Blog

The singer wore a look from designer Georges Hobeika’s fall 2027 couture collection.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

Jun Takahashi’s UNDERCOVER Spring/Summer 2027 collection, titled “Poisonous Plants,” is a particularly interesting denim collection.

The collection was shown during Fashion Week in Paris and centers on a collaboration with Belgian artist Michaël Borremans.

Featured is a Type II denim jacket in heavy woven fabric, distinguished by irregular and wavy seams. It takes the classic trucker construction and reforms it into something new and exciting.

Some of the looks were about loose, easy-fitting jeans, worn with relatively simple tops.

Borremans’s imagery appears across the collection, and details like topstitching around the jeans’ back pockets turn ordinary workwear construction into part of an artistic composition.

Summing it up, the notable UNDERCOVER contribution is heritage denim construction being “distorted” through artistically placed seams and surface treatments. Definitely a more Japanese avant-garde take on the continuing workwear-denim trend.

You can shop for UNDERCOVER clothing at Farfetch and at Nordstrom.

The post UNDERCOVER Spring/Summer 2027 Menswear first appeared on Denimology.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

33 oz. Denim, the ‘Best Selvedge Jeans for Men’ (Any Budget), and the Indigo Invitational Winners

I was going to open this issue with something I’ve learned trying to make 20 oz. jeans: heavyweight denim becomes a production problem before it ever becomes a wearing problem.

But then Bryan messaged me this morning asking when I was going to finish the Indigo Invitational Year Five winners announcement. I’d missed the earlier WhatsApp messages; he should’ve sent an email. A little swearing later, I dropped the Weekly and switched jobs.

The winners are further down. First, back to what it takes to make denim this heavy.

What It Takes to Make 33 oz. Denim

Talking about 20 oz. Weirloom jeans has made me realise how quickly denim weight becomes a production problem rather than a wearing problem.

In my new SOSOBROTHERS story, 33 oz. cuts weaving output from 100–120 yards a day to around 30—and that is only the beginning.

The Jeans Guide I’ve Wanted to Write for Years

I keep seeing big-name publications publish their versions of “best jeans for men” guides. GQ put out another one this week.

And every time, part of me thinks: if anyone should be able to make this genuinely useful for denim people, it should be me. So I finally did.

What began as two separate guides—one for the pairs people start with, another as my answer to the generic best-jeans lists—became one:

17 handpicked selvedge jeans across three price tiers, with the five I’d send most people to first right at the top.

Things Worth Your Attention

The inbox was doing its best to turn this into a much longer issue. These five survived:

• Self Edge turns 20 – 20 collaborations with 20 brands, staff from all six stores and a three-day San Francisco Weekender in November; Self Edge calls it the largest public gathering of Japanese brands yet held in North America.
• Hansen keeps pushing denim – I’ve known the Copenhagen-based brand since the early days of Denimhunters, so seeing the Robby Wide Cut Jeans in 13 oz. neppy Japanese denim, made in Japan, feels like a natural continuation of the denim programme they launched last summer.
• Denim-jacket season is here – KATO’s streamlined Blade and Brave Star’s 14 oz. sherpa-lined Brown Bear Ironside sit at opposite ends of the same autumn urge, which is good timing while I’m working on a new jacket guide.
• Flannels are back too – Brooklyn has UES’s 14.5 oz. heavyweight flannel, while Franklin & Poe has 3sixteen’s Brown/Ecru Crosscut; two very different ways to admit summer is over.
• Fifteen years, fifteen boots – My good friend Wouter is marking 15 years of Long John with 15 customised Red Wing 875s. Unmistakably Wouter, and the pairs release on September 26 at Black & Blue in Nijmegen.

The Year Five Winners Are In

More than 2,500 faders started Year Five of the Indigo Invitational. Over 650 made it to the finish, and after the Top 50, community voting and final judging, 25 pairs now make up the winners across the two conferences and Re(Pair).

I was on the judging panel, so I’ve already spent an unreasonable amount of time staring at some of these fades. Jorn-Bjorn from Norway won ROW in 19 oz. Iron Heart IH-555L, while Bima from Indonesia won SEA in 19 oz. Samurai S710XX, and Alex Scheibner won Re(Pair) in his 21 oz. Brave Star True Straights (meaning he can—hopefully—finally put some wear into his Weirlooms).

The full announcement has all 25 winners and the judges’ comments.

From the Archive: Last Year’s Winners

With Year Five finally settled, the obvious archive pick is the Year Four results. It’s worth a look back before you dive into the new winners—if only to see how high the bar already was.

See last year’s winners →

The post Why Heavyweight Denim Is Not Only Harder to Fade appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

This is a sponsored story, one of our paid services. We maintain full editorial independence. Read more here.

Why SOSOBROTHERS Is Limiting Its 33 oz. Range to Maximum 20 Pieces a Month

33 oz. isn’t just another fabric in the range—it’s essential to SOSOBROTHERS, the Swedish custom-made brand. The Breaker of Legs and The Breaker of Arms became products customers could come back to.

Making denim this heavy is difficult. Keeping it in production is an even bigger challenge—and right now, there’s no guarantee more can be made once the current rolls are gone. For the foreseeable future, the entire 33 oz. range is limited to up to 20 pieces a month.

The reason becomes clearer when you follow the denim through production: from the yarn and the loom to the sewing floor, and then into the hands of the people who have to break it in and wear it.

Why 33 oz. Is So Difficult to Make

I’ve handled this denim for my review of The Breaker of Legs (TBOL) jeans. The sheer weight is one thing, but what really stands out is how reluctant the fabric is to fold and crease. That starts with the yarn.

It’s made from Australian long-staple cotton. The latest batch uses 4-ply 6s yarn in both warp and weft to make the denim stiffer. You need all that yarn to get enough mass into the cloth. But the number that really caught my attention was loom speed.

Vintage shuttle looms normally weave 100–120 yards of denim per day. With denim this heavy, output drops to around 30 yards. The immense load simply forces the loom to run that much slower.

Material loss rises sharply too. The supplier puts it at around 5–6% on 22 oz. denim, but as high as 25–30% on the 33 oz. A worker who would normally monitor six to eight looms is effectively tied to one. And even before weaving starts, dyeing, sizing, twisting and warping also need tighter control.

The Loom Is Only Half the Problem

Getting the denim off the loom only solves the first problem. Because somebody still has to cut it and sew it.

On SOSOBROTHERS’ 33 oz. jacket—The Breaker of Arms (TBOA)—on every seam, fold and buttonhole, you have several layers of already extreme denim, folded by hand, passing under a needle.

The equipment has to be able to cope with it, but so does the operator. All heavyweight jackets from 20 oz. upwards are handled by one highly specialised maker, assisted by his wife. That means the 33 oz. jackets are competing for a very specific kind of production capacity.

Once the jacket leaves the sewing floor and arrives at your doorstep, it’s your turn to fight it.

What 33 oz. Is Like to Break In

Danno (@33oz_curls) bought a double-indigo TBOA to replace a worn-out work jacket. He put it on, buttoned it, soaked it while wearing it, and kept it on as it dried.

Wearing a short-sleeved tee underneath was a bad idea. As the denim dried and the elbow creases formed, the fabric rubbed his skin close to bleeding. For the first week, he switched to long sleeves and even a layer underneath.

