DENIMandPATCHES

Stewart models pieces from the brand’s foodie-inspired “Tastes Great” collection.

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Not All Denim Fades the Same: What to Look for When You’re Buying Jeans

If you’ve spent any time around raw denim, you’ve probably heard this advice repeated over and over: “To get fades, you need raw selvedge jeans.”

It sounds right. It’s easy to remember. And it’s not entirely wrong. But it’s also why people end up disappointed.

You buy the ‘right’ kind of denim, wear it consistently, but never get the result you expected. At that point, the question is obvious: “Why aren’t my jeans fading like the ones I see online?!”

More often than not, what you end up with instead is something closer to a pair of classic 80s or 90s Levi’s—slow, even fading, with little contrast. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s probably not what you had in mind.

This article is about the other outcome: denim that develops visible contrast and variation over time—and why some fabrics are built for that, while others aren’t.

You Don’t Create Fades, You Reveal Them

There’s a persistent idea in denim culture that fades are something you “earn” purely through wear. And while wear obviously matters a great deal, it’s only part of the equation.

What most people overlook is that the way the denim fades is largely decided before you ever put the jeans on.

At the fabric level, these stages of production set the direction:

1. How the yarn is spun
2. How the indigo is applied
3. How the fabric is woven

The type of cotton used and how the fabric is finished also play a role, but the three above are the most influential.

These aren’t surface-level details. They define how the denim will respond to washing and wearing. Your daily wear patterns don’t create fades from scratch—they expose the potential that’s already built in.

Fades Start with the Yarn

The foundation for how denim fades is laid in the yarn.

If the yarn is highly uniform—consistent in thickness and engineered for efficiency, as with open-end spun yarn—the fabric surface will also be uniform. When that surface wears down, it does so evenly. The result is denim that gradually becomes lighter, but rarely develops much contrast or visual depth.

With ring-spun yarn, denim makers can engineer more structure into the yarn. The fibres are drawn out and twisted in a way that creates subtle irregularities—what are technically known as slubs.

These variations introduce small differences in the fabric surface—areas that sit slightly higher or lower, even if you don’t notice it when the jeans are new.

As the denim is worn and washed, those differences begin to matter. The raised areas are exposed to more friction and lose indigo faster, while the lower areas retain more colour. Over time, this uneven abrasion creates contrast—the sharpness and depth people associate with well-faded jeans.

If that irregularity isn’t there to begin with, the potential for contrast simply doesn’t exist.

Head spinning? The difference between ring-spun and open-end yarn—and how that affects fading—is covered in this Denim Encyclopedia entry.

Dyeing Determines the Contrast

Denim fades because of how indigo behaves.

Unlike most dyes, indigo doesn’t fully penetrate the yarn. It sits closer to the surface, leaving the core of the yarn lighter. As the fabric is worn, that outer layer gradually breaks down, revealing the lighter core.

But this isn’t just about the dye itself—it also depends on how the yarn is constructed.

With ring-spun yarn, where the fibres are more aligned and tightly twisted, the dye has a harder time penetrating deeply into the yarn. More of it stays near the surface, which makes it easier for wear to create visible contrast over time.

With open-end yarn, the structure is more open and less aligned. That allows the dye to penetrate deeper into the yarn, which makes the colour more resistant to abrasion—and the fading more gradual and even.

So it’s not just a question of whether denim is indigo-dyed. It’s about how that dye interacts with the yarn—and how resistant it is to abrasion.

Worth understanding in more detail: How indigo dyeing works—and why it behaves the way it does—is explained in the Denim Encyclopedia here.

Weaving Controls How It All Plays Out

Spinning and dyeing define the ingredients. Weaving determines how they come together.

When denim is woven with more variation—from irregular yarns, at lower tension—the surface becomes less uniform. That unevenness creates different contact points when the fabric is worn, meaning some areas are exposed to more friction than others.

Over time, those differences translate into visible fading patterns.

With tighter, more controlled weaving, the surface is more consistent. Friction is distributed more evenly, and the result is a cleaner, more uniform fade.

Finishing also plays a role here. Treatments like singeing, sanforisation, or other post-weave processes can smooth or stabilise the fabric, which affects how quickly and how visibly the denim begins to change with wear.

Neither approach is inherently better. But they produce very different outcomes—and most people never realise that’s what they’re choosing between.

This is where things get more technical: If you want to understand how weaving, loom setup, and finishing processes like sanforisation affect denim, you can read more about it in the Denim Encyclopedia.

You Don’t Choose Jeans, You Choose Fades

By now, the pattern should be clear.

Denim doesn’t just fade—it fades in a specific way, based on how it’s made.

Some fabrics are built to stay consistent and wear evenly over time. Others are built to develop more visible contrast and variation. Neither is inherently better, but they lead to very different fades.

The problem is that most people aren’t told what they’re actually choosing between. Labels like “raw” and “selvedge” don’t explain it, and the differences only become obvious months after you start wearing the jeans.

That’s where the disconnect happens.

Apply this when you’re buying jeans: Helping you find jeans worth wearing is the whole point of this site. Since 2011, that’s what I’ve been doing—through detailed buying guides that break down what to look for in practice. If you find something you like and decide to buy, I may earn a small commission.

Where This Leads

After years of explaining this—on this site, in shops, and working with brands—I’ve seen the same pattern. People either had to learn all of this to make a good decision, or they ended up guessing and hoping for the best.

That gap is what led me to start working on my own jeans brand, Weirloom.

Not to chase extremes, but to apply these principles in a way that gives a clear and reliable outcome—denim that fades with visible contrast and variation—because it’s built for that from the start.

