Finding the right pair of jeans can be challenging so we thought we would share what we have learned over the last 13 years to help you get started.

Fit Guide

Jeans will stretch out about a half of a size so buy them tighter than you want.  Raw jeans will stretch even more so be sure to ask us about your choice. 

Try different brands because each brand uses different fit models and patterns.  You may find that one brand works best for you because of this and it’s why we carry so many different brands.  

 

Below are some of the fits that we offer:

For women:

Trouser
Slimming comfortable and easy to dress up.

Flare
Flatters a curvy figure.

Bootcut
Everyday go-to jean.  Works for every body type.

Straight
A great alternative to the skinny but easier to wear.  Tuck into boots or wear with flats.

Skinny
The slimmest option for a fashion-forward look.  Perfect for tucking into boots or wearing with flats and heels.

Boyfriend
Our new favorite fit.  Cut slouchy to wear loose and low on the hips.  Perfect cuffed or cropped with heels and flats. 

 

For men:

Skinny
Slim, fashion forward fit.  Works well with a slim build.

Anti-Fit
Looser up top with a longer drop in the crotch and a slim tapered leg.  Our most fashion forward men’s fit.

Straight
Classic 501 type fit. 

Boot
Wider leg opening then a straight leg.

Relaxed
Looser fit all over.  Works best for athletic builds.

 

Care guide

Washed denim
To prevent fading, wash jeans inside out in cold water with the tiniest amount of detergent possible and hang dry.  If you have to dry them in the dryer, do it on the lowest heat setting.  Keep in mind that jeans will shrink in length, but most likely will not shrink in the waist.  Most washed denim can be dry-cleaned which will preserve the color best. 

 

Raw denim
It’s best to wear your raw jeans for 6 months before washing them.  This allows the jeans to form whiskers, honeycombing and wallet marks.  If you just want to cut down on stinkiness, stick them in the freezer or stuff the pockets with fabric-softener sheets at night.  When it does come time to clean your raw jeans, dry cleaning is your best bet.  You can also follow the non-dryer instructions above.  Make sure you don’t get them pressed – that will remove the whiskering and honeycombing you’ve worked so hard to achieve.  Keep in mind that completely raw denim with no stretch can shrink a lot if it’s washed and dried-sometimes up to two inches in the waist and two inches in length.

 

Alterations guide

Premium denim is made long so you can hem them to the proper length.  If you do need to get your new jeans hemmed, there are two options you can choose.  You can get a regular hem, or you can get the original hem reattached.  If the jeans have a slightly distressed hem, it’s best that you get the original hem reattached.  Be sure to go to a tailor who is familiar with hemming premium denim for the best results.

If you will be washing and drying your jeans, you should wash them and dry them at least once or twice before hemming them because they will definitely shrink up in length.  You can also have them hemmed a little long to account for shrinkage.

 

Inseams

Inseam measurements vary from brand to brand.  Some men’s brands and most women’s brands have graduated inseams.  That means that the smaller sizes have shorter inseams and the larger sizes have longer inseams.  Most inseams will be around 34”, even in graduated inseams, unless otherwise noted. 

 

Style Guide (Guys you can skip this part)

Once you’ve bought your perfect pair of jeans you’ll have to decide what to wear with them.  Here are a few ideas.

Try a fitted top with your trouser jeans to balance out the fullness.  A good rule of thumb is loose on the bottom, slim up top.

Flares, bootcuts and straight legs can look great with a t-shirt or a dressy top.  You can wear them with just about anything.  Straight legs are great for tucking into boots.

Skinny jeans work well with looser tops to balance out their slim legs.  Tucking skinny jeans into boots is a no-brainer but try them with a high heel for a polished evening look.

 

Denim Facts

Denim
Durable cotton twill weave fabric with an indigo dyed yarn in the warp and a natural, undyed yarn in the weft.  The origin of denim has been attributed to serge de Nimes, a cloth produced in the French textile manufacturing town of Nimes during the 17th Century.

Indigo
Dark blue dye used for denim originally taken from the indigofera plant.  It is now manufactured synthetically and used for dyeing denim due to its ability to fade.

Loom
Fabric weaving machine.

Prewashed Denim
These jeans are washed and treated in different ways to give them a worn and used look from day one.  To get the authentic second hand feeling and washed look the distressed denim is achieved through bleaching and several mechanical treatments like stonewashes, sandblasting and scraping locally. All these processes are time consuming, handmade and expensive, which is reflected in the higher prices compared to dry denim.  The effect of the treatments that are made to get a second hand feeling are permanent and can not be removed.  The are comparable to jeans already worn for years and years.  This means that they will not last as long as if you them dry and break in your own denim.  Prewashed jeans don’t have to be treated as dry jeans, there is no point in waiting a long time to wash them.