He works for a municipal water department, so the jacket has gone down holes with him while he’s repaired pipes and hydrants, scraped against dirt walls and rubbed against old rusty pipework.

Once the main flex points were established, the jacket changed. “It feels like armour made just for you,” he says. His advice is equally subtle: “The more you wear it, the faster it breaks in. If you tiptoe around it, it will give you hell.”

By the time he bought The Breaker of Legs jeans, he knew what he was getting into. He wore long johns, soaked the jeans, worked the stubborn buttonholes open with a screwdriver and did enough squats to get the knees moving.

“You’ll need a wrench for the buttons unless you’re a sadist,” he says.

His experience shows what happens after the initial fight: the flex points settle in and the garment starts to shape itself around the wearer. He now compares the broken-in jacket to a heavy leather jacket.

Why the 20-Piece Cap Exists

The limitation on availability applies across the range of 33 oz. products. Once 20 pieces sell in a month, the range goes out of stock until the following month—or until further notice if supply requires it.

The number itself is a business decision, not a loom calculation. But slower weaving, high material loss, greater labour demand, specialist sewing capacity and uncertainty around future supply all make volume harder to manage.

For now, SOSOBROTHERS is working with the mill to find a way to keep the 33 oz. denim in production. The current stock comes from what may be the last couple of usable rolls, with no further production secured. That’s why availability will remain limited for the foreseeable future—and why there’s now a genuine question over whether The Breakers can continue once the existing denim is gone.

The post 33 oz. Denim Fights Back Long Before You Ever Wear It appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

Announcing the 25 Winners of the Indigo Invitational Fading Competition Year Five 

Since 2019, the Indigo Invitational Fade Competition has been a destination for denimheads who want to see how their fades stack up against the world’s best denim faders. With piles of rugged loot for the winners, it draws thousands of competitors every year.

On September 1st of last year, more than 2,500 faders lined up in the starting blocks with brand-new pairs of raw denim jeans. 365 days later, more than 650 of them crossed the finish line with faded ones. Through a rigorous, weeks-long process of selection, voting, and judging, 25 pairs have risen to the top.

Since Year Four, the competition has been split into two conferences: Rest of the World (ROW) and Southeast Asia (SEA), with a Top 10 selected from each. There’s also the Re(Pair) arm for faders on a two-year fade journey. They have their own Top 5.

The winners will now get their pick of showcases filled with prizes from participating competition sponsors and partners. But if you’re here to learn who won, we won’t delay you any longer:

IIY5 – Rest of the World Conference – Top 10

IIY5 – Southeast Asian Conference – Top 10

IIY5 – Re(Pair) – Top 5

How the Winners Were Selected

Picking the best pairs from the field of more than 650 finishers was an intensely difficult process. I want to thank Mifflin Mabalot, Ricky Mataac, and Rudolph Caoi (all of them passionate and longstanding members of the Invitational community) for their invaluable assistance this year.   

After being sorted into their appropriate conference, each fader’s submissions are scrutinized. I pick the Top 50 pairs in the Rest of the World Conference, and the team led by Mifflin Mabalot picks the Top 50 pairs in the Southeast Asian Conference. 

The selected total of 100 pairs are then submitted to the Indigo Invitational community, who are asked to vote for their ten favourites. Based on these votes, sixteen pairs from each conference advance to the Top 20. 

With assistance from the small community of denim enthusiasts in Oslo, I then selected four wildcard pairs from each conference to round out the Top 20. 

After that, the Top 20 is submitted to the judging panel. Each conference has its own panel of denim industry insiders and knowledgeable enthusiasts. These judges lend their expertise and time to the competition without expecting anything in return. We are immensely grateful for their hard work and careful consideration.

Ruedi Karrer also helped me pick the Top 5 for the Re(Pair) category—a very small field of only 17 competitors. I was prepared to bring in another judge if we didn’t see eye to eye, but that was unnecessary. We were in complete agreement. 

We’ll take a closer look at each of the winning pairs below with notes from the judges. Each pair has—I’m sure you’ll agree—earned its place. We stand behind our judges’ decisions, and we applaud the exceptional efforts of all our winning faders. 

ROW Judging Panel

Clockwise from top left: Brit Eaton (Carpe Denim), Zip Stevenson (Stevenson Overalls), Gok (Pronto & Co), Thomas Bojer (Denimhunters), Ryo Nakakoji (TCB), Otto Alexander (Darnin Duke), Daniela Bergert (Wabi Sabi), and Ruedi Karrer (Swiss Jeans Freak) 

SEA Judging Panel

Clockwise from top left: Hasri Chie (Cheese Denim Works), Cheese (Pronto & Co), Florian Leikam (enthusiast), Noenggaling Tjatur (Denimheads Indonesia), Edie Lim (Signet), Ruedi Karrer (Swiss Jeans Freak), and Kai Huang (Denim Manila)

Why We Have Two Conferences

The two-conference system allows us to recognise more incredible faders from all around the world.

The Southeast Asian conference is mostly faders from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and The Philippines. This region is known for producing eye-catching high-contrast fades, and we gave them their own conference to give even more of these fades a chance at a podium finish.

The Rest of the World conference is largely made up of faders from North America, Europe, and Australia. Fade styles in this conference vary wildly, and our two-conference system allows us to recognise more of these highly individualised fades.

Finally, our Re(Pair) arm is for faders who, having completed a full year of the competition, want to return for a second lap of the track in the same pair. It’s a much smaller group, but this arm of the competition regularly produces remarkable fades—the product of a two-year journey that tests the limits of their jeans.

A Word About Our Y5 Results

While there’s a wide range of opinions and preferences on our judging panels, all of our judges expressed a preference for natural and unforced fades. Thomas provided the following as part of his overall assessment of the field: 

“The pairs I tend to respond to most are the ones where the fades feel like a consequence of wearing the jeans rather than the sole purpose of wearing them […] I’m looking for balance, texture, and wear that feels believable.”

I often get asked what kind of fades the judges prefer, high contrast or vintage fades. I’ve seen over and over again that what draws the judges’ (and my) attention to a particular pair is not absolute fidelity to a particular fade style; it’s that clear and unmistakable evidence that the fader has lived a full and rich life during their trip around the sun.

The well-lived life transforms raw pairs into vivid canvases that tell a story about time, endurance, and passion. Allow yourself to be inspired by these fades, not just in terms of what you wear but what you do while you wear it. 

Now, without further ado, our winners.

IIY5 Rest of the World Conference Top 10

As you’ll see later, the Southeast Asian Conference was dominated by a single brand. The Rest of the World Conference wasn’t. Iron Heart, Samurai, and Big John all stand tall on the podium, joined by Piger Works (tied with Iron Heart for most ROW Top 10 appearances) and a nice assortment of Japanese and American brands. 

Voting was exceptionally tight this year, with just one point separating first from second, and second from third. Every pair in the Top 20 appeared in at least one of our judge’s Top 10s, and no single pair appeared in all of them. Two ties in the Top 10 were settled with tiebreakers (we used the community vote to break ties when necessary).

1st Place: Jorn-Bjorn Fuller-Gee (ROW025)

Competed in: Iron Heart 555-L (19 oz.) – Get them here

A fan favourite since joining the competition community in Year Four, J.B. quickly made a name for himself by documenting some of the extreme lengths he goes to when fading his selvedge in the extreme north of Norway.

