RRL Denim Question

[mram65]

Thanks to the fine gents on this forum, I've become quite the educated denim consumer.

I DO, however, have a question, and I apologize if it's rather obvious.

I recently bought a pair of RRL Jeans...yup....was one of the folks who lucked out on a $49.99 pair at Marshalls (the pair I bought is deep deep indigo).

Now....I understand that just because the denim may be selvedge/Japanese, does not necessarily mean the denim is RAW.

If you look at various ebay ads selling RRL...they say that they're raw, however....I think they're just not totally educated, as many ads claim the denim is "raw", when it clearly is not.

So...one of the inside pockets is as such:

If not noted on any of the tags....is there a way to determine whether or not the selvedge denim is raw??

Thanks.

 

[why]

Without experience, I don't know.

Doesn't matter much anyway. One wash and raw are almost the same.

 

[PG2G]

Its normally pretty easy to tell based on how they feel

 

[shoreman1782]

That picture looks raw. The denim is totally flat, and the pocket bag is a pretty clean white, without the puckering/bleeding at the stitching most soaked jeans have.

Taking a good pic of the jeans in natrual light might be more useful for people online to judge, but as PG said, it's usually easy to tell from feeling them. Are they starchy and stiff (they'll hold a crease), and maybe a little bit shiny? Or are they pliable and a little wrinkly, and matte?

 

[mram65]

Great advice...the pic I posted was simply from ebay, not the pair I own. However, the pocket says exactly the same thing.

Excellent point, and when home (I'm away on business presently) I'll take some pics, and post.

Thanks!
Mark

 

[shoreman1782]

Good luck.

I'll add the caveats that I don't own RRLs and, as much as I hate to admit that why is right, the real effect of their rawness or lack thereof is pretty minimal (although I can understand the appeal of having genuinely raw denim).

 

[breakfasteatre]

Its pretty easy to determine whether or not your jeans are raw.

Raw jeans are extremely stiff, imagine a pair of pants soaked in a full can of starch, ironed dead flat.

one wash are pretty stiff, but the denim sometimes gets a fuzzyness to it, and you will be able to see staining of patches, pockets, etc from the indigo.

 

[Listi]

Uhm there should be a tag on the inside of the jeans, on the left pocket, kinda stitched into the outseam I guess. A little white tag. It will say the cut and the wash on it.

If it says "Indigo Rigid" then it is raw or possibly one wash.

 

[mainy]

the way i understand it is if the tag says "rigid" they are raw