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15 Years in a Timeline, a Guilty Confession, and Finally Creating My “New to Raw Denim” Series

“How did you start your journey with Denimhunters?” That’s not a made-up hypothetical question; someone actually asked me this recently.

If one person asks it, there are probably a thousand others who’ve wondered the same thing and never bothered. I decided it was time to finally write down the answer.

Denimhunters turns fifteen this year. And I have a big birthday coming up—one that ends with a zero (and begins with a four). It felt like a good moment to share the full story.

Fifteen years is a long time to do anything. Long enough to make plenty of mistakes, rebuild more than once, and eventually—finally—get to a place where the site is actually the thing, not the side thing.

In This Issue of the DH Weekly

This issue is about the origin story of Denimhunters—fifteen years told through a set of “why” questions, part of the New to Raw Denim series. Plus a full timeline of the site, the guilty-side-project years, and some of what led me to even start the site.

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The DH Weekly is my Friday column on raw denim and heritage menswear. If you found this through the New to Raw Denim series, this is where the conversation continues.

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Denimhunters Timeline: Fifteen Years, In Order

This issue is about the story behind the site. What follows is the full timeline, with the parts that didn’t make it into the origin story in the series.

2011 (January 30) – Denimhunters launches in Danish, because there’s nowhere in Danish for people who want to understand raw denim.

2012 – The site grows from a personal project into something bigger, with contributors and the first signs that it could become more than just me writing about jeans.

2013 – Denimhunters has a booth at Bread & Butter in Berlin—twice—literally placing the site alongside Clutch Magazine, Men’s File, and Heritage Post. On my honeymoon in the US, I get a private tour of the Levi’s archive in San Francisco with Lynn Downey.

2014 – Things get more ambitious, with partners involved and a drop-shipping webshop that never quite becomes the business I hoped it would.

2015 – The partnership ends. I keep the name and the domain, lose most of the content with traffic, and rebuild the version of Denimhunters you’re reading now.

2016 (May) – Blue Blooded is published by Gestalten, turning my early years of research, retail experience, and denim obsession into my first book.

2017 – The Denimhunters Academy launches as a paid video course. It teaches me plenty, but it doesn’t become the business I’d hoped for either.

2018 – I focus on Instagram, including the Blue Blooded Instagrammers Q&A-series.

2019 – The Denim & Boots Podcast launches in April. Bryan Szabo’s first article appears in the autumn. In the winter, the Blue Blooded Portfolio series becomes the last project that follows the site’s old logic: good stories, strong content, no obvious business plan.

2020 – I launch The Denimhunters Podcast, build my Denim Encyclopedia, and Bryan and I begin working on what becomes the Well-Made Essentials.

2021 – During COVID, I take a full-time job in another industry after practically giving up on Denimhunters ever becoming the thing I could do for a living. It results in an existential crisis, and I nearly hand over control of the site. I quit that job in April, 2022.

2022 (October) – The Rebel’s Wardrobe is published, growing out of the Well-Made Essentials work Bryan and I had been building together.

2023 – Bryan and I create and publish the Rebel’s Outfit special issue of Heritage Post, which proves more commercially successful than the book itself. I also start working on what becomes my own brand, Weirloom.

2024 – My decade-long BESTSELLER consulting work ends. Freelancing work continues, but the old safety net changes, and Denimhunters has to earn real money.

2025 – I launch Weirloom, while Denimhunters starts generating real revenue more consistently through buying guides and affiliate income.

2026 – Fifteen years in, Denimhunters is closer than ever to standing on its own.

The full story covers all of this in more depth—including the “why” behind each decision, the partnerships that went wrong, the years when the site nearly disappeared, and what any of it has to do with growing up in a part of Denmark with wide open spaces and very low ceilings.

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The Guilty Part

For the longest time, running Denimhunters felt like something I did on the side. Not in the entrepreneurial, aspirational sense—but in the feeling-super-guilty-about-it sense.

It was the thing I did when I was supposed to be doing something else. The work I’d open when I had a deadline. The tab I’d switch to when my concentration drifted. It was fun. It was also procrastination. And those two were entirely compatible.

Something shifted in 2025. The site finally started generating real money—consistently, for the first time. I’d set a goal for the year, and I beat it by way more than I expected. The revenue has found a new plateau since, and I’m still getting used to the feeling that this is now my actual work.

This year has been about doing the things I’ve been putting off. My guide to the best denim brands and the one about Japanese denim brands—I don’t think anything like it exists elsewhere. My shop guide series. And now my New to Raw Denim series, which I’ve wanted to build for years and finally did.