He finished just off the podium last year, and he’s bested that effort this year with his gorgeously faded lefties from Iron Heart. He picked this pair because of its reputation for producing exceptionally strong fades, and it’s clear that he picked the perfect pair for fun in the midnight sun. 

After winning the community vote, this was the pair to beat in the Rest of the World Conference. With one perfect 10, one 9, and a range of other judges cards from 4 to 8, J.B. ended his year at the top of the podium, beating out his closest competitor by a single point.  

“The contrast here is brutal—in the best way” – Thomas Bojer

“The most complete fade of the Top 20 […] You can almost reconstruct how these jeans have been worn. Nothing looks too perfect, which makes them the perfect number 1.” – Otto

2nd Place: Aaron Kikola (ROW011)

Competed in: Big John Rare 008 (15.5 oz.) – Get them here

Aaron has magic legs. He’s an outdoor enthusiast, which helps explain some of his ability to bring the absolute best out of his pairs, but there’s some kind of special ingredient to his fades that makes them so arresting.

Big John gave him this pair of Rare 008s at the beginning of the year in the hopes that he’d be an excellent ambassador for the brand in the competition. We’ve been recommending this denim for years, and Aaron has shown exactly why this pair is as essential as they come.

Very nearly pulled to the top of the podium by our last judge to submit his judging card, Aaron has come within a hair’s breadth of the gold medal. He was the only finisher this year to appear on 7 out of 8 of the judging cards. 

“Subtle yet beautiful. Classic and timeless.” – Brit

“This is the Big John that got away from me. I passed on a pair a decade ago, and and these beautifully even, loose-fit fades—with those deep knee creases—show exactly why it has stayed a grail denim for me ever since.” – Thomas

“Natural and unexaggerated.” – Zip

Big John is sold at Redcast Heritage (ES), Cultizm (DE), Hinoya (JP), and Franklin & Poe (US)

3rd Place: Darren Middleton (ROW050)

Competed in: Samurai S5000VX (21 oz.) – Get them here

Darren has been a perennial contender in this competition for years, but he found an entirely new gear this year. His day-to-day work on Australian construction sites finally found a match in this heavy denim from Samurai. The results speak for themselves: a best-ever fade and a best-ever finish.

I spotted this one coming when we were still in the middle of the competition. Even early on, it was clear that this pair would be going very deep in the competition. He pulled away from the pack with every passing month. Explosive work from our man down under. 

With perfect 10s from two of our judges, it looked for a while like Darren would be standing on top of the podium at the end of the year. He missed the gold medal by two points, the silver medal by just a single point. 

“These have had an absolute battering. There’s loads of wear, damage, and character.” – Otto

“I could hang this one on the wall as an art piece.” – Brit 

“The intensity here is absurd! Extreme, but undeniably impressive.” – Thomas

You can buy Samurai from these retailers: Franklin & Poe (US), Brooklyn Clothing (CA), Blue in Green (US), and Redcast Heritage (ES).

4th Place: George Cayea (ROW042)

Competed in: Oni 288ZR-KAB (20 oz.) – Get them here

One of our wildcard picks, mechanic and skateboarder George clawed his way into the Top 20 with his near-miraculous Secret Denim fades. Judges loved the subtlety of George’s fades, which just get better and better the closer you look at them.

Some of the credit goes to Oni here for producing this incredible denim. Renowned for its loose weave and its witchy texture, it’s far easier to wear than it is to fade. We’ve seen a fair share of it in the competition, but we’ve never seen it faded quite like this.

Like Darren, George rose and fell in the rankings with each new judging card that was submitted. Just as it had been during the community vote, his pair was passed over by some of our judges. The three judges who were caught in this pair’s trance gave it perfect or nearly perfect marks.  

“I actually really like how beaten up and vintage they look.” – Otto

“The Secret Denim has faded subtly and authentically rather than chasing maximum contrast. It is a pair that rewards looking closely.” – Thomas

Oni is sold at: Redcast Heritage (ES), Cultizm (DE), Franklin & Poe (US), Blue in Green (US), and Hinoya (JP)

5th Place: David Thorn (ROW040)

Competed in: Piger Works x II F2F20 (20 oz.)

From very early in this competition, it was clear that David was going to do something magical with his PIgers. Razor-sharp combs and whiskers began to emerge in the first few months, and the fades picked up speed as we neared the finish line. 

The most popular single pair in the competition this year, the F2F20 (a collaboration between Piger Works and the Indigo Invitational) demonstrated the kind of awesome fade potential that we hoped for when designing this pair. We’re very proud to see these pairs perform as well as they have in the competition. 

With strong marks from all but two of our judges, David was a shoe-in for the Top 10 from the moment the first judge’s cards started arriving in our inbox. He was just a point behind the fader in front of him. An excellent result. 

“Nice honeycombs and contrasting whiskers.” – Daniela

“There’s loads to look at without them feeling overdone.” – Otto

“Everything I look for in a fade: sharp honeycombs, big whiskers, and the slub coming through across the fabric. The most harmonious fade of the group.” – Thomas

Piger Works is sold at Cultizm (DE)

6th Place: John Brandon (ROW043)

Competed in: Iron Heart IH-888S-19L (19 oz.)

Hailing from Phoenix, John clearly pushed his pair hard all year in the Arizona heat, lending his pair some of the character we often see from faders in the Southeast Asian conference. This is Iron Hearts done right.

The second pair of Iron Heart’s left-hand twill selvedge in the Top 10, this denim is starting to rival its heavier siblings for its ability to produce beautifully balanced and sharply contrasting fades. Expecting to see much more of this denim when we start Year Six in April.

With one perfect 10 from our judges, John’s perfectly presented pair won over one of our judges in a big way. Most of the other judges placed his pair in their Top 10s, and all of them will surely be happy to see him standing in the winner’s circle. 

“Really nice pair. Great honeycombs on the back and loads happening around the top block.” – Otto

“Strong contrast, but it still feels relaxed and natural. Exactly the kind of Iron Heart fade I love.” – Thomas 

7th Place: Eddie Garcia (ROW031)

Competed in: Piger Works x II F2F20 (20 oz.)

Eddie set out on a mission this year. He wanted to push this made-to-fade Piger pair to its absolute limits without washing it. We can’t vouch for how his pair smells, but we can sure as hell vouch for how it looks.

As a mail carrier, Eddie put as many miles on this pair as anybody else in the competition, and the tones he’s managed to produce on the seat and deep in the honeycombs are a testament to how far this pair has come and how far it’s travelled.

Unsurprisingly considering his approach to the fade process, Eddie’s pair split our judges down the middle. Two of our judges placed Eddie’s pair at the very top of their cards, while others kept it off their cards entirely. You can count us among some of this pair’s biggest fans.

“The blueish colour around the back side of the crotch is insane. A must for Re(Pair)!” – Ruedi

“The wear here is relentless” – Thomas

“Looks like it’s been lived and played hard.” – Daniela

8th Place: Dustin Trychta (ROW022)

Competed in: Piger Works x II F2F20 (20 oz.)

With an extremely active four-year-old keeping his legs moving almost constantly, Dustin made his pair a part of a full and rich life, complete with trips to the amusement park and trampoline park.

We’ve started referring to white patches on the knees as “good dad fades” (the result of crawling around on all fours with young ones). These are in the same vein. Some of the sharpest contrasts in the competition (and a trip to the winner’s circle) are his reward for his time well spent. 