Unwashed Denim (also called dry or raw)
It is the strongest and most durable type of denim because it is not washed or treated before being sold.  This type of denim will give the most personal results if worn for several months without washing.  As long as they are dark and stiff they have a surface almost like they are water resistant.  The longer you can keep them unwashed, the more beautiful they will get.  We recommend at least six months of wear before the first wash.

Selvage (Selvedge) Denim
It comes from the phrase “self-edge” which refers to the edge being finished by the loom instead of sewn together after weaving.  Selvage is the term commonly used to refer to denim that has been produced on a shuttle loom. Since the amount of fabric produced from a shuttle loom is significantly narrower than a projectile (wide) loom, the cotton consumption is higher and the time required is greater. In selvage jeans, you will see the actual edge of the fabric where the weaving stops and is finished by the loom, as opposed to denim woven on a projectile loom, where the fabric has been cut off at the ends. The “redline” selvage is Levi’s signature and was used in all their jeans up to 1982, before Cone Mills nixed them for the more modern projectile looms, which are faster and much more efficient.  Most of these looms were sold to Japanese investors in the 1980’s.  There are a few left at Cone used to the Levi’s Vintage Collection. 

Ring-Spun
The cotton fibers are longer and twisted together to form the yarn and consequently it is of higher quality and stronger.  The fabric has a natural unevenness and vintage look with a softer hand feel and is more hardwearing.  In the 1980’s, American denim companies began transitioning from standard shuttle looms, which produce ringspun denim, to computerized manufacturing process known as open-ended spinning.  This allowed them to produce denim cheaper but gone were the irregularities; skinny and fat weaves of yarns, uneven fabric constructions, white lines of cotton slub that appear and vanish in the indigo field.  Most of these looms are now found in Japan and Italy.

Open End Denim
This is the most common type of denim.  The cotton fibres are shorter and a simpler process is used to form the yarn.  It is, therefore, cheaper to produce.  For a denim purist it is considered to refined and does not posses the unique character or strength of ring spun denim.

Broken Twill
Instead of the twill running to the right or left, broken twill jeans (traditionally considered the cowboy-preferred denim) contain no distinct direction of weave. The weave is instead alternated right and left – the end effect resembles a random zig-zag. Wrangler made the first broken twill jeans in 1964. Broken Twill was designed to combat the twisting effect that was a characteristic of regular twill (and considered a ‘fault’ by many at the time). By going on both directions, the tension in the yarns is balanced in Broken Twill.

Right Hand Twill
Twill weave where the diagonal line rises from the bottom left to top right on the front side of the fabric.  It is the standard weave for most denim and has a tighter construction.

Left Hand Twill
Twill weave where the diagonal line rises from bottom right to top left on the front side of the fabric and has a softer hand feel.

Warp thread
The indigo-dyed thread. Also commonly called “surface threads,” as they account for a majority of the thread you see on the surface. It is the opposite on the underside of the jeans, where the weft (filler) threads are more visible, and the warp threads are in the minority. They are woven in and out of the weft thread vertically to create the denim twill.

Weft (Filler) Thread
Weft, or filler, threads are traditionally ecru-colored, however many companies now bleach their weft threads or dye them. The weft is visible mostly on the underside of the denim, but resemble diagonal stripes on the surface. They are woven in and out of the warp threads horizontally to create the denim twill.

Whiskers
These are the crease lines around the crotch. Industrially these can be done with laser, sandblasting, machine sanding, hand-sanding and abrasive rods. Same techniques are used for ‘knee whiskers’ (whiskers on the sides of knees) and ‘honeycombs’ (crease marks on the back of the knee).

Starch
All jeans contain starch.  It is why new unwashed jeans are so stiff and rigid.  In pre-washed jeans most of the starch is washed out.  However, starch is an essential part of breaking in raw jeans because the stiffness of the jeans allows for them to crease sharply and mould according to your body.

Sanforizing/Pre-skewed
Sanforizing denim is a method of stretching and manipulating the cloth in the factory prior to any washing so that any shrinking during future washes will be minimalized. It is important to note if your raw jeans are sanforized or not before determining what size to buy, non-sanforized jeans will shrink 7-10%, while sanforized jeans will shrink 1-5%. It is often advised to give non-sanforized jeans a warm soak before wearing them to get the shrinking done before you create wear marks on the jeans.