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Before There Was Denimhunters …

If you watched The Sopranos—maybe more than once, like me—you’ll remember A.J., Tony’s son. He never quite fits the mould; he’s restless and doesn’t know what he wants—except what he’s got isn’t it.

That was me. The other kids were into soccer and mopeds. I played guitar, skateboarded, and was drawn as much to the gear and the clothes as to actually doing either. I was shy and introverted. I blush easily—my friends called me “Red,” and it wasn’t only because of my hair.

In 2008, during my bachelor’s in Aarhus, I got a part-time job at [ei’kon]—the leading menswear store in the city, carrying A.P.C., Edwin, and even the first Indigofera collection. Per Olsen, the store manager, brought me to trade shows. Tommy Rasmussen, the owner, became a mentor—one of the first people I called when I started Weirloom.

In the summer of 2010, I graduated and moved to Copenhagen. I spent a year as a buyer and deputy manager of a Samsøe & Samsøe shop, reading From Cowboys to Catwalk in every spare moment, half-dreaming of writing something like it. It was there that I first went to Bread & Butter in Berlin—and that’s when I launched Denimhunters.

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The Full Series Is Already Live

I wrote the story about the site first. It felt like the natural beginning—the “why” before the “what.” But once I had it, I realised it couldn’t go first in the actual series.

If you’re new here, you don’t know me yet—and if you don’t know me, the story of how I got here probably doesn’t mean all that much. So the practical guides needed to go first in the series. But here, for the DH Weekly, it makes more sense to lead with the story.

For the rest of July, I’ll be publishing Weeklies about the other parts, with some context around each of them. But if you’d rather not wait, the whole series is already live.

If something in this story surprised you, or if the format doesn’t work for you, I’d love your feedback.

The post I Wrote My Story, Then Built the One Thing This Site Was Missing appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

Denimsandjeans Vietnam 2026 concluded its 8th edition successfully, bringing together the global denim value chain in Ho Chi Minh City over two days. The event continued to strengthen Vietnam’s
position as one of Asia’s most dynamic denim sourcing and manufacturing hubs. At the same
time, it offered focused discussions on innovation, sustainability, design,and the evolving opportunities
shaping the future of the denim industry in Southeast Asia.

OPENING CEREMONY

The event opened on June 24, 2026, with an Opening Ceremony. Mr. Vu Duc Giang, Chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), shared insights on Vietnam’s growing potential within the global textile and apparel industry. This was followed by remarks from Dr. Dang Vu Hung, Chairman & CEO of PPJ Group, highlighting the role of Vietnamese industry leadership in shaping the future of denim manufacturing in Southeast Asia.

Visitor Profiles

The show welcomed more than 750 visitors across both days, with strong international representation.
Visitors included sourcing teams, designers, and decision-makers from Japan, Korea, China, Cambodia,
Sri Lanka, India, Hong Kong, America, and across Southeast Asia. Key international brands and companies in attendance included Gap, Levi’s, Calvin Klein, Muji, Edwin, ITOCHU, Terra Korea, L-World Korea, Crystal HK, Walmart, Saitex and many others. It also included major Vietnamese industry players such as Phong Phu, MGF, Vinatex, Nien Hsing Garment, Nha Be Garment, Thuan Hai Jeans, Marvel Cambodia. Alongside this, prominent Vietnamese local brands including V Sixtyfour, Yame, Routine, Blue Exchange, Ninomaxx, and many others were also present.

Trend Area

The Trend Area offered a curated lens on where denim is headed. Anachronistic Roots merged classic western workwear with East Asian heritage through dense rigid denim in herringbone and indigo plaids.
Bio-Tech Futurism showcased lightweight, bio-based stretch fabrics that look premium but are rooted in clean, circular manufacturing. Earth-Bound Pigments explored natural dyes & plant based blends of hemp, organic cotton , recycled fibers.Smart Utility & Tech Denim responded to Southeast Asia’s climate realities with moisture-managing, temperature-regulating fabrics. Cyber-Athleisure & Digital Aesthetics captured the screen-to-street sensibility through metallic and 3D jacquard denim that looks industrial but wears as softly as activewear.

Denim Bazaar

The Denim Bazaar was created as a platform for local artisans, small businesses, and emerging creators to showcase and promote their brands. Unlike the main exhibition area, the Bazaar (B2C space) focused on independent labels, handcrafted products, upcycled denim creations, accessories, and
small-scale collections. It gave visitors an opportunity to discover unique denim products while allowing local creators to connect directly with potential customers and industry professionals.
The idea was to support local talent and provide a space where smaller brands could gain visibility as part of the larger denim community.