Dustin got into photography this year, and this showed a little more than we liked in his final presentation photographs, which don’t feel exactly true to life. The judges reviewed some of his earlier submissions, basing their assessments on these earlier photographs (the fades were undeniable).

A number of the judges referenced the blue tone in the photographs and said they might have ranked this pair higher if it had been presented more naturally.  

“A beautiful, very even fade. The long cuff-and-stack wear has left the lower legs remarkably dark, while the honeycombs and train tracks provide loads of contrast without taking away from the overall balance.” – Thomas

“Many very strong and well-defined whiskers around both front pockets and towards both knees. Huge and deep stacks.” – Ruedi

9th Place: Daniel Wright (ROW006)

Competed in: Iron Heart IH-555S-UHR (23 oz.) – Get them here

We’re not sure exactly what Daniel does for a living, but whatever work he does, he does a lot of it, and always in this beautifully worked pair of Iron Hearts.

Rather than washing them before his final presentation and flattening them out, Daniel took them straight off his legs, resulting in a striking 3D effect, with the combs and stacks jumping off the screen. 

One of our judges put this pair second on his judging card, which helped lift Daniel into the winner’s circle. He appeared on a healthy number of other cards, but it was one judge that really made the difference here.

“Really close to my number one. You can actually see where the jeans have moved with the person. Really strong pair.” – Otto

“I love the beautiful contrast fades from dark blue to white around and below the knees. They would probably look much better in real life. Very difficult to judge them correctly in that light.” – Ruedi

10th Place: Ethan Eisenbarth (ROW009)

Competed in: Brave Star Die Hard Double Knee (12 oz.) – Get them here

Ethan took up bird watching this year and documented some of the places he visited with patches that he sewed to his pair. It’s one of the most artful approaches to embellishment we’ve ever seen in the competition, and we suspected we’d see this one in the winner’s circle when all was said and done. 

The patches were only part of the story. The fades tell a story of their own, and we hope that we’ll see more updates from Ethan on this pair, which may one day be more patches than pair. 

The judges who had this pair on their cards all noted the beautiful personalization, but they also recognized that, underneath the patches and embroidery, this pair is a brilliant example of honest and hard-earned fades. 

“Those double knees have faded beautifully, but the real story is the repairs and personalization—sashiko, embroidery, flag, and patches everywhere. It has the kind of layered history you normally see on a heavily customized denim jacket.” – Thomas

“Very well-loved and well-used.” – Daniela

IIY5 Southeast Asian Conference Top 10

While a truly remarkable pair of Samurais finished the year on top of the podium in our Southeast Asian Conference, the real story in our equatorial conference is the domination of Piger Works and their contingent of Thai faders, who took six of the slots in our Top 10.

Year Five has been something of a coming out party for the Thai brand and a return to glory for the Thai faders, who were shut out from last year’s Malaysian-dominated podium. In Y4, the Malaysians had a statement year, declaring their supremacy in the SEA fade scene. This year, Thailand and Indonesia answered. 

1st Place: Bima Rosyid Wicaksono (SEA043)

Competed in: Samurai S710XX (19 oz.) – Get them here

Personal trainer Bima knows the value of toil and sweat, and he’s put this pair of Samurais through one hell of a workout in Y5. We’ve been highlighting this pair frequently this year, singing its praises at every opportunity—and clearly for good reason!  

Samurai’s legendary Kiwami Selvedge is flexing its muscles here. Renowned for the remarkable contacts it can produce, this selvedge continues to be one of the best-possible choices for those planning to push their pair hard in between washes (Bima washed his pair five times during the competition). 

Bima’s pair was a clear favourite among the judges. It appeared prominently on every judging card, with four of the seven judges giving the pair top marks. It cleared its closest competitor by 8 points (an incredibly wide margin). An utter and complete triumph. 

“My top pick. Perfect colour, awesome whiskers and combs, nice marbling, high contrast yet vintage looking. It doesn’t get much better in any category.” – Florian

“Sharp in all the right places. Everything just feels right. Definitely my favourite.” – Cheese

“The level of wear and surface development shows just how much potential this denim has—and this pair has truly extracted almost all of it.” – Noenggaling

You can buy Samurai from these retailers: Franklin & Poe (US), Brooklyn Clothing (CA), Blue in Green (US), and Redcast Heritage (ES).

2nd Place: Prawit Pooyam (SEA046)

Competed in: Piger Works 20MFSI (20 oz.)

Prawit is religious about wearing his competition pairs every single day for at least 10 hours. His dedication paid off with some silver hardware, and we couldn’t be happier for him. 

This year’s top Piger Works finisher showcased all of the beautiful highs and lows that Piger’s aptly named Master of Fades selvedge can produce. We used the warp yarns from this selvedge in our collaboration, and this pair makes it clear why this choice was an obvious one. 

Prawit got top marks on two of our judge’s cards. They were especially appreciative of Prawit’s choice of a more generous cut, which makes contrast fades like these more difficult to achieve.

“Huge and deep whiskers and honeycombs with deep 3D shaded effects.” – Ruedi

“Great collour, crazy amount of whiskers and creases throughout the whole pair, and fantastic contrast.” – Florian

Piger Works is sold at Cultizm (DE)

3rd Place: Suwit Tullawanthana (SEA025)

Competed in: Piger Works x II F2F20 (20 oz.)

Ticking every possible box for remarkable fades, Suwit’s Pigers cruised to a third place finish with just one point less than the second place finisher. There’s so much to love here, and Suwit’s got to be as pleased with his result as he is happy with his pair.

This denim casts off indigo remarkably quickly, and there’s strong evidence of this on the seat of Suwit’s pair, which is closer to white than it is to blue. A vivid example of both the denims and the fade styles that have pulled Thailand and their best selvedge brand onto the podium. 

Our judges will likely be very happy with how Suwit’s pair placed. Quite high marks all around from nearly all of the judges. 

“Worn to the bitter end delivering excellent overall contrast and impressive fade development. The level of wear and saturation in the high-friction areas is outstanding.” – Noenggaling

“Very nice stacks and fading on the inside of the hems (probably his walking style).” – Ruedi

4th Place: Nigon Konkhamrat (SEA035)

Competed in: Piger Works x II F2F20 (20 oz.)

Nigon cracked the Top 10 in last year’s Invitational, and we’re very pleased to welcome this Thai repairman back to the winning circle. He’s climbed the ranks to sit comfortably in the Top 5, and, with these remarkable fades, he’s definitely earned his place. 

After last year’s Top 10 finish in a pair of Piger Works Master of Fades, he returned to the competition armed with our collaboration pair, and he seems to have struck on the winning formula. 

With high marks from a number of our judges, Nigon clearly charmed our panel with his frayed knees and yellowed thighs. Very near the top of three of our judges’ cards. 

“The front side is extremely faded all the way from the pocket bags to the knees.” – Ruedi

“Reminds me of the very best vintage Levi’s 501s worn by miners. I especially love the colour, dirty, and the orange weft showing through the rips.” – Florian

“Raw, authentic wear lines with earned knee distressing, presumably from daily abuse.” – Hasri

5th Place: Haziq Syazwan (SEA001)

Competed in: Pure Blue Japan PER-EX-013-ID (15 oz.) – Get them here

After dominating the podium last year, Malaysian faders took home two slots in the Top 10, tying with Indonesia for national representation. First-time Indigo Invitational competitor Haziq is the top Malaysian fader this year, and he did his country proud with these gorgeous PBJs. 

