I’m due for new jeans and am exploring the world of raw denim for the first time. Does anyone have any favorite brands I should check out, or general advice?
I picked up a used pair of Gustin 1968 slim jeans as a first experiment. I really want to love them, but the front rise is too low for me and they are serious ball crushers when I sit down. They’ll be headed back to eBay from whence they came.
I’m thinking of trying 501 shrink-to-fit next, mostly because my local farm supply store has them so I can try them on before I buy.
I wear Gustin’s, but I get your problem with the low rise. If you’ve still got them check if they’re slim, skinny, or straight fit. The straight fit is still kind of low, but the slim is really low (I have not tried on their skinny fit). They also vary a bit on each model. I’ve sent back a couple that had the same measurements but simply didn’t fit right.
My pair is slim, and they’re about as slim as I could comfortably fit. Looking at Gustin’s fit guide, I can’t imagine squeezing into the skinny fit. The straight fit looks interesting and I might come back to it someday.
I picked up a pair of 501 shrink-to-fit and I’m loving them so far. The Gustin jeans definitely have nicer fabric, but I’m liking the higher rise and the pockets are deep enough to comfortably fit my phone when I sit.
The 501 STF are good cheap options, and trying them on before you buy is a good idea, but expect the size to change as you wear them and stretch them out, and again when you wash them the first time they’ll shrink a bit. Check online for people who report how the fit changes over time for whichever jeans you end up with.
If you want a higher rise, i would stay away from Naked and Famous, but plenty of other good brands have fits with a higher rise. I’m partial to Rogue Territory and Threesixteen myself, but they both are on the more premium end of the domestic denim spectrum. A step up from there would be Japanese brands like Samurai or Oni. I’ve had good luck with Brave Star as a more affordable option, but idk what they have in a high rise fit, and you often have to pre-order from them.
I used to enjoy APC before their price got ridiculous. Now I wear Naked and Famous, and they’re perfect.
Since about 4 years i have a jacket from full count co. But they are fucking expansive, any way i hope it will hold up for many years to come. An other japanese brand where i got a pair of pants is iron heart, tho i got the Wabasha fabric so i dont know how there denim holdes up. the quality is amasing nonetheless.