Workshops

Workshops played a key role in engaging designers, students, and industry professionals through hands-on learning and experimentation. Renewjeans Workshop included denim painting and
customization workshop where visitors painted and customized denim tote bags, wallets, and canvas
artworks. Fabric for the workshop was sponsored by Viet Hong Denim. HMS Stone Workshop conducted a hands-on session where participants used HMS Designer Pens and stone wash inspired tools to customize denim products and experiment with surface design. Bottle Holders were
sponsored by Tuong Long Vietnam and Denim Bags were sponsored by Advance Denim.

Panel Discussions & Talks

AI In Denim: Opportunities, Applications And The Future Of Product Development

The discussion featured Jason Fernandez (Director Global Sourcing , Development , VF Corporation) and Michael Lam (Director, Advance Denim). It was moderated by Janet Lui (Senior Manager , Design &
Product Development – Denim Division , Crystal Intl. Group Ltd). The discussion addressed the opportunities and applications of Artificial Intelligence in denim, including its impact on product development and the future of design innovation.

Vietnam’s Denim Evolution: Local To Global

The discussion featured Khiêm Nguyễn Ngọc Duy (YAME) and Romeo M. Ordas (Viet Hong Textile
Dyeing JSC). It was moderated by Ana Paula Alves de Oliveira, Strategic Director at Be Disobedient.
The discussion explored Vietnam’s denim evolution, tracing its journey from local manufacturing roots to its expanding presence in the global denim supply chain.

When Creativity Meets Algorithms: The New Era of Generative Design & Product Development

The program included a presentation by Janet Lui, (Senior Manager, Design & Product Development
Denim Division at Crystal International Group Limited, HK). Titled “When Creativity Meets Algorithms: The New Era of Generative Design and Product Development,” the session outlined how AI and generative tools are reshaping design workflows, product development cycles, and creative possibilities within the denim industry.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site

A Rewritten Fit Guide, and a Ton of Restocks

Summer’s here, the kids are out of school, I’m at Roskilde Festival this week, and after that, I’ve just got one week left at the desk before this year’s summer holiday.

I’ll be out of the office from July 10 through August 2—physically and mentally. That’s three issues’ worth of the DH Weekly, and while I could’ve paused it, I’ve been building real momentum this year, and I don’t want to lose it. (Plus, a few of you told me you actually look forward to these, and I don’t want to let you down 🥹)

At the same time, I’ve promised myself—and my wife—that I won’t be working (too much) while we’re away. So no weekly issues from the road. I also realise that most of you will probably be taking some time off this month too. And the last thing you want to come back to after a good holiday is an inbox full of “news” emails from me.

All of that made me realise that this is the perfect opportunity to do something I’ve wanted to do for years: create a proper “start here” series for anyone who’s new to raw denim and to Denimhunters.

It’s a big job—just like the shop guide series I published a few weeks back—but it’s the kind of thing that can roll out over several weeks, something you can take your time with once you’re back at your desk … and it has “long-tail” written all over it.

Working on it, I went back to one of the site’s oldest guides—a true cornerstone. And found a foundational crack in it. Now fixed, it’s this week’s lead story.

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Want This in Your Inbox Every Friday?

The DH Weekly is my column and newsletter on what’s happening in raw denim and heritage menswear: new stories, product picks, restocks, sales, and the odd bit of denim history. Sign up below and never miss an issue.

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I Found a Critical Flaw in My Fit Guide

Finding jeans that actually fit should be easier than it is. The problem isn’t just inconsistent sizing—it’s that most fit advice, including my own, sometimes gets it all wrong.

Going back into my fit guide while building that new series, I found a mistake. The original guide treated fit and leg shape as one thing. A “slim straight” or a “tapered” fit was listed as a single factor—when in reality, those are two completely separate factors.

The rewrite separates them properly.

• Fit category (slim, regular, or loose) is about how close the cut is designed to sit to your leg.
• Leg shape (straight, tapered, or flared) is about what the leg does from the knee down.

They work on different axes entirely, which is exactly why the same pair can be described so differently from one brand to the next.

Rise is the third factor, now with a proper explanation of the yoke—the V-shaped back panel that’s the actual construction mechanism determining how the rise sits and curves on your body.

And fabric is what I call “the hidden” fourth factor: it doesn’t change the silhouette, but it changes how any given silhouette actually feels to wear.