We’ve seen Southeast Asian faders gravitating towards local brands, but top Japanese brands continue to be serious status symbols in the region. When faded (and photographed) this beautifully, it’s hard to imagine a pair with more clout.

With strong marks nearly across the board from our judges, Haziq made a strong impression on our panel, and we hope we’ll see much more of him in the years to come.

“You can really see the texture and irregularity of the fabric coming through in the fades.” – Cheese

“The end result of the kakishibu persimmon dye blended with indigo is exotic.” – Hasri

“It takes serious patience and mileage to really unlock what this fabric can do. This isn’t about chasing the highest contrast—it’s about letting the fabric do the talking.” – Noenggaling

You can get Pure Blue Japan at Redcast Heritage (ES), Franklin & Poe (US), Brooklyn Clothing Co. (CA), Blue in Green (US), DeeCee Style (CH), and Clutch Café (UK)

6th Place: Fajrin Karza Juniarzal (SEA023)

Competed in: Samurai S710XX II (19 oz.) – Get them here

Two pairs of Samurai in the Southeast Asian Top 10, both of them Kiwami Selvedge. That (and these pictures) should tell you everything you need to know about Samurai’s fade-primed selvedge. 

Fajrin works as a maintenance engineer in Bekasi. The work is indoors, so these fades aren’t the product of heavy, dirty work (this isn’t a mark against them). They’re a shining example of what is possible when denim like this is pushed along rather than shoved.

Fajrin’s pair didn’t appear on a lot of judging cards, but, when he did, he appeared very close to the top of the card. Enough judges adored this pair to pull it into the middle of our Top 10. 

“Remind me of the good old SUFU days. Very traditional—nothing too extreme but you can see the dedication in the combs and whiskers, with the stacks adding to a great rounded look.” – Florian

“The fades feel natural and well balanced, showing that strong development does not always require extremely aggressive wear.” – Noenggaling

7th Place: Mohd Sukry Nordin (SEA003)

Competed in: Sukajin Terletak (18 oz.) 

A competitor who has been steadily climbing through the ranks, Mohd Sukry Nordin cracked the Top 50 in Y3, the Top 20 in Y4, and the Top 10 this year. At this rate, he’ll be standing on the podium next year.

He’s worn a home-grown pair of Sukajins for the second year in a row. This premium Malaysian selvedge brand has become one of the top choices for Malaysian faders, and it’s easy to see why when the brand’s acolytes are producing faded examples like this one.

The judges who liked Mohd’s pair placed it around the middle of their cards. 

“Great contrast, very nicely shaped whiskers, roping, stacks, and colour.” – Florian

“Badass fades! The lighter areas have developed really nicely too. Really cool pair.” – Cheese

“Rejects standard high-contrast whisker lines for a smooth, full-on marble fade that looks evenly worn.” – Hasri

8th Place: Pathorn Wongmaen (SEA012)

Competed in: Piger Works 20MF (20 oz.) – Get them here

First-time Indigo Invitational competitor Pathorn had a strong debut this year, with expert-level fades that caught our eye in a big way when we first spotted them in the crowd. Another excellent example of the kind of approach to contrast fading that have brought so much deserved attention to the SEA fading scene. 

With that attention has come a growing amount of interest in the brands that are producing fast-fading pairs tailor-made for the region’s deeply passionate fade enthusiasts. Piger Works can no longer say that it is the secret weapon behind Thailand’s army of faders. The secret’s out. 

The judges were split on this pair, but Ruedi gave these near-perfect marks on his card. For those who appreciate this typical Southeast Asian approach to fading, these leave very little to be desired.

“Second place. Huge deep honeycombs, amazing stacks, well-defined whiskers. A typical Piger Works denim fade.” – Ruedi

“Now this is a clean representation of daily worn jeans. I like the overall smooth indigo tones.” – Hasri

9th Place: Teerapol Kitkajornpaisan (SEA047)

Competed in: Piger Works 21BSU IBK (21 oz.)

With the shield-shaped pockets and intense fading, this pair caught the eyes of the team of enthusiasts who helped us pick the SEA Top 50. The pair made it into the Top 16 by a whisker (thanks to a tie-break), but we knew that this one had Top 10 potential written all over it.

Teerapol works as an electrical service engineer in Thailand, and this requires frequent site visits. The slanted entry pockets on the front and the tool pockets and loop on the side and back of the jeans really help this pair stand out.

One of our judges adored this pair, putting it second from the top on his judging card. 

“Not your standard textbook fade. Those thick panel pockets force bold crease lines that deserve a lot of credit. An intensely worn utilitarian pair. Kudos to you, sir!” – Hasri 

“Great high-contrast fades! Didn’t wash much. Big effort” – Edie

“Definitely one of the more heavily worn pairs here. I considered the repairs and marks when ranking it, but the fading itself is seriously impressive.” – Cheese

10th Place: Khomsan Koedsap (SEA018)

Competed in: Piger Works 20MFSI (20 oz.)

We’re rounding out our Top 10 with another first-time competitor who worked hard in his pair of Pigers all year. It’s somehow appropriate that his highlight photos show this pair in the garden. They’ve clearly not spent the year sitting on the shelf or the couch.  

If you’re keeping track, that makes six pairs of Piger Works in the SEA Top 10. Five of these pairs use the Master of Fades warp yarns. The results speak for themselves. This blend of indigo and cotton is the perfect fade recipe for those who want dramatic fades and want them fast.

Khomsan’s pair appeared on three of our judge’s cards, and always on the upper half. Those who really liked this pair placed it just off of their podium placements. A well-earned finish for a hard-working fader.

“Love the typical Asian fade lines running from the back pockets towards the outer knee—likely caused by thin legs and perhaps riding a scooter or motorbike a lot in the tropical heat.” – Ruedi

“The fades on this one are seriously sharp. An amazing pair.” – Cheese

IIY5 Re(Pair) Top 5

We introduced Re(Pair) in Year Four to give competitors a chance to take their faded pairs around the track a second time. We wanted to give slower faders a chance to produce their best-ever fades, but also to see what champion-level fades would look like if pushed hard for a second full year.

It’s a small group of competitors, but out of this group has come some of the most beautifully faded pairs we’ve seen in the competition. If you’ve finished the competition and are keen for a second lap of the track, you can register for Y6 Re(Pair) here. 

1st Place: Alex Scheibner (RE001)

Competed in: Brave Star True Straight (21 oz.) – Get them here

All year, we knew this would be the pair to beat. It came into the competition carrying a pile of hardware from Year Three, when it stood on the very top of the podium, beating out competitors all over the world (this was before we divided the competition into conferences). 

Alex brought the same kind of approach to his pair that he did when he won the competition, adding some gorgeous repairs into the mix to keep his pair from disintegrating. The judges were in perfect agreement on this one. First place by a comfortable margin. 

2nd Place: Dimas Putra Anugrah Pratama (RE005)

Competed in: Adelaide Mantis VIII (17 oz.)

Dimas clearly kept his foot on the gas pedal all year with this pair. The paper-thin and shredded thighs and the overall lightening are all new developments, and we can confidently say that nobody pushed their Re(Pair) pair as hard as Dimas did this year.

