As the Rope Dye guide to finding your perfect raw selvedge denim jeans moves into its final stage, let’s take a moment to refresh our memory.
We’re on the home stretch. Over the past few vlogs we’ve discussed the essentials of getting the perfect pair of raw, selvedge denim jeans.
Those are:
Today we’re going to do a quick roundup, see where we’re at. See where I’m at and put all of what I’ve been preaching into practice.
Setting our budget.
This is the first step because it is going to have an influence on all the steps to come.
Breaks down like this.
- Come to terms with the fact these things cost more than you’re used to.
- The flip side of this is you do get more bang for your buck compared to the “supermarket” jeans.
- Determine the features you want, all the geeky little features like hidden rivets, lined back pockets or special denim cost more. Be aware.
- Take your time, be patient and save up for the jeans you really want. Don’t blow your wad on the first game in town.
How Much???
So how much am I going to spend on my jeans? I am going to go right up there to around the 300 Dollar/Euro mark. I know, trust me I know this is a lot of money to spend on an item of clothing.
It’s About Passion!
But denim is my passion. It is what I dedicate a large portion of my time too and it plays a pretty important role in my life. When I think of it in these terms, 300 bucks ain’t all that much.
Fit
I have said it before, I will say it again. Fit and size. DIFFERENT THINGS.
Too much to go into here. Basically, find out from the vlog on Fit if you are either looking for a specific look or the perfect jeans for your lifestyle and body type. If you’re looking for the perfect jeans for your body and lifestyle, then figure out if you are a Mesomorph, Ectomorph or Endomorph.
Choose your fit accordingly.
Myself. I am a chubby Mesomorph with massive thighs.I might have these massive thighs because genetically I am a Scottish farmer made for wondering about the hills and, also I spend most of my time riding about town on a bike.
The bike is the important part here. I don’t want excess fabric flapping about and getting tangled in my chain. That’s a sure fire way to get unwanted holes in your jeans and get them covered in muck and oil. Nor do I want my ass hanging out as I weave through traffic. So I am looking for a slim to straight cut with a taper and a mid to high-rise. Probably more to the mid-rise though.
Right, so that’s my fit sorted.
Next up. Weight.
This part I had to split up into 3 vlogs, its such a big subject.
Basically. Denim weight is measured in ounces per square meter. Higher the number, the thicker the denim.
Lighter denim will have a more uniform, “vintage” fade. The heavier denim will have more dramatic results.
The heavier the denim, the more room you’ll need in terms of fit when it comes to actually being able to survive the break-in process.
For myself. I am looking for a slim to regular fit for the reasons I mentioned earlier. I need to have a good amount of movement but I also spend a great deal of time in my jeans and I am quite active. So I need durable denim.
Experience has shown me that at around 14oz denim is the perfect weight for most of the year.
Heavier denim is just not my bag. The denim is too heavy to be practical in the slimmer fits and the roomier fits are just not my thing. But man, there are some beautiful heavy denims. I wish I wasn’t such a wimp.
So, now we have nailed down how much I am going to spend. The fit and the denim weight. I can now go looking for jeans. But wait! One more essential part.
The right size!
Now. As earlier. What did I say… say it with me. Size and Fit are two different things. Now, keep repeating this. Over and over…
Your best way to get the right size and indeed fit and denim weight… just your best way to get jeans. Is in a store. There’s no substitute for being able to try on multiple jeans from multiple brands in multiple styles in multiple weights of denim.
But if you are going to buy mail order. You have to measure an existing pair of jeans that fit you well so you will be able to compare your measurements with that on the site you’re buying from. Easy as that.
On the vlog about size, I go into how you should measure your jeans in depth. Head over and check that out. It will save you time, money and hassle in the long run.
As you’ll see. I have a list of measurements I can compare with the measurements of the various jeans you’ll be looking at.
Now it is just a case of looking round and finding the jeans you want. If you thought the process up till now was tough. This is the hardest part. There are just so many good jeans out there these days. We are spoiled for choice!
One way you could narrow down the search is the useful tool that the guys over a Heddels made. Their Denim Scout. Or just scout… whatever. This is an awesome tool. You can dial in the exact measurements, brand, colour, denim, country of origin… all the aspects we discussed.
There’s also a store scout too! Maybe you have the worlds best denim store just around the corner from you and you never knew. Head over to Heddels and find out!
So, guys, I’d encourage you to review the previous videos first, I glossed over a few important issues here.
Once you’ve done that, go ahead and go! Find your perfect pair!
In the next vlog, we’ll be seeing exactly what pair I decide on. I’ll explain why and give you the number one most essential thing you should do with your new jeans.
