Nudie? Dead?

nudie=sergio valente circa 1984

WHo the hell is Sergio Valente? And why should anyone care if Nudies are in or not? I thought that the cut & denim quality mattered anyway, not the name.

What store do you work at? You obviously dont work at Jake, Guise or E Street Denim because those are the only 3 stores carrying Nudie in Chicago. If i had to guess you probably work at the denim lounge. I was just at Project Trade show and Nudie is no where near dead my friend, it doesn't hold the cult like status amongst the hipsters as it did last year, but that is because its to mainstream for most people you will find here. Nudie is trying to become a major player in the denim market and compete with the big guys like the 7's, citizens, and true religions, so they are opening up their distribution channels. It's also a horrible time for us Nudie fans because raw denim is the IT jean of the season, so brands like Nudie (and everyone else now making a raw) are getting a lot of press. I personally just bought a new pair of Nudies because I think there fits are classic and I love the back pockets, but a lof of people will seek out other brands (i.e. japanese denim companies). Last year you would never see a pair of Nudies let alone raw denim, but I have talked with the owner of a shop that sells nudies and they are finding they are doing really well and that a lof of people like the classic look fo raw denim. So, i guess thats your answer, Nudie might be dead around here, but we are always looking for the next big thing, we are trend setters not followers. But, you will still find a lot of nudie lovers here and at mynudies.com

I guess that is why I am not a hipster. Dropping jeans because they are "mainstream" without taking anything else in to account is beyond my comprehension.
So, what denim is in then?

they're becoming more common and losing the "uniqueness" factor. Big deal. They're still high quality jeans with great cuts.


I still pick off the back stitching though

You know, I think I agree there. I did not like the RRDS I tried on enough to keep them at the price I paid but maybe in the future I would do that.

On a side note, does anyone want to fess up to actually owning a pair of these monstrosities? You can remain anonymous by using the "I have this friend" or " a buddy of mine from work" lines. I'm not trying to rag on you (maybe a little), just curious if these jeans actually sell and who they're sold to.

This is an interestng thread, seeing that half the posts here on SF are about sizing on Nudies and whether the RRDG is cut skinnier than the RRDS. The brand has lost some of it's cachet because of it's wider distribution (I remember when Nudie had no North American distribution, and Traffic and HTC were pretty much the only places in LA carrying them (for ~$80 less than they go for now ), but I think that it will be a big player for a while, and, with some sound decisions, can keep a place in the "premium" denim market. I personally think that they are far superior to Acnes, Julian Reds, and the other Swedish brands being imported.

Why do you think they would have difficulty keeping their "premium" status?
(not beiung a smart arse, just curious).

P.s. by premium do you mean "designer/cachet" or quality?

Nudie is going to be much more popular than those other Swedish brands you named for a couple reasons, and I don't think it has much to do with quality. -Acne/JR have no backpocket stitching, and I think most average people (ie people who don't talk about fashion on the internet ) want others to know they're rocking expensive jeans. The swirl is easily recognizable, just like Diesel/7/Antik/etc. The detailing helps increase awareness of the brand. -Nudies have a larger variety of cuts than Acne/JR and appeal more to people with different body types. Acnes are great at skinny jeans, but not everyone can wear those.. especially the average N. American male. JRs are great at the slouchy "I have no ass" effect but I don't think most people would like that... it takes a certain style to pull off. Pretty much anyone can wear regular ralfs and look good. -Also Nudie's marketing is pretty great, I have to admit. They play up the whole naked/authentic denim thing perfectly. you mean pick off the stitching? Its incredibly easy, takes a seam ripper and a half hour of your time I even did it to the conny jacket I got.

Ha, I removed the Nudie stitching on both pairs I have. First, I don't think it's dead. The price point is high enough, particularly for the selvage models, to keep it out of the hands for most of the masses. Second, even if it's considered dead, I'd still wear mine because I like the fit.

i was at the pitchfork music fest over the weekend in chicago and i actually saw three pairs of nudies, a slim jim, a long john and maybe a ralf. i also saw a pair of imperials that looked great in person. i had never actually seen nudies in person but the denim was much darker than i thought.
im definately going to get a pair now.

I love my nudies. My boot cut olas are the best fitting pair of jeans I have ever owned, and I will soon buy another pair.