Denim: A dish best served raw?

It was April 2014 in Manhattan and winter had not fully loosened its grip on the city.  Nevertheless, I was happy.  I had just accepted a new job in San Francisco.  A little more money, a modest promotion and a cross country move had just tapped me on the shoulder.  As present to myself, I decided to upgrade my jeans.   

Four years ago, "stretch" was not yet ubiquitous in the men's denim market.  Don't get me wrong, I have since bought into being comfortable at all times.  But we were in the age of raw, selvedge baby.  This was the beginning of the end of denim's golden era.  

I could think of no one better than Mr. Ralph Lauren himself to help me celebrate America's denim tradition. I marched down Madison Avenue to flagship store and demanded to speak with him at once. I was escorted out by security, but not before dropping $295 on a pair of RRL Low Slim 16.25 Oz. Raw Selvedge jeans.  My favorite piece of clothing I own. 

This is how they looked on day one.  I bought them "Raw" meaning they are cut, sewn and constructed without a wash or finishing process.  You finish them by breaking them into your shape.  They were almost able to stand up by themselves.  It is incredible how something so rigid at first, feels like an extension of my body now.  Beauty is pain. 

Since April 1, 2014, I estimate that I have worn this pair of jeans 728 non consecutive days.  I have only washed them one time with extreme care.  Inside out, cold water, unscented detergent and a hang dry.  They have survived rain storms, beaches, world travel, late night pizza, a couple "time outs" in the freezer and four day surgeries at my tailor.  They have destroyed white couches. But hey, experience breeds character.  Check them out now:

You see that white tab detail on the outseam of my rolled cuff?  That is the edge of the fabric roll used to fabricate the denim - the self edge. Hence, "selvedge".   This represents heritage and quality.  Selvedge denim can only be woven on looms that went out of production in the mid 1900's.  As the popularity of denim rose in America, manufacturers needed to scale.  In turn, selvedge looms were scrapped or sold to smaller manufacturers over seas.  Lots of these looms ended up in Japan.  Bigger, faster machines became the norm in the U.S.   Not only is small batch a romantic idea, many would argue that this inherently increases the quality of the product. Selvedge jeans are thought to be sturdier as a result of the tighter weave you can achieve on these shuttle looms.

Blowing out your raw knee is equivalent to your child losing their first tooth.  Getting a little hit on the back of your knee? College Diploma.  These are typical reflections as I stroll the beach at sunset...

The ghosts of multiple iphone generations and a wallet or two.  

An up close and personal with my tailor's handy work.  Disclaimer: no one was injured in the destruction of these jeans. 

So next time a cynic asks you why you pay full price for jeans with rips, washes or tears, you can tell them you know a guy who spent 728 days in a pair of jeans just to get them to look like this. And he couldn't be more stoked about it.