Wind-resistant denim

[Kohan]

Hello,

Now that fall has actually set in around me, walking in early morning/late evening can be brutally windy. I layer with sweaters, coat, etc, but that does nothing to insulate my legs. Is there a brand of denim you would recommend as being warmer/more wind-resistant? I've been wearing pajama/track pants under my jeans occasionally, but that gets very annoying as soon as I'm indoors.

Thanks much, hopefully I'll soon master this whole "cold weather survival" thing. Kind of difficult when you're raised in the Sunshine State...

Peace,

Kohan

 

[AR_Six]

Er... I guess heavier denim? Iron Heart?

 

[djh]

flannel-lined jeans? wouldn't really make them wind-resistant, though..

 

[dfagdfsh]

uhmm I don't think any denim is ever going to be 'wind resistant'.. the best you can do is probably a heavy weight with a super tight weave... why don't you just throw on some long underwear tho?

 

[j]

I ride in all my jeans and thus experience sustained wind up to ... 60MPH, right?

It's not so much the weight of the denim as the weave that makes it more or less windproof. I have a pair of jeans (Helmut Lang I think) that feel pretty heavy/thick but they let wind right through, whereas my 5EPxSF are about the same weight (actually feel thinner, but denser) and let a lot less wind through. I don't have any recommendations (aside from maybe trying 5EP) but that's my experience. Personally if I had a real issue with it I would wear some long underwear such as Under Armour HeatGear which adds a significant amount of insulation but doesn't get bulky or sweaty under your jeans. You could also try some of the coated denims like Nudie has - I would expect those to let less wind through.

 

[DeadDJ]

^ coating doesn't help, at least on the Thin Finn's. Theoretically it's a good guess, but walking around the last two days in 20+mph winds proves it wrong. I'd guess the Thin Finn denim is initially too thin/lightweight already.

 

[sho'nuff]

Out of the denim I've tried, naked and famous denim (weird guy 15oz?) is like a sheet of metal around your leg. Albeit I haven't worn it too much but still there is no break-in to this very rigid denim and I'm sure it is wind-resistant.

 

[stickonatree]

so waxed denim is no help?

i second J's recommendation of wearing UA or long johns.

 

[Serg]

iron heart seems pretty wind resistant but i haven't worn them through a winter ye.t

 

[jqbomb]

I believe Edwin did a Gore-Tex lined jean a few years ago. Probably your best wind proof option...

 

[Epaulet]

21oz jeans are about as good as it gets for pure cotton jeans.

Both Iron Heart and Naked and Famous offer them.

 

[Kohan]

Cool, thanks everybody.

Right now it looks like long-johns until I can get to a decent denim locale to try stuff on, updates to follow as they arise.

And a three-week autumn definitely makes me feel cheated. I wanted fall, damnit, not flat gray purgatory!