Good Jeans

This post is part of my weekly newsletter called The Dispatch. The full (and free) newsletter includes recommendations for movies, shows, music, and books. Sign up here.

---

Let’s be honest: stretch denim sucks. Weaving rubber into fabric so we can squeeze into jeans that look like they were painted on has always seemed ridiculous on any man outside of a punk band. In my (not always) humble opinion, I think elastane is the high fructose corn syrup of clothing, made with polyurethane that, unlike natural fibers, doesn’t breathe or biodegrade. Stretch jeans are basically five-pocket yoga pants with a denim veneer. I give them a hard pass.

Since I became more aware of the various toxic ways jeans are produced, I’ve become even more of a purist who only wears jeans made with raw (untreated) selvedge denim. Where I was once a Levi’s man, opting for their Shrink-to-Fit jeans made with untreated denim, I am now a Tellason man, opting for their American-made jeans constructed with the world’s best denims from Japan.

I first came across Tellason at Michael Williams’ Pop-Up Flea many years ago here in New York. The two founders, Tony Patella and Pete Searson, would schlep from San Francisco to showcase their wares to the legions of men’s style enthusiasts attending the annual multi-day event. They didn’t get me then, though. It would be a few years before I pulled the trigger on my first pair of Tellason’s.

While there is an endless array of denim washes, some being more toxic than others, I’ve always gone for raw, untreated denim made with 100% cotton. The kind that feels like Kevlar when it’s new. I love the feel, the texture, the rigidity. Ever since I was a kid (back when we bought our new Levi’s at The Gap!), part of the experience of getting a new pair of jeans was to break them in and really make them your own. To this day, it’s a process I absolutely love. (Did anyone else wear them in the bathtub like I did?) Once they were broken in, they were really yours. We didn’t buy the fit or the finish. We earned it. The best.

As of this writing, I have exactly five pairs of jeans, all initially purchased in stiff raw denim and now in varying fades of indigo: two old pairs of Levi’s that are still working, and three pairs of Tellasons. Both Levi’s and one of the Tellason’s are made with a lighter 12.5 oz denim, which is great for warmer weather. The other two Tellason’s were made with heavier 16.5 oz denim, which is great for fall/winter.

All my jeans are made with selvedge denim, which is a type of high-quality denim woven on traditional shuttle looms, producing a tightly woven fabric with clean, finished edges that won’t unravel. While this makes for a higher price point, the quality is superlative. 

And the care? I don’t wash them unless they really need it. And when I do, it’s the cold water cycle, followed by a hang dry. They have NEVER been in a dryer, and they never will be.

I could certainly try other brands on some vain, exhaustive search for coolness and deeper meaning, but I quite frankly don’t have the time, the money, the incentive, or the interest. I’m all set. I invested in good jeans that were worth every penny, and I love them.

Thanks for reading.

---

A little favor…

This little blog, my social media nonsense, and my occasional podcast run on elbow grease, midnight oil, and the frequent bad idea. Access is totally free. Any help you can give so I can continue to produce content and keep the lights on would be immensely appreciated. There is a one-time support option or a recurring subscription through Substack, which also features The George Hahn Podcast, live videos, and more exclusive content. Thank you so much!!!