stock but other dealers might carry them as well. They won't break the bank btw....

A picture of me wearing the straight fitting 101z and the slimmer 101s slim rider:

101 s:

101 z:

Not much difference in the pictures but the Z is just straight fitting essentially like a pair 501s but with zip fly.

 

[shadowrider]

Can anyone please explain the deal with selvedge jeans? I'm confused...

 

[JanSolo]

Can anyone please explain the deal with selvedge jeans?

Don't know what you mean. This is how jeans were made back in the heydays. Fabric woven on narrow shuttle looms, tighter and stronger weave, not pre-aged or pseudo-vintaged...

You could also ask what the deal is about goodyear welted workboots or shoes. Those things may not appeal to everyone at first glance but they are definitely better made, last longer and age very nicely.

I can fully understand if somebody is not prepared to spend 300 or 400 dollars on a pair of Japanese super heavy Iron Heart or Eight G jeans but if you have a taste for quality, vintage inspired clothing a pair of Lee 101 or Archive, Levi's VC, Wrangler Bluebell, RRL or Raw Nudies is a must...

 

[Graemsay]

Selvedge fabric is woven with an edge, often white with a red stripe, that stabilises the fabric without needing a separate seam. It's got a characteristic appearance, which you can see in these photos.

It costs more to weave, so tends to be used in better quality jeans.

I've got a pair of Nudie jeans, which need a repair, a pair by Denham who're a quirky Dutch brand, and a couple of pairs of Levi's re-issues.

I'm wanting to get a pair of Ironheart jeans. They're on the more expensive side, but are made from heavy grades of denim, so they're coming from a similar place to Aero. Incidentally, Aero stock them, and also have done a few collaborations.

The other company that I'm really interested in is Tender. They're a small British brand, and what really sold me on them was this thread at Superfuture.

 

[shadowrider]

Jan, what I meant to ask is what, besides the historical appeal, these jeans feature that is actually better than in regular ones. From what I've gathered so far is that the side seams won't fray easily because they're "self-edged".

 

[shadowrider]

Graemsay, I didn'd see your post: that is what I was talking about. So I am guessing the difference is in the self-edge and in the heavier fabric, is this correct?

 

[Graemsay]

The fabric isn't necessarily heavier. One of my pairs of Levi's is made from a 10 oz denim, whereas 12 oz might be typical. The difference is in the weave and the self edge. It's probably more a quality thing, or something that's nice to have in its own way.

I don't know if jeans will last longer. I suspect that the practice that some people have of not washing them for six months is probably detrimental, as denim becomes more abrasion resistant as it softens.

 

[Edward]

Anyone looking for vintage style selvedge in a forties or fifties cut should check out www.freddiesofpinewood.co.uk. Fantastic stuff, very competitively priced.

 

[maduro 5]

There is a label out of Montreal called Naked and Famous. The denim comes from Japan but the jeans are "assembled" in Canada. The quality is excellent and they are very reasonably priced compare to other selvedge. I actually buy my N&F at http://www.blueowl.us They do not charge for chain stitching. They also carry Unbranded selvege, I believe that denim comes from Japan but they are assembled in Macao.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

I heard good things about Pike Borthers. Don't own one of their products though.

http://www.pikebrothersshop.com

 

[Grayland]

I have numerous pairs of selvedge denim. RRL (which is some line from Ralph Lauren) are the ones I wear the most. I find them most similar to Levi's 501. They are very well made. I also have a few pairs of Kicking Mule Workshop and 2 pairs of Ernest Sewn. I bought all of my pairs off of StyleForum for less than $100 new. My first thought was, "what? that much for a pair of dungerees?" - but they are damn nice and better built than cheapo jeans. In addition, since I'm not 12 years old anymore, they should last me as long as they fit me. There are two factions at StyleForum, Men's Clothing and Streetwear/Denim. Many of the MC guys questioned paying that much for denim, but the Streetwear/denim guys made the point that the MC guys spent all of this time looking for the best made shoes, ties, suits, shirts.....why not look for the best made jeans?

JanSolo - The selvedge Lees are very nice, but Lees always had a lower tier status when I was growing up in Virginia. Could've been a regional thing (as Wranglers were hugely popular when I lived in Texas), but Levis were always the jeans, with Wranglers next. Lees were a distant third. Of course, the Lees of my youth weren't selvedge. The Lees 101 model looks incredible, but when I did a search for them, most of them were in Europe. Funny how certain brands have a hard time establishing top-tier quality in the US. Seiko makes some watches (Grand Seiko) that are world-class, but most Americans think of Seiko as a well made, but inexpensive watch.

 

[Edward]

There definitely are regional differences. I remember back in the Eighties Levis 501s - which were viewed as basic workwear in the US at the time, AFAIK - were considered the last word in denim in Northern Ireland, and the fashion / labelhound set used to pay crazy money for them. The local army surplus place made a killing on ratty, second hand pairs bought in from US Prisons where they were finished-with uniforms. GBP35 a pair - new they were GBP50.00. Bear in mind this was the mid 1980s - you could probably at least treble that now, relatively speaking. There used to be a Lee factory shop in Northern Ireland - seconds (where you could rarely find the flaw) were GBP12.00 in 1992. Alas I could never wear them. Even before I disliked low waists from an aesthetic viewpoint, I always found them uncomfortable to wear. Same thing that put me off 501s.

 

[CodeRed]

Iron Heart 634s...enough said.

 

[KyleK]

Filson and Levis have a collaboration selvedge jean, I think. 505's, which is a 501 with a zipper instead of button fly. I can't speak for the quality.


unionmadegoods.com has a bunch of different boutique brands of selvedge jeans.

 

[ButteMT61]

Great info guys!
Jan - superb pics, as always. Do the Lee fit to size? I'm wearing 36's now in almost everything. I've got a lot fo jeans I have to sell now as they're too big. Some Levis, some Lucky Brand.
I'll have a look at some of the suggestions here. The 501's I got are not a heavy pant. Good for summer weather, but I want to get some heavier stuff for later in the year.

 

[Lungomare]

So, I finally decided to have a look at some of these things that everyone seems to love. What do you guys wear/recommend? There's no shortage of brands and styles, and I don't think I'll be dropping $300-$500 on a pair. Any good, reasonably priced denim that has a more traditional cut? Nothing low and skinny for me. But I'd love to see what you guys have regardless. Even in the khaki or olive colors. Open to somethin' new whilst we wait for jacket weather again

Hi Butte!

My favorite jeans are the Ironheart Triple Work, followed by the Ironheart 634s (which is heavy stuff - 21oz !) and the Lee McCoy Z101. The Z101 is more a slim fit, so if you are slim figured like me, it will fit good, otherwise it might be too tight.

Regards,

Johannes

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Are these Lee 101 Z jeans? Very similar.

http://www.unionmadegoods.com/Lee_101_Rider_13.75oz_Dry_4614.html