• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

How many of you still wear raw denim?

lemmywinks

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
1,442
Reaction score
96
I imagine I'm not the first person whose first venture into buying more expensive clothes online was in raw denim.

Found out about superfuture, bought a pair of Samurais, and kind of made my way here.

Used to wear raws every single day and couldn't imagine wearing anything else... I was also in high school so it was easy to just wear blue jeans every day.

Now my skulls are comfortably retired and I haven't worn them in a while.

Last pair of raw denim I bought was the APC Kanye, but the fit is kind of awkward so they just sit in my closet.

If I'm wearing jeans now I usually just wear cheap Uniqlo stretch jeans... They fit well, I don't have to bother with sizing, they're much more comfortable than raws no matter what anyone says, and they're ******* cheap.

Been looking at trying to get some Acnes or SLP if I can try them on in person.

Funny how I thought I would be wearing raw denim for the rest of my life, but as I graduate college and realize I will have more disposable income to spend on clothes, I don't see myself spending money on a pair of $300 raws ever again. Maybe one pair at most, but I'd probably enjoy some Diors or Acnes more.
 

MickeyPunch

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 6, 2012
Messages
1,594
Reaction score
1,066
I'm just on my second pair of raw denim. But it might be the last.

Raw denim is uncomfortable, leaves stains everywhere, you have to wear the same pair of jeans pretty much everyday if you want fades in a reasonable amount of time... And I can't avoid thinking it's antihygienic wearing the same thing for months without washing.

If I ever buy raw denim again what I know for sure is that I won't be spending a lot, since my 21oz Unbrandeds are pretty great (I just wish they were more tapered). My first pair was PRPS, by the way, and much more expensive.
 
Last edited:

mr. burns

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2008
Messages
442
Reaction score
140
It's all about what you want your personal style to be. I definitely don't think there's any need to 'graduate' from denim as some sort of right of passage in life or something, but if you want to start to get into some high end fashion go for it. If you have a good job in the Silicon Valley, where I am, you can wear whatever you want to work so there's tons of room to express your personal style.

Work shirts, denim and boots are pretty much what I have always gravitated towards and I don't see that changing. My dad had a blue collar job and I worked with him when growing up, so that aesthetic has kind of become who I am and I can only see myself adding more of those things to my wardrobe. With more disposable income I can afford more things from brands of higher quality like Iron heart and White's/Nicks and in my line of work I need that kind of tough clothing.
 
Last edited:

TheObserver

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2013
Messages
571
Reaction score
205
I have never had blue collar jobs but I like workwear-ish and raw denim. Comfortable and feel like they can take a beating. In fact, I'm not so fond of trousers and OCBDs during day job.
 
Last edited:

bossynova

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Messages
17
Reaction score
7
I've bought a lot of raw denim over the last few years, and love the aesthetic, but I secretly hated buying and wearing it. The size always changed and it was impossible to predict how it would fit after a year of wear and a couple of washes. Dollar for dollar, I was never satisfied with it the way I am with shoes or outerwear, which is why I've owned so many pairs. I ultimately succumbed to cheap Gap jeans and 511s and haven't looked back.
 

gaseousclay

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
1,256
Reaction score
237
I wear uniqlo selvedge jeans as my daily beaters. They're cheap and since I have a 2 yo I don't freak out when things get messy. I still like raw denim though but not @ $300. The most I've spent was $200 and I don't see that happening too often
 

1989thenumber

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2014
Messages
218
Reaction score
24
One of the things I like about raw denim is how you grow into them and they become unique. But I also like some of the raw denim brands because it feels like an antidote to the fast fashion of Uniqlo or H&M and so on, the cheapness of which makes it feel so disposable and a bit crap. Not to mention how the kids who work in the factories that make all that cheap **** are treated.

I get why Uniqlo is so popular - they're cheap and cheerful and follow trends. But I think if you're serious about your clothes and find your disposable income increasing over time, surely it's inevitable that you would want to start to search out clothing of better provenance and quality. Whether it's denim or anything else.

All that aside, I could never regard "stretch jeans" – cheap or not – as acceptable.
 

goldenbear

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2012
Messages
402
Reaction score
53
I could never afford $300 jeans when I was in high school. I really don't know how all these high school and college kids are buying premium clothes. Rich parents? Waiting tables? I didn't graduate from raw denim, I graduated to it, when I finally had a full time job for several years. I currently own two pairs of raw denim: 1 pair of Samurais and 1 pair of RT jeans. I have no use for an everyday pair of beater jeans. I have to wear pants to work. 2 pairs of jeans is more than enough and could last me for years unless I decide to buy more.
 

typericey

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
61
Reaction score
29
Yes, almost all my jeans are raw but not because I wanted to work on "sick fadezz." I wash them when necessary.

I prefer raw only because I find pre-faded jeans too contrived, especially the whiskering and honeycombs.

But truth be told I'm starting to get tired of my raws, especially the Selvedge ones, being hot, stiff and inky (staining everything). So I'm hating on its lack of practicality, not its aesthetics.

In a sort of rebellious move I recently bought 7FAM Luxe Performance (yeah, I know) because I needed lightweight and light colored denim for summer. Coming from raw Selvedge these were helluva comfy and I think fades/whiskering were tastefully done so it's all good. :)
 
Last edited:

Raindrop

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2012
Messages
1,164
Reaction score
505
Got past the hype.

Soft washed denim so comfy and flexible.
 

goldenbear

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2012
Messages
402
Reaction score
53
To me soft jeans aren't even jeans. I own a pair of A&G and while they still look fantastic (possibly better than my raw denim), I can't help but feel like I'm wearing cotton trousers in a denim wash.
 

red81

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Messages
333
Reaction score
28
I do, buy around construction sites all day, so denim seems most practical. Might switch to chinos here and there if it gets too hot, but raw works for me.

Only buy cheaper stuff like undbranded, nf, and even gap. Will give uniqlo a try, price seems right.
 
Last edited:

Numbernine

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
11,898
Reaction score
16,154
Worn them all my life .Always will. There was a time when raw 501's were the only jeans there were . Oh there were some cowboy jeans but cowboys wore those.You worked in them till they were soft and faded then they became "dress" jeans . Same thing now just lots more choices. That and penny's doesn't have them on sale for $5 anymore
 

billsayers

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
387
Reaction score
47
I bought into raw denim seven years ago and never looked back. Previously bought and wore jeans that were on trend at the time and I regret the money wasted on them.
Raw denim takes time and effort to break in and that is what I like about. I guess the time invested in them leads to me developing an attachment to the jeans I would not have otherwise.
 

TheObserver

Senior Member
Joined
May 24, 2013
Messages
571
Reaction score
205
^ Same. I used to wear Levi's and Acne. Never looked back once I've gotten into raw denim. I eventually quit wearing black jeans.

I want to add that although I like raw denim and have several pairs from all tiers, I've never thought of myself as a denimhead. I stick with raw denim simply because I like denim feel and aesthetic, not particularly expecting of sick fades or whatever. Also I tend to wear them with contemporary designers APC, Esemplare, Spencer, Ervell, Barena,... rather than going full urban lumberjack or Japanese repro brands.
 
Last edited:

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 45 40.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 44 39.6%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 5 4.5%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 18 16.2%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 25 22.5%

Forum statistics

Threads
504,469
Messages
10,574,038
Members
223,698
Latest member
Brownchad
Top