If you’ve ever bought a pair that looked right and felt wrong, an issue with one or more of those four things is usually why.

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10 Months in, and the Finish Line in Sight

The tenth monthly submission for the Indigo Invitational is due July 7th. I’m competing in a pair of WL-001 ‘Second Edition’ jeans—though I’m not really in the race, since I’ll be helping with the judging again this year.

I launched Weirloom in April last year and—while I wore prototypes before that, and a pair of the ‘First Editions’ for a few months—this is the longest I’ve worn a pair of my own jeans.

So ten months in, and we’re now in the final stretch. Bryan put the last mile right in the middle of summer—a little cruel, maybe, but also smart. The heat speeds up the process, which means the fades are moving faster.

The pocket bags on my jeans are holding up exceptionally well. Usually, this is the first thing to go on other jeans I’ve worn, and there’s no sign of that here. The denim fades easily and all over, giving the jeans a nice vintage-fade look, and the slubs are really coming through.

If you’re also in the competition too, remember to submit your fades before July 7th.

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Things Worth Your Attention

My inbox has been overflowing with drops and restocks since the last issue. Here’s what I think’s worth your attention right now.

Franklin & Poe Restocks PBJ, Big John and Freenote

Pure Blue Japan’s flagship XX fabric is back, alongside a new one for the brand: Teacore, woven from black-dyed threads over a brown core that fades into a black-and-brown tapestry.

Big John brings back the 16 oz. Wild Duck wide leg plus two new pairs, including the dense 17 oz. M1803. And Freenote Cloth has a new Kaihara fabric, the 50s, with a broken-in hand straight off the bolt.

F&P also got some new Indigofera in. The wide-leg, high-rise Dukes are back in 14.5 oz. Gunpowder denim, known for its fade potential, and the Wendell—their riff on the double-knee work pant—now in a new 14 oz. black denim with a thick, substantial hand.

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Brooklyn Clothing’s Big Summer Delivery

Calgary’s denim destination also got the Pure Blue Japan XX restock—in both the 019 Relaxed Taper and 005 Straight, after a two-year wait—alongside chino trousers and heavyweight jersey tops.

Buzz Rickson’s brings loopwheeled slub henleys and herringbone work shirts on vintage military patterns. From The Flat Head, they got a new 5 oz. selvedge chambray work shirt, plus a restock of the 18 oz. selvedge denim. And Wonder Looper has a hand-dyed crewneck using Amami’s mud-dyeing process.

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Redcast Got Some Flat Head, John Lofgren, and Deluxeware

This week, Redcast got back the 10 oz. indigo wabash western (including sizes 46 and 48), the 14.5 oz. Type II jacket, the 10 oz. denim work shirt, and the 12.5 oz. wide tapered jeans in black. Also back: the horsehide Single Rider’s jacket, built to mould to the body over time, and just f#cking gorgeous.

On the accessories side, John Lofgren’s Leather Care Kit is restocked—brushes, creams, cleaner, and a Paulownia wood box from Toyama. The leather cleaner is available separately too, along with their heritage-stripe socks in two-packs.

And if you’re after a loopwheel tee, Deluxeware’s DXTS-00 is the top of their lineup—12.5 oz., knitted seamless, sewn on a customised vintage Union Special. They run small, so size up from your usual size.

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Iron Heart’s Loopwheel Tees Are Back, With a Story

The heavyweight champs just dropped a big range of loopwheeled T-shirts, including the long-awaited IHT-1610L.

What I like here isn’t just the restock. Iron Heart is based in Japan, with direct access to the factories that produce their loopwheeled tees—and they’ve written up how the fabric is made and why it behaves the way it does. Worth a read.

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KATO’s Pail Fit Guide, on Four Different Builds

Their loose straight, high-rise cut, built around something most fit guides skip entirely: the same pair, shown on four different guys at four different heights, front and back.

It’s a good illustration of exactly what I mean in this week’s lead story—the same fit reads differently depending on who’s wearing it.

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Tellason: Item of the Week and a 4th of July Sale

Plaid and chambray, straight from their San Francisco factory, 20% off until there’s a new pick of the week tomorrow.

Tellason are running a 4th of July sale too—20% off everything on site through end of day July 4th. Last chance if you’re reading this in time.

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Gustin’s Indigo Acid: Not What You Think

Gustin’s latest is a 10.5 oz. crosshatch denim with a deep indigo warp and a strongly tinted yellow weft—the crosshatch grain lets that yellow show through, giving the denim a subtle acid-yellow tint.

