Real Denim Doesn’t Stretch
In our current stretch culture, real denim now feels strange. And that's a bummer.
New Jeans from Tellason
I was in the market for a good new pair of jeans. After much touch-and-go with my usual brand, I finally gave Tellason a try. In brief: I'm very pleased.
A Little Redemption in an Otherwise Strange Moment with Levi’s
Levi-Strauss has bummed me out over the last few years, catering to short-term trends while abandoning decades-long customers like me. But some selections from their Vintage Clothing collection have given me a little hope.
Dear Levi’s: You’ve Lost Me
My favorite pair of rigid, selvedge, raw denim Levi's has been replaced by an imposter that insists on stretching.
New Jeans from Dearborn Denim
Since Levi's abandoned what I liked about them, I needed a Plan B for jeans. I think I found a good one.
Getting the Right Size in Rigid, Shrink-To-Fit 501 Jeans
I recently treated myself to a new pair of Levi’s Vintage 501® jeans, made in the U.S.A. with selvedge raw denim from the dearly departed Cone Mills White Oak plant in Greensboro, North Carolina, the last selvedge denim mill in the United States. The mill shut its doors after 112 years in business on December 31, 2017, and Levi Strauss is using its remaining denim reserves from the mill for its Vintage line.
The denim is glorious. It’s tough, heavy and sturdy, the way denim is supposed to be. And like all raw and rigid denim, it will shrink if/when washed. With that, a question remains: What size to buy?
The Real Cost of Jeans (and the Scourge of Stretch)
When I invest in clothing, I think more and more about sustainability. It reminds me of a belief I have about food: the further you take it from its natural state, the weirder it gets and the worse it is for you. As I see it, the same is true for clothing.
A New Pair of Levi’s 501 Shrink-to-Fit Selvedge Jeans
It’s always good to join the mailing list of brands you like. That way, whenever they have a sale, you can get a heads-up on something you need for a nice discount.
I’ve been in the mood for a new pair of Levi’s 501s for a while, but the selvedge raw denim Shrink-to-Fits I prefer cost $128. Since I’m one of only three people left on the planet who didn’t take the blue pill that puts me in the “denim is precious” matrix, It’s really hard for me to justify three figures on a pair of pants originally designed as a cheap garment for laborers. But an email blast from Levi’s alerted me to a sweet sale. The 501 Original Shrink-to-Fit Selvedge Jeans were reduced to $79. On top of that, there was a promo code offering an additional 25% off. Essentially, I got a new pair of $128 jeans for $67.
The Levi’s 501 Jean: The Garment of the Outlaw
I just stumbled on this mini three-part documentary produced by Levi’s about the 501 Jean. Sure, one might see it as a long commercial for a heritage product, but it is extremely well done and very worthwhile. The history of 501 jeans and what they meant to people and our culture is undeniable, something few (if any) other denim brands can claim. This short documentary was released on YouTube in March in its full 18-minute length or as three separate episodes. As someone who’s worn 501s his whole life, I loved the entire thing. But the chapter that personally resonated with me was Episode 3: Rebellion.
Stretch: The High-Fructose Corn Syrup of Menswear
I had heard great things about the jeans from DSTLD, a popular disruptor of the overpriced denim racket, and I was very excited about a pair of slim (not skinny) raw denim jeans I had purchased online for $65. When they arrived, I tried them on right away. The fit was great and they looked pretty damn good. The feel of the denim, however, felt strange. When I started to take them off, I noticed a hint of stretch in the waistband. The wind went completely out of my sails when I saw that the sewn-in garment tag said “98% Cotton / 2% Spandex.”