A couple of weeks ago our good friend Victor of Raleigh Denim drove a few hours north to see us here in Richmond and introduce the women’s line of RD. The women’s line continues with the same mission and integrity of Raleigh Denim. Jeans made by hand, sewn with traditional machines, made with local White Oak Cone denim and individually hand signed. We greeted him with friends, sweet tea and BBQ from Alamo in Church Hill. Here’s a little video from the night. Thanks especially to Victor and all our friends that came out.

If you didn’t make it out to our Raleigh Denim party last night, you missed some great jeans, great food, great music and of course great company! The BBQ was flowing, the live music was pumping, and Victor introduced us to the new women’s line from Raleigh (Look for it in store soon!). Luckily our friend Cameron Lewis was there to snap some photos of the event- click to check them out!

They’re a brand that we and hundreds of others have fallen in love with. Denim that is produced in the USA and made in the USA, by hand, one pair at a time. You can tell the difference when you put them on and when you’re not ready to take them off. Each pair is inspected by the founders of the company and signed off. If you’re not familiar with Raleigh Denim, check out this great video made by Josh Rosenbaum. It just might make you a believer.

With summer heading into fall, it’s either time to put your current pair of jeans in the freezer, dry clean them, or give them a brief break – let some of that sweat dry out. While you’re waiting, it’s the perfect time to start looking around for your next pair of jeans that the colder months will consume and leave their mark on. We’re pretty excited to be getting in the newest version of Rogue Territory’s new Stanton cut, a nearly 15oz pair of Nihon Menpu sourced Japanese denim that has already left a strong mark on the denim community. Original Analog sat down with Karl Thoennessen, the man behind Rogue Territory to get a behind the scenes look at the new Stantons that arrive soon.

I had always wanted a good pair of canvas pants. They seem like the best thing ever when fall heads into winter. Most of the ones that I had seen or tried were mean for the job site, with all good reason. The fit was roomier and simply not what I was looking for. Then we got in a small run from Raleigh Denim of their Jones Indigo Raw Canvas pant, a dark dyed canvas with a slim/straight fit. Was it too good to be true?

We’ve just collaborated with our good friends at Tellason denim, creating a limited 24 run of jeans exclusively for Need Supply Co. Tellason jeans are made in the USA using 14 oz. selvage from White Oak Cone Mills in Greensboro, NC. Tellason also uses Tanner Dry Goods leather in their manufacturing, creating a pair of jeans made in America with raw American ingredients. Click for the continuation.

The Richmond Times Dispatch came in the shop the other day for a quick rundown on how to buy denim. We let Holly run the show.

Nearly a year ago, I bought my first pair of Raleigh Denim jeans, right when they hit the shelves of the store. My plan was for them to slowly replace my first pair of raw denim jeans, the ones that I have had for nearly 7 months, the ones that I had already ripped holes in and the ones that I had already washed in the ocean. They were going to soon replace the jeans that I had grown to love so much. The only thing is, they replaced them much faster than that.

You love Rag & Bone , we know. And now we have them in a refreshing new color perfect for the summer, mint. They feature the classic 5 pocket styling, zip fly, tonal stitching, and a mid rise. So relax, fix yourself a Mojito and enjoy the summer in style.

You’ve seen what Raleigh Denim can do with denim, now transfer that same mindset into beautiful raw canvas. The Jones Raw Canvas is handcrafted and sourced in North Carolina with 13.5 oz. White Cone canvas. Each pair is hand signed and individually numbered. Features regular fit with straight leg, mid rise styling, and made with a canvas-style weave.

We just got in a few limited pairs of Momotaro Vintage Label 15.7oz jeans. How thick is 15.7 ounces? Pretty damn thick. These guys are made of un-sanforized raw Darkest Indigo Blue Denim. They’re shrink to fit, with a soft and comfortable fit. Vintage series is sewn with 0s yarn (thickest type), and has no decoration on the back pockets, making them genuine and solid jeans. Enjoy real vintage in a rigid, dark blue denim.

We’re going to let you guys in on a secret: these jeans look good on everyone.