Nothing to do with acid wash; the name comes from the colour effect. Available in the 5 Pocket and Workshirt.

Gustin are running an Independence Day stock sale too—up to 50% off, through July 4th.

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From the Archive: Raw Denim Brands

Once you’ve got fit figured out, the next question is usually: which brands are actually worth looking at?

The Best Raw Denim Brands guide covers more than 50 makers—Japanese selvedge specialists, American independents, European labels—with enough context on each to help you figure out where to start.

The post My Fit Guide Finally Helps You Find Jeans That Actually Fit appeared first on Denimhunters.

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.

Also: Tellason’s Answer to Heat Isn’t Lighter Jeans

I’ve been running the DH weekly as a column slash newsletter since New Year’s. This is the 25th issue, and it goes out on the day I also earned my 25th-visit-cup at my new gym. Coincidence? Totally. Relevant? Not really.

Before I get into this week’s topics, I have a quick Weirloom update: I’ve finally shipped my first shirt! The WL-S ‘First Edition’ is a 12 oz. one-washed indigo flannel. The first batch is sold out, but more will drop after summer.

This week, I visited Berlin for the Union trade show with the Brund team, where I got to say hi to a few legendary names: Haraki-san, Nogami-san, and Hayashi-san (founder of Denime and Resolute).

Besides that, I’ve been counting down the days I’ve got left at my desk before our summer holiday kicks in, and there aren’t many left. Loose ends to wrap up, Roskilde Festival from Wednesday, then a 4-day sprint week before I’m outta here. This weekend, I’m even covering at Brund while the crew’s at Copenhell.

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Want This in Your Inbox Every Friday?

The DH Weekly is my column and newsletter on everything happening in raw denim and heritage menswear: new stories, product picks, restocks, sales, and the odd bit of denim history. Sign up below and never miss an issue.

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You Look for “Loopwheeled,” But What Else?

It feels like every week brings another restock, another collab, another “best tee” claim. Whitesville and UES this week alone prove the point, further down in this issue.

But most of what gets written about quality T-shirts, including on this site, tells you which one to buy. Useful, but it doesn’t necessarily help you when you’re standing in front of a tee nobody’s reviewed.

We’ve already got a well-made essentials T-shirt guide, a guide with hands-on reviews of the tees Bryan’s actually worn, and my own deep dive into loopwheeled tees. So do we really need another guide?

Yes. Because none of those teach you how to spot quality. This new guide does exactly that: you’ll learn about the physical signs to look for, no brand required, so you can visit any shop and know exactly what you’re about to buy.

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What to Wear When Jeans Feel Like Too Much

I haven’t worn chinos in at least fifteen years. A pair of Tellason’s fatigue shorts is about as close as I get these days. Not because I have anything against chinos, I’m just not skipping fade days.

I wore plenty of oversized Dickies as a teenager, back when I was skateboarding and pretending to be Tom DeLonge. I ordered them straight from the US to save money, and honestly, just for the thrill of it—guess I’ve been hunting for pants all my life.

Tellason is a jeans brand, but they’re not limiting themselves to that. They’ve already got two chinos, cut and sewn in San Francisco from Japanese twill. 

And they’ve been widening the horizons for a while, starting with the Fredy jeans—now worn even by co-founder Pete Searson, who Tony Patella describes as a “skinny bloke.”

The wide-leg chino picks up where Fredy left off, adding a roomier chino option, only this one’s not made the same way.

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Things Worth Your Attention

Recycled silver, a denim restock with a twist, two loopwheeled tees, and a few sales worth a look.

Is Secondhand Silver the Solution?

I’ve been wearing a Good Art necklace for a couple of years, and I’d like some more—if only they weren’t so darn expensive! So when Franklin & Poe announced a new jewellery brand, I paid attention.

O.P. Jewellery is based in Stockholm and was founded in 2014. Every piece is handcrafted in Bangkok from recycled sterling silver. That last part is worth dwelling on, because it’s increasingly the norm rather than the exception.

I did some research (thanks, Claude): Silver has had one of its strongest runs in decades, breaking $100 an ounce earlier this year. Supply can’t really respond to that, because (as I just learned) most silver comes as a byproduct of mining other metals. Recycled silver is the supply that really moves, and recycling is now at its highest level in over a decade.

None of that makes O.P.’s silver special on its own. But just take one look at it and tell me it’s not pretty!

