In my hunt for unicorn jeans a brand new project has fallen in my lap.
Raw denim. Have you heard of it? Yep, me too. Do you know what it is? I didn’t either.
It all started with my quest to find a pair of everyday jeans. I tried on more than I cared to count, bought and returned two pairs, even bought and sold a third. I just wanted one great pair of jeans. Is that so much to ask? Not too tight, not too loose, and basic wash. I was starting to feel like Goldilocks when I eventually ended up over at Imogene + Willie’s online store. I can’t remember how I got there but, when I did, I bit hook-line-and-sinker on their classic denim story. I immediately started pining for their high-quality rigid Cone Denim, and was pretty sure their Imogene Rigid was my match made in heaven.
Raw denim is basically ‘unwashed’ or most accurately ‘unfaded’ denim. It’s thick, stiff, and deep blue. Think 1950’s work jeans. The idea of raw denim is to wear them, wash them and break them in to your own standard of perfection. Legend has it that they are the kind of garment that only gets better with age. Since I’m on a journey to do more with less in my closet, this really appealed to me. Now, the irony of adding more to my ‘less is more’ closet is not lost on me. But the holes in my denim lineup had become too gaping for me to ignore.
[ t-shirt | jeans | boots | bracelet ]
As soon as I could score a kid-free moment, I headed into the Imogene + Willie store in SW Portland. At the advice of the sales girl (with gorgeous hair and brows) I went down a size, because they are supposed to loosen a full size with wear. Only I couldn’t zip them up, ha! I ended up taking my normal denim size. I knew going in that I wanted an inseam length that skimmed my ankles, so after the sales girl pinned them up, off they went to Nashville to get hemmed at the mothership. I left $195 poorer and with a couple pieces of advice. She cautioned that I wear them at home a few times before I venture out in them because they will be “pretty uncomfortable.” And she also advised that if I wash them in the machine, to either pull them out before the spin cycle, or the second the spin cycle stops, otherwise they would get creases and fades from how they landed after the spin cycle stopped.
I’ve had my jeans for just a week now and it has been interesting! To say they were like plaster casts on my legs was definitely an accurate statement. Now I know what the salesgirl meant when she said to wear them at home first. It would make the denim-torture a little more private. As of today, six days in, they are starting to loosen up nicely. The straight cut is exactly what I needed in my denim life. They work well with short boots, taller boots and clogs. But I think one of my favorite features is the backside! My husband can’t keep his hands off (sorry if that’s TMI!) and the rise in the back is nice and high. At first the high rise in the back felt odd, but now it makes me feel cozy and tucked in. Not like I am wearing a pair of teenager’s jeans. I still haven’t washed them. I’m contemplating a month, maybe two before I do that.
This purchase was one of two big investments this season, both of which will hopefully be worn for years over. (I’ll share the other one soon!) I felt the price of these jeans was fair compared to what I would typically purchase from Nordstrom. The thick work-pant quality denim makes them even more worth the investment. I don’t expect holes in the knees of these puppies anytime soon. Also, you can trace the supply chain pretty far back; the fabric is woven in North Carolina and the jeans are made in the USA (Nashville, I believe).
After I bought these jeans, I came across a few news articles about some financial and reputation trouble the company seems to be in. I am not sure this knowledge would have impacted my decision to purchase or not. Perhaps if there was a clear alternative option, yes. But at this point, I don’t see one.
Time will tell how these pants break in. Excited to keep you posted. Especially now that I can breathe regularly again.
Cheers,
Andrea
I’ve never heard of raw demin, but after reading this post, I think I’ll stear clear. They seem like a lot of work – and I prefer my clothes to be comfortable from the get-go or else I’ll never wear them. Glad you found a pair of jeans you like though!
Ha! They’re getting better. :) Yes, comfort is definitely nice! These feel a lot better after a week. But they’re still pretty structured.
These jeans look WONDERFUL on you, but they sound horribly uncomfortable and the company’s reputation is questionable at best. I’ve pretty much given up on the idea of breaking anything in because if it doesn’t fit comfortably initially it’s unlikely that it ever will. Have you had much success with breaking things in in the past? And if so, how long before you know if it’ll work for you or not? It is crazy to think that if you don’t love something initially you never will?
Thank you Alex! I feel pretty damn good in them. They are starting to feel a lot better, but I’m still only a week in. No idea how this will all play out. I did buy a pair of 100% cotton 501s (new) over the summer, and they were pretty tight at first, but now they feel like pajamas. So that was pretty quick.
I think I may have taken a few of my tongue-in-cheek comments further than I intended. ;)
This almost seems like buying a cast-iron skillet–they’re amazing, but only after a bit of work and use over time! At least they look really good on you from the start! They’re so dark, so I’m curious–does the color rub off at all on things?
What a great analogy!!
You know, somebody asked me that question on instagram too. Great question. They have NOT rubbed off on things like I expected. Sometimes my fingers get a tad blue, but I haven’t noticed color transfer anywhere else. However, I have not worn any of my nicer white tops yet.
Do you know of any other responsibly made denim brands? I’m looking for a replacement for my cropped white skinny jeans that I’ve patched twice but are still falling apart. Also, those jeans look amazing, hopefully they don’t take too long to break in!
Hi Kristy, there are tons of great denim labels made in the USA. These are made in the USA. And I am sure Nordstrom has some good options too! (These look awesome.)
These look great on you, Andrea! And this post comes at a particularly accurate time, as I just put in an order for my own pair of I+W jeans, although I’m trying the Elizabeth (high rise, with a bit of stretch). I theoretically want some rigid jeans but I’m not quite sure they would work for my current climate. I’ll enjoy them vicariously through you instead!