What struck us most about this pair was the way the indigo has held on around the cuffs and the waistband. As you’d expect, the pair has been washed north of 10 times over the last two years of competition, but it’s not the washing that’s faded this pair. It’s wear and a LOT of it. 

3rd Place: Jumadi Hutapea (RE003)

Competed in: Momotaro 0205SP (15.7 oz.) – Get them here

Another pair with clear evidence of extensive wear over the course of the year, these fades very nearly took second place. We’re obviously big fans of speed runs here, but the kind of rich indigo tones and fade depth you see here needed the full two years to develop.

The ripped whiskers only add to the charm of this pair, which have a museum-level quality to them. Who among us wouldn’t want to have this exact pair hanging in their closet? Remarkable. 

4th Place: Richard Lee (RE017)

Competed in: Naked & Famous Greencast Slub (15 oz.)

A pair that rocked through the ranks when we started looking at competitors’ registration photos. Worn through in the thighs, back pocket, and the crotch, this pair shows clear evidence everywhere you look that it has been worn hard for the full two years.

At the same time, they haven’t been faded to the point where it is difficult or impossible to appreciate the denim’s texture. One of the most beautifully faded pairs of Naked & Famous jeans we saw in the competition this year.

5th Place: Liam Breslin (RE016)

Competed in: Big John M104G (23 oz.) – Get them here

This Big John super heavyweight selvedge fades slowly but beautifully, making it an excellent choice for faders like Liam who are willing to invest years into a fade project.

They still have more to give, but they’ve come so far since we first saw them the beginning of Year Four. During Year Five, the combs, thighs, and stacks showed unmistakable signs that they were being pushed ever onwards, going deeper and revealing more of this denim’s rich inner character. 

Closing Thoughts

The community continues to grow, drawing more of the world’s top faders out of the woodwork and into this competition. The battle for those Top 50 slots is more intense than ever, but each year, we’re able to recognise newcomers and veterans alike who have given their all in pursuit of championship-level fades.

We wish we had enough accolades and prizes to give all of the faders who pushed themselves and their pairs this year something for their efforts. We have a long list of spot prizes that will be announced separately, so if you didn’t manage to crack the Top 10, it’s not over yet.

Congratulations to all our winners, all our finalists, and all our finishers. It’s been an incredible year, and we’re already working to make sure that Year Six, beginning on April 1st, is the biggest and best year ever.

If you’ve got a brand-new pair of raw denim that you’d like to enter into the competition, the button below will take you to the registration page. The competition is—and always will be—entirely free for competitors. We look forward to seeing all of you on the starting line. 

The post What Do the World’s Best Raw Denim Fades Look Like in 2026? appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

One thing is clear: 2026 street style is NOT showing the death of baggy jeans. During Fashion Week in NYC and London, we could detect a strong denim signal. The interesting part is that the streets are not following one single silhouette. Baggy, low-rise, jorts, denim skirts, and very distressed jeans are all appearing.

Street looks were noticeably casual and denim-heavy. Show goers were wearing baggy jeans rolled down at the waist, denim skirts and jorts, with practical flats, loafers and sneakers replacing some of the more elaborate footwear normally associated with fashion week.

Also noticeable is that the new low-rise is usually loose rather than skinny – low-slung baggy jeans, relaxed straight legs and long/wide proportions.

Scroll down to our gallery featuring some of the coolest street looks captured this fall during Fashion Week in NYC and London.

And once again we thank Phil Oh for capturing the most awesome street looks with his camera!

The post Street Style Fall 2026 – NYC And London first appeared on Denimology.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

Affiliate disclaimer: We work with most brands and retailers featured and earn commission on purchases.

A Denim Expert’s Shortlist: The Best of Entry-Level Selvedge Through to Enthusiast Favourites

I’ve been writing about jeans since I started this site in 2011, and this is my take on the “best jeans for men” guide that every menswear publication has these days (GQ and Wirecutter, I’m coming for your lunch money).

Unlike all the others, this guide is only about selvedge jeans: the kind that start stiff and dark blue, then end up looking uniquely yours based on how you’ve worn and washed them (if you wash them).

I’ve handpicked 17 selvedge jeans—plus a bunch of alternatives—across three price tiers. They’re all indigo denim, available in raw or one-washed. I’ve generally favoured regular and straight fits as the baseline, but all these brands offer slimmer or looser alternatives if that’s what you’re after.

To make things easier for you, every entry includes a note on sizing, because getting that wrong can be an expensive mistake. And when you see ⚠️, it’s a heads-up on availability. Let’s go!

What’s Selvedge, Raw, and One-Washed?

Selvedge denim is woven on shuttle looms, which create a self-finished edge—the selvedge—instead of the cut edge you get on most jeans.

Raw means the jeans haven’t been washed after they were made. One-washed means they’ve been washed once, mainly to take out much of the initial shrinkage.

You can learn much more about all of this in my Denim Encyclopedia.

Best Selvedge Jeans Up to $150

At $150 or less, the economics of selvedge jeans are … challenging. The denim alone is easily $25 or more per pair. Everything else has to fit into what’s left: cutting, sewing, hardware, margins, and getting the jeans to you.

To make the maths work at this price, brands either sell directly to you—sometimes through their own retail network—or minimise costs elsewhere in the value chain. (I explain why selvedge jeans cost more at the end of this guide.)

Uniqlo Selvedge Jeans ($59.90)

At $59.90, Uniqlo is the cheapest way into selvedge jeans—and probably the most controversial. Japanese denim at that price is almost too good to be true; many of the other jeans in this guide cost more than that just to make.

How? Uniqlo’s scale and a vertical retail model where they sell directly to you—no middlemen, no wholesale margin. The flip side is that Uniqlo’s volume puts real pressure on the entire ecosystem of Japanese selvedge production.

• Look for the 100% cotton versions—avoid those with stretch
• Maybe not the most exciting canvas for a long-term fade project
• Order your normal size

Gustin 1968 Cone Mills ($99)

The case for Gustin starts with the price: $99 for American-made selvedge jeans. That’s not a typo. Gustin jeans are cut and sewn in California, and the 1968 is made from 13.5 oz. Cone Mills selvedge—the same mill that supplied Levi’s for decades before closing in 2017.

Gustin gets to that price through crowdfunding: you order during a campaign window, they make only what’s been funded, and you wait around 10–14 weeks for delivery. In-stock pairs are available at $149. I haven’t worn these myself, but I have done a full review—read that for my hands-on verdict.

• Four fits available, from slim to classic straight—the Straight is the most forgiving starting point
• Gustin uses measured sizing, not vanity sizing—most buyers need to size up 1–2 from what they normally wear. Read the size chart carefully.
• ⚠️ Pre-order model: allow 10–14 weeks for campaign orders

Unbranded UB301 ($108)

No logo, no advertising, almost nothing spent on the stuff that surrounds a jean rather than the jean itself. That’s the whole Unbranded proposition: put the money into 14.5 oz. Japanese selvedge and solid construction, then sell the result for $99. The UB301 is the slim-straight version, with a medium rise, button fly, hidden rivets, chain-stitched hems, and blue selvedge ID.