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The 634S Restocks, This Time Overdyed

Following the 21 oz. signature selvedge that landed a few weeks back, Iron Heart has another restock of their straight leg 21 oz. 634, this time in the overdyed black version. 

Overdyeing means they take a fully sewn pair and steep the whole thing in black dye. It colours the indigo without removing it, and gets rid of any residual shrinkage in the process. It’s not quite black, no longer indigo, somewhere in between. Over time, both dyes fade with wear and wash, leaving blue-grey hues behind.

One change worth flagging: this batch is made with a “direct dye” process rather than the sulphur dye used previously, for environmental reasons. The only visible difference is that the brass hardware won’t oxidise the way it used to. The fading on the denim itself should carry on as expected.

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Whitesville’s Two-Pack Trick Is Back

Whitesville’s “Quali-T” was one of the two loopwheeled tees worn by Jeremy Allen White in The Bear, alongside the Merz 215.

The brand was originally American, but revived by Toyo Enterprises—the company behind Sugar Cane and Buzz Rickson’s—as a budget-friendly loopwheel classic, made in Japan and sold in two-packs.

Incredibly, I haven’t tried these myself yet—I really have to—but Bryan’s a pack in grey, and gave it the “Best Bargain” badge when he reviewed it. It’s a solid build with real vintage appeal, and at this price, it’s about the easiest entry into loopwheel tees you’ll find.

Worth knowing before you order: it runs small, so size up, and expect some shrinkage in both length and width after the first wash.

Blue in Green just restocked these, but they’re also available at Redcast Heritage. 

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More Slub, More Nep, More Everything

If Whitesville is the easy entry point, UES’s No. 8 Slub is where you end up once you want more texture.

It’s a heavyweight loopwheeled tee made from 9.5 oz. slubby cotton, one-washed, with a thick ribbed collar and the kind of nep texture that’s hard to miss even in a photo.

I haven’t worn the No. 8 yet either (it’s on my to-get list), and it’s one of the few tees that still stops me mid-scroll. Bold without tipping into crazy territory, with the build quality to back it up.

Sizing runs small here too, even more than Whitesville: go up two sizes from your usual Western size.

You can pick up one at Redcast Heritage, Brooklyn Clothing Co., Iron Shop Provisions or Blue Beach Denim.

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Sale Season Is Still Just Getting Started

More brands and retailers are starting to announce their summer sales, and I expect a lot more of that over the coming weeks. If you want a head start, my sales page has everything I’ve found so far, organised by retailer and brand.

Right now, SOSO Brothers is giving members early access to the sitewide summer sale with 15% off the full range. It’s free to become a member, so there’s really no reason not to. A few fabrics are being cleared out for good this round, including one of the flannel colourways.

Create your SOSO account here →

Cultizm’s summer sale is still running, and it’s just gotten even more interesting. Last week, it was the sale itself plus a separate 20% off full-price code. This week, there’s an extra 15% off sale items on top, with the code SALE at checkout.

Shop the Cultizm sale →

And KATO’s sale, announced last week, is also still going strong.

Shop the KATO sale →

More to come as they land, so keep an eye on this space.

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From the Archive: 8 Tees, Tested

The new T-shirt guide tells you what to look for. The Basics Shootout shows what that looks like in practice.

It was our second tee guide, and the one that convinced me to go all in and create the loopwheeled guide. Bryan reviews eight tees that’s worn, washed, and judged on their own merits, no assumptions, no free passes.

The post What Really Separates a Well-Made Tee From an Ordinary One appeared first on Denimhunters.

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.

Loopwheeled, Single-Stitch, Flat-Locks, and Other Signs of a Quality T-Shirt to Know

Seasoned vintage pickers, especially those who specialise in tees, don’t have to look at the tag or even at what’s printed on the tee to know the difference between trash and treasure.

When it comes to a quality T-shirt, there are certain hallmarks of quality, almost all of them sewing techniques that were all but entirely abandoned in the ’80s and ’90s as once-respected brands moved away from quality and towards speed and volume.

Each of the tees we’ll recommend below has at least some of the details that vintage hounds look for—all signs that they’ve been made slowly and purposefully, just the way they used to be.

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What to Look for in Quality Tees

Vintage sewing and knitting machines—Singers, loopwheelers, Union Specials—left traces on the garments they produced, traces that seasoned vintage pickers can read like a book.

Heritage menswear enthusiasts look for these same signs when assessing the quality of modern-day well-made basics.

Some of these signs are difficult to spot. Others jump out at you when you know what to look for and where. Virtually every fibre and every stitch tells a story about the tee—who produced it, where, when, and why.