If you’re curious what that looks like in practice, you can see the jeans here:

The post Why Some Denim Doesn’t Fade the Way You Want appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

Martha Stewart stars in L.A.-based denim brand MOTHERs newest campaign for Spring 2026. In the campaign, Stewart shares some of her best one-liners, including that she’s always “punctually late”!

Not only does this campaign break age stereotypes in denim advertising, but it’s also full of humor – somtehing we always need in our life! Yes, Stewart isn’t afraid to lean into her cheeky side.

MOTHER “Tastes Great” collection with Martha Stewart reframes Americana Style.

“Martha Stewart has spent a lifetime in service of good taste. Now, it’s time for MOTHER to serve Martha. Introducing our Spring 2026 campaign starring the cultural icon – front and center for our “Tastes Great” collection.”

The choice of Stewart as the collection’s central figure is not incidental. Her presence carries decades of cultural weight, shaped by her influence across publishing, television, and hospitality. By positioning her within a contemporary denim narrative, MOTHER engages with a broader conversation about legacy, reinvention, and the evolving definition of style.

This alignment between brand and muse is particularly effective because it resists irony. Rather than treating Stewart’s image as a nostalgic reference, MOTHER engages with it directly, allowing her established identity to inform the tone and direction of the campaign.

The campaign imagery, captured by photographer Douglas Friedman at the St. Regis Hotel, establishes a setting that reinforces the collection’s thematic focus. The hotel’s interiors provide a backdrop that is both opulent and controlled, reflecting the precision associated with Stewart’s own aesthetic.

And, of course, at the center of the collection is denim, which has long served as a canvas for cultural expression. MOTHER’s interpretation of denim emphasizes comfort and adaptability, positioning it as a foundation for everyday style rather than a statement in itself.

You can shop for MOTHER Denim on the brand’s website, at Bloomingdale’s, and at Nordstrom.

The post MOTHER x Marta Stewart Ad Campaign first appeared on Denimology.

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The Levi’s Barrel Racer Jeans are a special designer collaboration between Emily Adams Bode Aujla’s label Bode and Levi’s. They were introduced as part of Bode’s Fall 2026 “Bodeo Rodeo” collection.

The term Barrel Racer refers to rodeo riders who compete in barrel racing, which heavily influenced the Western aesthetic of the collection. FYI: Barrel racing is where riders race horses around three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern.

This denim style comes with a fitted waist, leg curves outward through the thigh and tapering toward the ankle. The jeans from this collaboration have studding down the legs with cowboy-style detailing. They will also come with a purple Levi’s tab instead of the usual red one. And the jeans’ back pocket is embellished with a white label featuring a design of Bode’s childhood pony.

With this collaboration Bode’s designer, Emily Adams Bode Aujla, turned to her childhood memories of a spotted pony named Checkers.

Checkers, a retired barrel-racer that was a cross between a Shetland pony and an Appaloosa, was the inspiration for Bode’s collaboration with Levi’s – appropriately enough, a barrel jean!

The jeans will be avialable in two colors: a light blue wash, embellished with silver studs and red gemstones from the early 1950s, and a dark wash with copper studding down the side seam.

Both models are produced with heavy14-ounce pre-shrunk selvedge denim and will be available in 30 or 32-inch inseams.

The Levi’s x Bode collaboration jeans will only be avaiable this coming fall, but you can shop for Levi’s barrel jeans right now on their website.

The post Levi’s x Bode -The Barrel Racer Jeans  first appeared on Denimology.

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True Relgion’s Spring 2026 campaign, titled “Make It True,” is one of the biggest denim campaigns of the season.Starring Megan Thee Stallion as the central face of the collection alongside rapper Key Glock.

The campaign, which launched March 13, celebrates self-expression and confidence through denim and streetwear. The narrative unfolds in three themed chapters across the season, each highlighting different sides of personal style and identity:

VOLUME 1: TRUE SELF opens the season with fresh trends and new aspirations. The Portrait Print Story leans into artful graphics, luxe textures, and “Rhinestone Relics,” turning a love of trends into faith in the unexpected. This chapter also introduces J’adore That Girl, delivering hyper-feminine baby tees and matching sets that read like a curated love letter to the True Self, offering the confidence to dress for the life you want today.

VOLUME 2: TRUE PURPOSE shifts into a high-stakes festival season moment. Leopard and snake graphics, sunset palettes, and sleaze-era codes flipped for 2026 set the vibe. Lace panels, corset details, and distressed hems dial up the drama for caught-on-camera moments, while the “Survival of the Fittest” mentality brings bold and raw edges to the forefront of a modern style portfolio.

VOLUME 3: TRUE LEGACY Megan Thee Stallion and Key Glock deliver a bold campaign story that electrifies True Religion’s iconic DNA for the next generation. Rooted in “Miami Y2K” energy, think beach afternoons and hot summer nights – the drop features the High Voltage neon palette and the Color Glitch story. Signature red-stitch denim returns through statement pieces like “Spicy Shorts” for the Hotties, while soft early-2000s pinks collide with electric neons to create a high-impact summer aesthetic that celebrates both legacy and evolution.

“Working with True Religion is always such a special experience and creative collaboration,” Megan said. “I’ve always admired the way the brand embodies bold, self-expression through style, so I’m really proud to help them introduce their new collection and bring that energy into the spring season.”

Her influence translates into a versatile offering of high-cut shorts, curve-defining crops, and layered denim that moves seamlessly from daytime festival moments to high-glamour evening looks.

Reaching from Houston to Memphis, the brand also partners with Key Glock, whose approach reflects an edgy yet refined take on modern menswear. Through distressed denim, elevated active sets, and bold apex graphics, Glock’s look balances comfort with a contemporary, statement-making intensity.

You can shop for True Religion on their website.

The post True Religion × Megan Thee Stallion Ad Campaign first appeared on Denimology.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site