Thank you Erin!
Oh that’s too funny! I can’t believe you just ordered some too. The Elizabeth’s look really pretty! I bet you will rock those so well. I think you’re right, the heavier denim would be a bit too hot for HI. But do you know would probably work well? Some Clyde pants, ha! ;) Keep me posted on your I+W denim!
Clydes would be too perfect, ahh!
I have been reading about raw denim for a while and considering getting my hands on a pair, but I buy most of my clothes second-hand, so I don’t know how that would work, since the big allure is to make a new pair your own with wear. I actually did find a pair of Nudies (APC and Nudie have been the brands I have been looking at) in the thrift store last week, but they had a small crotch blowout. In any case, I was not impressed with the fabric either—it was organic cotton, but felt flimsy. Instead, I found a pair of J Crew straight leg Japanese selvedge in perfect condition, so I bought those. I already own too many pairs of jeans, which I think at this point are my biggest wardrobe weakness.
But anyway, the whole raw denim idea is very intriguing, although I have heard many people complaining that by the time their jeans developed the personalized fades, they started falling apart. I don’t know. Tell us more about your raw denima adventure as you get to wear them more. But I do think that rigid jeans, although maybe never as comfortable, do look so good (more polished, more dressy) compared to stretch denim. And the dark wash is so appealing, although yes, like a previous commenter mentioned, I’d be very careful with dye transfer. They do look beautiful on you! Hope they break in nicely and age even better.
Thanks so much Lori. That’s interesting to hear about the fade! Time will tell. I hope these are like old BFFs down the road. We’ll see. Your Japanese selvedge jeans sound amazing!
These honestly look SO good on you, but I don’t know if I have the time – or dedication, frankly – to tackle raw denim. Although they actually look really nice, I guess I’m just a little scared that they wouldn’t work out for me!
It’s definitely a bit of gamble, but I feel pretty good about it so far. Who knows, maybe my song will change down the road. ;)
The idea of raw denim appeals to me. It sounds so authentic and old school. But I can’t take the reality. I’m so used to wearing stretchy soft clothes (or loose ones during the summer) that just wearing regular jeans is hard when fall arrives. I went on a similar jean hunt a while ago and ended up with Rag and Bone Dre jeans. They have stretch but also require a breaking-in, The hipster guy at the store insisted I go down two sizes to end up with the right fit. Scary! But after about six wears, they’re really conforming to my body, especially the legs. Your jeans do look great so maybe the pain is worth it.
Thanks Shizuka! They are definitely starting to feel better. At first I noticed them on every inch of my legs, now I am not noticing them as much. Nice choice on the Dre jeans, I bet they look fantastic!
Can’t wait to see how these age. I love the concept of raw denim, but I’m not sure I’m willing to do the “work” to wear them in.
I am hoping it’s not too much work! Will report back soon. :)
These look really good on you. Don’t be discouraged. I’m looking forward to you finally breaking these jeans in. I personally love the cut of APC jeans. I’m not sure how ethical they are, but I’d recommend trying every cut they have in one of their stores, then taking note of the cut that works for you and finding them cheaper on sale in the future.
Thanks Michelle! I feel like they are really universal, like I could wear them with almost anything. They seem to spruce up a lot of items I already have in my closet.
Thanks for the tip on APC, I don’t think I had heard of those before. Which cut do you prefer?
I love your latest post by the way!!
Thanks Andrea! =) I like the high standard.. hard to find in my size on sale tho, so I don’t actually own it.. I currently only wear/own one pair of blue jeans right now and it is a limited edition APC japanese sourced denim.
Oh I remember the stiff 100% cotton jeans from the 80’s and early 90’s that would take weeks to break in. These sound worse!! But you know what, those jeans are still probably floating around in a vintage shop somewhere with plenty of life left in them! These look awesome on you!! Looking forward to hearing how they work out! Will you have to re-break them in after washing?
Ha, I love that parallel!!!
I am guessing they will be stiff after I wash, but hopefully they’ll soften back up after an hour or two. We’ll see! ;)
I guess I’m the only person who LOVES a good, stiff jean with no stretch! These look fantastic on you!
Haha! I think I scared everyone away!
I have a few pairs of Nudie Jeans (all ethically made and produced), and while I love the raw denim idea, I definitely would not have followed the advice of a lot of articles I’ve read: to size down. I did buy a size smaller than my normal and after six months of wearing I still find them so tight, they are sitting on the pile marked ‘consignment’. At over a 100 gbp each, I feel slightly sick about it not wearing them. I tried to wear my favorite pair the other day (Slim Tim’s) and after about two hours I peeled them off, pout them back in the pile, and put on my comfy-fitting AE jeans.
This post intrigued me about raw denim and so then I went down the rabbit hole that is the Raw Denim subforum on Reddit LOL. I had family who lived in Nashville so I’ve heard of I+W, bummer that they are going through some legal trouble, but from the articles it sounds like some wishy-washy stuff, not real fraud? IDK we’ll see. Anyway I think the last time I bought a pair of jeans was 3 years ago. I used to get most of my clothes from Express and Loft, and they last a long time, so even though now I am trying to buy more ethically made when I need a new piece, I don’t feel tooooo bad because I wear my favorites until they fall apart. I think I will need a new pair of skinny/slim cut jeans soon so maybe I’ll continue my jeans research based on your USA made suggestions.
Andrea — would you consider an update on your raw denim now that you’ve been wearing them for 6 months? Thanks!