We’ve assembled a list of eight hallmarks of quality. For each of them, we’ll tell you what you should look for and provide you with links to three contemporary brands that wear this mark of quality as a badge of honour.

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Quality Sign #1: Loopwheeled

It’s no surprise that we’ve placed loopwheeled at the top of this list. We’ve been recommending loopwheeled tees for years, often likening loopwheeled basics to selvedge denim (both are produced on older and slower machines, and both are generally of higher quality than the alternative). 

Loopwheel machines knit in the round, meaning that they produce a tube rather than a sheet of fabric. They rely on gentle gravity rather than firm mechanical tension to tighten the knit, which leads to an unbroken circle of soft, textured, and easy-breathing cotton. 

The easiest way to tell if a tee is loopwheeled is checking the sides of the body. If the shirt has side seams, it’s highly unlikely that it’s loopwheeled. The only exception we’ve encountered is Utilitees, who use loopwheelers to make fabric for very large sizes (2XL to 4XL) that is cut and then assembled into large-bodied tees.

If the shirt doesn’t have side seams, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s loopwheeled. It may have been produced on modern tubular knitting machines. Telling the difference between loopwheeled and tubular knit tees means getting up close and personal with the fabric. 

Tees produced on loopwheelers usually have more of a hand-knitted feel than those produced on modern circular knitting machines, with more slight imperfections that lend character to the fabric. They feel loftier and, especially in lighter weights, drape beautifully. 

Loopwheeled tees are almost always proudly advertised as such. If there are no side seams but no mention of loopwheelers, it’s probably knit on modern machines. If it hasn’t been made in either Germany or Japan (home to the world’s only operational loopwheelers), it’s not loopwheeled.

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Quality Sign #2: Single-Stitch

“Single-stitch” has become a byword for quality pieces among vintage pickers, largely because it’s a reliable sign that the shirt is bona fide vintage. The stitch, with its recognisable single row of vertical stitches appearing on the outside of the cuffs and the bottom hem, largely disappeared from mass-produced tees in the mid-nineties.

Funny enough, the movement to the double stitch was likely an attempt to improve tee shirt quality, but, at the same time, manufacturers were becoming increasingly sloppy with cotton sourcing and manufacturing. 

Like many of the other features we’ll discuss below, the single stitch doesn’t appear in isolation. When it’s there, it’s a sign that we can likely expect more from that tee in terms of cotton quality and careful construction.

On its own, the single stitch is not a guarantor of T-shirt quality. For vintage pickers, it’s a way to quickly assess a garment’s age (with older tees being more valuable and usually better-made). For well-made tee hunters, it’s a good sign that the brand is looking to the past for inspiration.

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Quality Sign #3: Heavyweight Jersey Fabric

For many selvedge enthusiasts, weight and quality are virtually synonymous. Many of us have been drawn into the world of selvedge denim by heavy pairs that look, feel, and fade like nothing else.

We soon begin to apply this same criteria to other pieces. Brands have recognised this, resulting in a kind of arms race to see who can produce the heaviest quality tees.

This is one of the easiest things to assess when handing a tee. Pick it up, rub the fabric between your fingers, put it on—it should be immediately obvious that you’re holding something heavier than average. 

If you want a precise weight, retailers and brands will often include the fabric weight in the description. Anything north of 7 oz. is entering into heavyweight territory. Weight occasionally appears in grams per square metre (gsm). Heavyweight tees will be around 250 gsm or more.

Since heavyweight jersey fabric is stiffer than conventional jersey fabric, be extremely careful with sizing. Heavy tees that are either too small or too big stand out in ways that won’t do you any favours. Read the measurement charts carefully.

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Quality Sign #4: Mounted/Bound Collar 

Like the single stitch, the bound neck is a reliable indicator for vintage pickers that they’re looking at something produced before the mid-nineties. A more labour-intensive process, the once-standard bound neck gave way to simpler, inset collars.

The inset collar or neckband is made by folding a piece of fabric (often ribbed) and sewing it to the inside of the neckline. The collar appears to sit flush with the body of the shirt. 

A bound or mounted neck is made by folding a piece of fabric around the raw edge around the collar. On both the inside and the outside or the tee, there is a much stronger boundary line separating the body of the tee from its collar.

If you want to avoid that wavy “bacon neck” that you commonly see in tees with inset collars that have been stretched out too many times, the bound collar is significantly less prone to warping and stretching than collar bands.

