All about Raw Denim Maniacs

Hi out there

I'm sure many of you are wondering what's going on with this raw denim hype, which more and more people are getting started with.

Here i'll try to explain the whole raw denim story, including a short history, how to wear and take care of raw denim, a few infos about some favorite raw denim brands and models to get best fading results and so on.


This blog will slowly grow and is also a result of the Jeansmuseum located at Zuerich, Switzerland, one of Europes largest and craziest places for really retired vintage or raw denim rags with heaviest fadings and wear signs, who deserves to survive for ever.

Since the collection started in 1973 in a little swiss mountain village there are now over 11'000 jeans and denim jackets so far from 1930 till now.




1. What's Raw Denim?

This is unwashed untreated heavy denim usually very dark dyied and stiff like cardboard (which comes from the added starch too). Real denim heads begin to talk about good raw denim if it's at least 13.5 or more ounces/sqf. Some brands have special models up to 19 ounzes or even more
many of the raw deni items are made with a selvage on the outer seam which is a sign of the old narrow shuttle looms, where the pants are made till 1981 in the USA (->Levi's Redlines). Now it's just in Japan for most japan denim stuff.

Good Raw Denim is also a little bit water repellant (cotton contains fat and because of the starch) and keeps dirt away since thousands of tiny hairs keep prevent settling the dirt into the fabric. This is important to people who care about wearing their stuff a long time without washing and are afraid of dirty jeans after a few days.

Another point of Raw Denim is, that it's untreated which means it will shrink up to 10% after the firts wash.

And finally one of the biggest issues: Most denim maniacs will never wash their raw denim items since the typical shiny look of raw denim will disappear for ever after the first wash. Another big point is at least to wait as long as possible with the first wash for over 6 or more month of constant wearing to get better fading results.


2. The story about fadings, whiskers and so on.


A good raw denim can show amazing fadings and wear patterns if treated the right way and depending on the brand/model and kind of dying.

Most people are watching their growing fadings around pockets, lap area with high whiskers around the knee, back of the knee (honeycombs), the fraying of the hem and of the front pockets, the fading and/or fraying of the back pockets from a wallet or other stuff, general fading of front are butt are when the fabrics is getting thinner and thinner and you can watch the first growing rips/tears/holes.

The hardcore denim heads which are burning down their raw denim stuff over years without any washings swear on the typical shiny and dirty look of the raw denim color which turns sometimes in a greyish or greenish color too depending on the brand.


3. Some brands/models with greatest fadings potential

Some brands models with best fading results if worn the hard way and never washed (the following list is for raw denim only, not the prewashed ones):

- APC: A L'Anglaise, New Cure, New Standard, Petit Standard,...)
- Ande Whall
- Atelier La Durance: Royal, ...
- Carhartt: Only a few models
- Cheap Monday
- Denim(e)
- Dior 19 cm
- Edwin: ED 47/ED 67 also Concrete version, all Rainbow selvage, Sen, Nashville/Greenville....
- Evis(u)
- FOB
- Flat Head
- Fullcount
- G-Star: Only a few models like Elwood Raw, US Sort, US First, US Lumber (best one)
- H&M: Only a very few models and they will turn out shit after washed one time for sure!!
- Imperial: King, Duke
- Lee Repros half and full selvaged zip (101-Z) and button flys (101-B)
- Levi's: 501, 201: Big E selvaged Repros (LVC)
- Nudies: Regular Ralf, dry Selvage, Bootcut Ola, Baggy Björn,... also some coated versions!!
- Samurai
- Studio d'Artisan
- Tiger of Sweden
- Warehouse
- Wrangler: Straight or Tilted Blue Bell Repros

And many other newer brands most from Japan and a few more from Scandinavia


4. Where to get raw denim?

- Ebay
- Context clothing online
- In Switzerland, Zuerich: VMC, Hudson Surplus, Das Haus, Kahune, Dings, ....
- Other places in Switzerland: Kitchener Bern, ...
- Near Switzerland: Weil near Basel: Germany: Outlets from G-Star, Edwin, Carhartt, Big Star
- Rakuten online, Japan
- Sometimes directly from online shops of some brands


5. What should I be aware before buying raw denim:

- Usually expensive: 100-300 $ or more
- Think about sizing if you plan to wash them hot. As hotter you wash as more they'll shrink.
- Raw denim always tends to bleed. You can get blue color on a white leather chair.
- Be prepared to explain your friends about the raw denim thing, if you plan to wear them alwayas raw
- If you want to see the aging process, start taking pictures from front and back side of your pants or denim jacket periodically from the beginning. You'll get a nice gallery of your denim project. In that case check also some more denim projects on many other forums like:
Mynudies.com, Superfuture Supertalk, Style Forum, Authentic Forum and so on


So this was just a short introduction without pics so far. Will continue later