They’re made in Macau, which is a big part of how that price works with a traditional wholesale model. The denim is dense, tightly woven, and famously slow to give up its indigo. If you want dramatic fades quickly, look elsewhere. If you want a straightforward pair you can beat on for years, that slow burn is part of the appeal.

• Sizing runs true to actual waist measurements—a tagged 32 measures 32″ in the waist, so check the chart rather than relying on your usual tag size
• Slow fader—expect to put serious wear into them before the contrast develops
• Also available in 21 oz. as the UB321 if you want to start heavier

Unbranded is available at: Cultizm (EU) and Blue Beach Denim (TW)

Brave Star True Straight (from $128)

Cut and sewn in their own factory in downtown Los Angeles, from Japanese selvedge denim—with occasional drops of Cone Mills deadstock when available. Brave Star sells direct to you: no retailers, no wholesale margin.

The fabric rotates between runs—different weights, weaves, occasional deadstock drops. That rotation is part of the point: Brave Star is for someone who wants to get into the more obsessive side of selvedge without jumping into $250+ territory for American-made jeans.

• Direct-to-consumer only—no retailers, which is how American-made selvedge jeans stay in the $120–$150 range
• Fades come quickly, especially on left-hand twill fabrics like the Gauntlet
• Sizing runs close to tagged size—order your normal size

Want the full picture on Brave Star? My buying guide covers all the fabrics, fits, and what to expect from the break-in.

Levi’s 501 Original Selvedge ($150)

The most recognisable jean in the world, now in genuine shuttle-loomed selvedge. At $150, the 501 Original Selvedge is the closest the mainline gets to the jean that everything else in this guide is descended from. Same straight-leg silhouette, same button fly, same basic blueprint that has defined jeans since the nineteenth century.

This is still a modern mainline 501, not a vintage reproduction. The selvedge denim comes from Japan, while the jeans are cut and sewn in China—which is a big part of how Levi’s can offer them at $150. You can get them raw as Shrink-to-Fit and break them in from scratch, or one-washed if you want the initial shrinkage taken care of before you start.

• Raw Shrink-to-Fit: size up two in the waist—but check the measurements before ordering
• One-washed: buy your normal size
• The 501 Original is the classic straight fit; other selvedge cuts are available if you want something different

Heads up: Levi’s also makes Blue Tab in Japan with a more contemporary feel, while LVC is the line to look at if you want the full vintage-reproduction treatment. Look for Levi’s Premium when identifying the mainline version.

Best Selvedge Jeans Up to $250

Between $151 and $250, the economics start to loosen up. There’s more room for better fabrics, higher-cost production, and specialist retailers who curate what they stock, give useful buying advice, and stand behind it.

Naked & Famous Weird Guy Selvedge ($156)

Montreal brand, made in Canada. N&F makes experimentation approachable—unusual weights, dyes, blends, and limited runs without turning the whole thing into an insider exercise. The Weird Guy is the fit you’ll find across much of that range: medium rise, regular taper, clean lines.

The 13 oz. Indigo Selvedge is almost deliberately restrained by N&F standards. Dense, slow to fade, 100% cotton. The only thing that really shows off is the pinup-girl leather patch. That makes it the easiest introduction to what Naked & Famous does.

• Fabric range rotates constantly—the 13 oz. Indigo Selvedge is the core reference point
• The MIJ (Made in Japan) line is a different product at a significantly higher price—don’t confuse the two
• Order your normal size—but always a good idea to check the size chart first

Naked & Famous is available at: Cultizm (DE), Blue Beach Denim (TW), and DeeCee Style (CH).

Unbranded is N&F’s no-frills alternative—same design philosophy, lower price, different country of manufacture.

Benzak B-02 (from $186)

Lennaert Nijgh founded Benzak in Amsterdam in 2013 with jeans made in Japan. He’s since built a European-made line around the same design language and standards—giving Benzak a foot in both worlds without making either feel like the cheaper or lesser option. When I talk to mills and makers in this industry, the name comes up.

The B-02 is the regular fit: high rise, classic straight leg, vintage-inspired without going costume. The kind of cut that works for most builds and doesn’t ask you to commit to a look.

• Two lines, two price points—same DNA, different fabrics and production
• Every pair has a hidden sixth pocket—a Benzak signature across both lines
• Sizing conventional—order your normal size

Benzak is available at: Benzak’s own site (NL), Division Road (US), Cultizm (DE), and Blue Beach Denim (TW).

If you want to go deeper on fabrics and fits, my Benzak buying guide has everything.

Nudie Gritty Jackson Selvedge (from $196)

My first selvedge jeans were a pair of Nudies—the Average Joe in the original Kaihara denim. Nudie has been a gateway into raw denim for a lot of people, and they’ve earned that position.

The Gritty Jackson is their straight selvedge fit: regular cut, mid-rise, zip fly. Fabrics rotate between Japanese and European selvedge, but the bigger reason to buy Nudie is what happens afterwards—their Repair Shops will fix worn jeans for free, for life, and the whole system is built around keeping them in use rather than replacing them.

• Zip fly—unusual for this guide, worth knowing before you buy
• All selvedge fabrics are organic cotton
• Order your normal size

Nudie is available at Cultizm (DE), Brooklyn Clothing Co. (CA), and Blue Beach Denim (TW).

Warehouse 1001XX (from $208)

The benchmark for vintage Japanese reproduction, and the pair I’ve worn longest at this price point—about six months in a pair of 1001XXs taught me more about how Banner Denim behaves than anything I’d written about it.

Banner Denim is 13.5 oz., developed after studying 1930s Levi’s banner cloth—woven on vintage Toyoda G3 looms. Fades gently and evenly. Regular fit, slight taper, high rise, button fly. Unsanforized—it will shrink.

• Unsanforized: size up significantly—check the Cultizm size chart and shrinkage estimates before ordering
• ⚠️ Sells out regularly—worth checking stock across retailers and picking up when available
• Iron buttons and copper rivets that rust and dull with wear—part of the vintage accuracy, and unlike anything else on this list

The 1001XX is sold at Cultizm (DE), Hinoya (JP), and Lost & Found (CA).

TCB 60s Regular Straight ($238)

TCB is for the person who wants vintage reproduction without turning jeans into collectibles. The Kojima-based brand goes deep on 1960s Levi’s 501 details—San Joaquin Valley cotton, unsanforized selvedge, period-correct stitching—but the jeans are made to be worn hard, not preserved.

The paper patch proves it. Handmade, it gradually wears away as the denim fades, revealing the dark indigo underneath. That’s not a decorative detail—it’s a philosophy built into the garment.

• Unsanforized but one-washed—most shrinkage has already been taken out; check the measurements and order accordingly
• Regular fit with a gentle taper—the 50s gives you more room through the thigh
• TCB offers several variations on the 50s and 60s patterns—roomier and slimmer options are both available

TCB is available at: Redcast Heritage (ES), Cultizm (DE), and Franklin & Poe (US)

Best Selvedge Jeans $250+

At $250 and above, the options open up considerably—this is the largest tier in the guide, and also the most subjective. The brands here don’t have to compromise on fabric, construction, or provenance.

But with so many serious options at this level, the right choice depends more on what you’re drawn to than on any objective ranking. That makes it worth reading the entries carefully—and the ‘also worth considering’ list is longer here for good reason.

