My Favorite Jeans (pic)...and a question

[jolla]

Here is a pic of my favorite pair of jeans. They are John Varvatos USA selvedge and I'm pretty sure that they were one wash (as opposed to actually raw). I picked them up a couple of years ago at Off 5th's after-Thanksgiving sale for about 30 bucks after all of the discounts.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I wore them on and off over the past couple years and didn't really think anything about it. They weren't washed very often (only when my wife would secretly toss them in the wash) and have never been machine dried. After the last time I washed them, I put them on and noticed that they were the most amazing color blue--I was thrilled.

I've only recently gotten into the raw denim madness, and come to think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if none of my new raw jeans come out this great...BUT, I'm willing to try!

And that brings me to my question: What pair of raw denims should I get if I'd like them to fit me the way that these do?

I'm 5'11 about 205 lbs and I wear a 34 or 36 depending on brand. I'm looking at Nudies and I can't decide if I should go with Reg Ralf or Straight Sven. What do you guys think? Thanks for any help!

 

[j]

I think the old standby APC New Standard in a not-skintight fit would end up looking a lot like those. Mine finally are, though mine are a bit tighter. (I need to lay off the beer.)

 

[minya]

man -- those look amazing on you. Nice jeans. I can see why they're your favorite.

 

[Flame]

Yup, my old apc standards (purchased circa 2000) are washed to a dark royal blue color.

I would suggest the Regular Ralfs in Used Deluxe wash with your true waist size if you want both the fit and a similar wash.

Edit: If you wanted raw, both the Ralf and Sven would be fine, depending on bootcut (ralf) or straight-leg (sven)

 

[cheapmutha]

very nice jeans. thats a pick up that rivals some of mine. id go with the ralphs. the sven selvage is the "flamish" denim, which wont look like those.

 

[Babar]

If you can find the Straight Sven in the old dry selvage denim, I'd go with those. If not, then the Regular Ralfs, or APC New Standard (tapered) or Rescues (straightleg), should fit the bill.

 

[jolla]

Trust me J, I need to lay off the beer too.

Thanks for the input. A couple of follow up questions:

Do the Ralfs and Svens fit the same above the knee, or are the Ralfs roomier?

I just looked around a bit and I really like the APC rescues. I think the standards might be a little tight on my big ass.

Thanks!

 

[Saucemaster]

Originally Posted by jolla

Trust me J, I need to lay off the beer too.

Thanks for the input. A couple of follow up questions:

Do the Ralfs and Svens fit the same above the knee, or are the Ralfs roomier?

I just looked around a bit and I really like the APC rescues. I think the standards might be a little tight on my big ass.

Thanks!

Actually, I've found the Svens to be a *little* bit roomier above the knee. The RR has a smaller knee circumference than the Sven IIRC, to allow for the slight bootcut, and that means that the thigh-to-knee taper is a little more pronounced. All in all that means a little bit less room in the thigh area, esp the lower thigh. Given that you're 5'11" and 205, but don't seem to have a gut, I'm assuming that your weight is the result of muscle, so the lower thigh area might be particularly important for your quads. BUT the difference, as far as I can recall, is really pretty minimal. I think it comes down to whether you want a slight bootcut or a true straightleg, and what kind of denim you want. I like the RRDS denim better than the (current) SSDS denim, so personally, I'd go for the Ralfs.

The Rescues are pretty nice, too, and I think they'd probably look a little more like your Varvatos than the New Standards would. By the way, your Varvatos jeans are beautiful. Beautifully worn in, without looking like you went to crazy lengths to get high-contrast fading, etc.

 

[jolla]

Hey Saucemaster--thanks for the in depth breakdown. That was pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

I think I'm going to give the APC Rescues a shot and see how they work out. I'm thinking that a 34 might work considering the stretch factor. I work from home so I can wear them during the day and get a little stretchin' done if they are obscenely tight out of the box.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Flame]

Originally Posted by cheapmutha

the sven selvage is the "flamish" denim, which wont look like those.
You mean the streaks of white on the new SSDS?

If so, I might have gotten a steal on a pair...

 

[cheapmutha]

those are the ones. i like my denim a bit understated.