This strength and durability is a double-edged sword. Since the neck doesn’t stretch much, you might experience some minor discomfort when putting it on or taking it off (I wear glasses, and I have to remember to remove them before pulling some of my sturdier bound-neck tees off).

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Quality Sign #5: Flat-Locked Seams

An important detail when considering non-loopwheeled tees, flat-locked seams sit flush with the fabric—the next best thing to the seamless construction. Especially if you prefer slim-fitting tees, flat-locked seams can make a big difference in terms of comfort.

Typically, the front and the back of the tee are stitched together with an overlock seam along each edge and then turned inside out, leaving some seam allowance remaining on the inside of the garment.

Flat-locked seams join the two edges of the fabric without this extra allowance. Seams are more prominent on the outside of the garment, but, crucially, they are flatter (this is especially important for skin-tight activewear or underwear, but also for premium basics).

It’s a detail that even premium tee makers often skip, but it’s one that really stands out when you start inspecting tees on both sides. It’s not a mark of inferior quality to find an overlocked stitch on the inside of the garment, but flat-locked seams are definitely a sign that a tee has been made carefully and purposefully. 

Like the bound collar, flat-locked seams are less prone to warping as the tee ages. If the side seams are overlocked, you might get that rippling effect that subtly affects how the shirt drapes around your body.

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Quality Sign #6: Carefully Sourced Cotton

The well-made tees we recommend are almost always 100% cotton (almost always ring-spun). There are exceptions, but if the fabric is blended, it’s always some mixture of natural fibres (often either linen or hemp). 50/50 poly/cotton blends might be prized by vintage pickers, but they don’t get any love from us.

100% cotton is a relatively low bar to clear, though. The source of the cotton and staple length (longer is better for tees) are important. Some of the best basics brands search high and low for what they feel are the best strains of cotton on the planet, and they tend to advertise this.  

A good rule of thumb: if the brands tell you exactly where they’ve sourced their cotton from, this is a good sign. It almost always means they cater to customers who care about not just how their tees are made but what they’re made from.

If they say nothing of substance about how they source their cotton, I take this as a red flag. If I cannot find any information about their cotton sourcing online, there may be ethical or environmental issues somewhere in their supply chain. 

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Quality Sign #7: Artisanal Dyeing

We may have a mile-wide soft spot for white tees, but a splash of colour (especially when that colour is indigo) is just as essential when we’re building a collection of well-made basics. 

What makes a coloured tee really jump out at us is when the colour has been applied in ways that lend character to the garment. Bright and solid-coloured tees are relatively easy to produce, but colour that seems to dance on the surface of the garment is another matter entirely.

Artisanal dyeing (usually either yarn or garment dyed) is a slow and methodical process. The colour evolves with each application, and it is meant to keep evolving as the garment ages. Like well-made selvedge jeans, faded garments are treasured by those who have invested the time in them.

Almost always, when the tee has been dyed by artisans, the tee itself is of extremely high quality. Though we pay a high premium for the combination of a well-made tee and artisanal dyeing, the investment pays off in spades when the tee begins to fade and reveal its deepest true colours. 

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Quality Sign #8: Close-to-Home Manufacturing

There’s no guarantee that tees manufactured in more expensive labour markets like the United States, Japan, and Europe are substantially better than those produced elsewhere. Still, like so many of the other hallmarks of quality, it’s a sign that the brand is willing to invest in their products.

Even when shipping costs are factored in, brands in North America, Japan, or Europe pay a hefty premium to manufacture their garments close to home. They do this, not only to support local industry, but also to oversee manufacturing and quality control in a more direct way. 

Of course, this premium is passed on to the consumer, but heritage menswear enthusiasts are happy to support brands that do their manufacturing either in house or in factories close to their headquarters because it suggests something about that brand’s values.

If you care about brand values as much as we do (i.e., a lot), treat the place of manufacture as a starting point. If it’s been made close to home and there are other hallmarks of quality, you’ve got a winner on your hands.  

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Well-Made from Top to Bottom

No single tee hits all eight signs, and it doesn’t need to—a loopwheeled tee from a small Japanese mill and a heavyweight, close-to-home-made tee from Dehen are both well-made, just making different bets on what matters most.

If you’re starting from scratch, our loopwheeled picks are the easiest place to begin. See our favourite loopwheeled tees →

Once you’ve got the tee sorted, pair it with a great pair of selvedge jeans. Start the hunt with our Selvedge Masterlist →

The post How to Spot a Well-Made Tee: The 8 Hallmarks of Quality appeared first on Denimhunters.

DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site