SOSOBROTHERS (from $259)

Since a San Francisco tailor first hammered copper rivets into work trousers in 1873, jeans have followed a remarkably consistent set of rules. That’s what we’ve come to expect. But off the rack means choosing from what exists. If your proportions mean nothing ever quite fits the way you want, that’s just how it is.

SOSOBROTHERS makes real jeans—the pockets, the seams, the hardware, all exactly as they should be. The difference is that they’ll make them to your exact measurements. Choose your fit, place your order, and they build it in Bangkok.

• Best for hard-to-fit proportions—your measurements determine the finished jeans
• ⚠️ Made-to-order: allow 5–7 weeks from order to delivery
• No returns—size carefully

The fabric catalogue and customisation options can have a learning curve—my buying guide to the brand is the best place to start.

KATO Mammoth Selvedge ($268)

Cut and sewn in Los Angeles, KATO has been challenging raw denim orthodoxy for years. The Mammoth is 17.5 oz. 4-way stretch selvedge—96% cotton, 4% elastane, stretch built into both warp and weft. Most stretch denims only go one way.

Stretch selvedge is controversial in this world. KATO’s argument is that the fades don’t lie—one Indigo Invitational competitor wore a pair and came back with high-contrast fades, sharp honeycombs, and proved stretch doesn’t stop selvedge from fading properly. Are you tough enough to wear stretch denim?

• 4-way stretch—moves in every direction, not just side to side
• Zip fly—worth knowing before you order
• Order your normal size—KATO recommends sizing up, but real-world reviews suggest true to size works for most

Tellason Ankara ($275)

Tellason has been making jeans in San Francisco since 2008—same city, same founders, same core range. In a world of constant novelty, that kind of continuity is rarer than it sounds. The Ankara is the straight-leg fit: room through the seat and thighs, straight to the hem. All fabrics come from Kaihara in Japan; everything is cut and sewn in San Francisco.

The 16.5 oz. is the one with a reputation—serious fade potential, well-documented results, no ordeal to get there. The 12.5 oz. is there if you want an easier wear; the 14.75 oz. splits the difference. But the 16.5 oz. is why Tellason is on this list.

• Complimentary chain-stitch hemming on any Tellason jeans, wherever you bought them—a genuine differentiator
• Sizing runs about 1″ larger than tagged—a size 32 measures around 33″ in the waist
• For a slimmer cut, the John Graham Mellor and Ladbroke Grove are worth a look

Read our Tellason jeans guide for more.

Fullcount 1101 ($290)

One of the original Osaka Five brands, founded in 1992 by Mikiharu Tsujita, Fullcount helped define what Japanese vintage-reproduction denim looks like. The brand has spent three decades studying vintage American jeans obsessively—and translating that study into jeans that are unusually concerned with how good they actually feel to wear.

The 13.7 oz. denim in the 1101 is unsanforized, loosely woven from Zimbabwean long-staple cotton—a choice Fullcount has made for decades because it produces a softer hand, more natural drape, and fades that build gradually. Serious vintage credentials, but without the punishment.

• Unsanforized: the raw 1101 shrinks 8–10% after first wash—size up significantly, or choose the one-washed 1101W and order your normal size
• Zimbabwe cotton is central to Fullcount’s identity—long fibres, soft hand, gradual fades
• If you want something slimmer, Fullcount also make tapered cuts

Buy Fullcount at Redcast Heritage (ES), Blue in Green (US), Cultizm (DE), Clutch Café (UK)

ONI Secret Denim ($295)

Masao Oishi was part of the first generation that built Japan’s denim industry, including an early stint at Levi’s Japan in the 1970s. When he saw an ultra-low-tension prototype woven on a Toyoda G3 loom, it looked like a demon to him. He named the brand after it.

Secret Denim began as an attempt to recreate the character of early Cone Mills denim imported into Japan. Oishi kept pushing it with unusual yarns, coloured wefts, and increasingly irregular weaving until it became unmistakably ONI.

The result is 20 oz. slubby denim that looks unhinged but wears far softer and easier than it has any right to.

• 20 oz. but softens faster than most brands’ 14 oz.—the ultra-low-tension weave is why
• Unsanforized—size up; ask Redcast Heritage for guidance before ordering
• ONI makes multiple fits and versions of the Secret Denim—talk to the retailer before committing

Samurai S510XX ($321)

Founded in Osaka in 1997, Samurai Jeans built its identity around deliberate intensity. The S710XX uses 19 oz. Kiwami denim—Kiwami means pinnacle in Japanese—woven from thick, slubby yarns into a rugged fabric that feels surprisingly soft on the inside.

Sandpaper at first, butter later. Kiwami is also known for fading quickly and dramatically, which makes the break-in feel like part of the reward rather than something to endure.

• One-washed unsanforized: most shrinkage has already been taken out—check the measurements carefully before ordering
• Regular straight with a hint of taper—if you want more room, look at Samurai’s wider fits
• Iron buttons, custom rivets, and signature selvedge details make the whole jean feel deliberately Samurai

Oni is sold at: Redcast Heritage (ES), Cultizm (DE), Franklin & Poe (US), Blue in Green (US), and Hinoya (JP)

Iron Heart 634S ($385)

No other brand is as synonymous with heavyweight denim, and the 634S is where it all began. Made from Iron Heart’s 21 oz. signature selvedge—almost double the weight of mall jeans denim—it sounds like armour. It’s not. The weft is double-spun, which gives it a bit of flex, and the jeans are one-washed and surprisingly soft from first wear.

The following Iron Heart has built is unlike any other brand here—because the brand doesn’t stop at jeans. The jackets, the flannels, the t-shirts: everything is made to the same overengineered standard. Once you understand why, wearing anything else starts to feel like a step down.

• Aim for a close fit, not a tight one—especially in 21 oz., the denim will relax and mould to your body with wear, which is how you get a perfect fit
• The 634S also comes in 14 oz. for an easier entry, and 25 oz. for those who want to go all the way
• ⚠️ Restocks sell out quickly—sign up to be notified if your size isn’t currently available

If you want to know more about Iron Heart before committing, my buying guide goes deep on weights, fits, and what to expect.

If none of the above did it for you—or you’re looking for a complete map of the selvedge landscape—my best raw denim brands guide is where to go next. For everything Japanese, the Japanese denim brands guide goes deeper still.

Why Selvedge Jeans Cost More

The price of jeans mainly comes down to two things: how they’re made and how they reach you—plus a few other factors.

Selvedge denim is woven on shuttle looms that run slower and produce less fabric than modern alternatives. That fabric then has to be cut and sewn, with the hardware, stitching, patch, and other details added along the way.

Getting those jeans from the production floor to your door is the second big cost driver. Every step in the supply chain takes a margin. A brand selling directly to you can therefore charge considerably less than one selling through distributors and retailers—even when the jeans themselves cost roughly the same to make.

Collection discipline matters too. Brands that make the same core models year after year can spread development and sampling costs over much longer runs. Constant new collections cost more.

Marketing, retail, customer service, repairs, returns, and everything else surrounding the product also have to be paid for somewhere. That’s why two pairs made from similarly expensive denim can end up with very different price tags.

I’ve seen this from both sides. I’ve spent fifteen years writing about jeans, visiting factories, talking to mills and makers, and working inside the industry. Then, in 2025, I launched Weirloom—and the theory became very real.

The post Best Selvedge Jeans for Men, From $60 to $350+ appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site