We’ve become really fond of the FREE/MAN blog for some time now. One thing in particular they’ve done is given attention where it’s needed most, such as a two part interview with Raleigh Denim co-founder Victor Lytvinenko.  Click for the continuation.

Click for one of the best clips ever.

We’re denim people. We always have been and we always will be. There will be an eternal passion about the material that owns a spot in our hearts. We’ve tried them all on, sizes too big for us and sizes too small. Fits too loose and fits too big. Every cut, every weight, and we’ve kept an even sharper eye on how they wear in. Over the past year, there’s been one  brand that’s truly made a lasting impression with us. This brand just so happens to be made just over 150 miles south of our store – Raleigh Denim. Click for the continuation.

We’re teaming up again with our longtime friends over at Selectism, offering all the gents out there one hell of a gift pack. What you find in this pack is a nod to American made goods. We start it off with a pair of Raleigh Nash Straight Cut Denim: “Handcrafted and sourced in North Carolina. Made from White Oak Cone Denim, each pair is hand signed and individually numbered.”

We finish it off with a beautiful briefcase from J.W. Hulme Co.: “From canvas tent making during World War I to our present day high-end luggage and sporting accessories manufacturing, J.W. Hulme Company’s craftspeople have been making distinctive luxury leather and canvas bags since 1905.”

Click to find out how to win.

Style Forum just caught up with Denver based Kicking Mule Workshop (KMW) who’ve been laying low for a while but making a strong comeback recently. With high attention to detail and handmade quality, this is denim that you should kee your eye on. Click here to read the interview with Styleforum co-head founder Fok Yan Leung.

Click here to shop our selection of Kicking Mule Workshop denim.

The good people over at FREE/MAN just posted Part 1 of an interview with Victor Lytinvenko, co-founder of Raleigh Denim.

“We were extremely lucky to have recently spoken with Victor Lytinvenko who took some time from his frenzied schedule to speak with both myself and Darian. Our initial brief chat quickly evolved into an in depth discussion which spread over two calls, a week apart, both packed full of inspiring and frank conversation from Raleigh Denim’s co-founder. Victor’s openness and passion came to work as a prime catalyst for a solid and candid interview to date.” -FREE/MAN

We just want to give a big shout out to our good friends Victor and Sarah Lytvinenko of Raleigh Denim for recently opening their new store in North Carolina. The new store is located at 319 West Martin Street in Raleigh. If you’re in the area, you should really go check it out, especially that ceiling. Click for more photos of the space.

Did you know that in a standard manufacturing process, producing one pair of jeans can use up to eleven gallons of water? Well Levi’s decided that they could do something about this whole process by creating their Water<Less Collection. This new line of denim will reduce their use of water by 96% and will be available in cuts such as 501. Click for the continuation.

Our shelves have held the denim of Atelier de Production et de Création (A.P.C.). for some time now. This minimalist, cult favorite has brought consumers across the globe a love and appreciations for all things well made and simply designed. Interview Magazine’s Fraser Cooke caught up recently with Jean Touitou for a great explanation of past and present. From the early Kenzo Takada days to broadening their madras collection, it’s definitely worth the read. Click for the interview.

The good people over at The Selvedge Yard just posted some great throwbacks of good ol’ boys in denim. If this doesn’t make you love the fabric even more then you might need to do some personal investing. Click for the continuation.

If you’re looking for a good way to kill some time and step your denim knowledge up, check out the blog from our good friends at Tellason. Filled with history, facts, inspirations, collaborations and ideas. Great minds at work here.

Put This On – is a wonderful new web series about dressing like a grownup. The series follows Jesse Thorn and Adam Lisagor as they travel across the country re-discovering some of this countries age old methods of making timeless clothing. Their first webisode take a peak at one of our favorite materials, denim. Click for the continuation.

Hemming, not the most exciting thing in the world, yet a basic skill that anyone who desires to work a thread and needle (or in this case a sewing machine) should know. But when that expensive pair of jeans you just bought is too long for you, the simple solution of hemming them is like hot cocoa on a winter morning. Click for the continuation.

Here’s a pair of Raleigh Denim’s Lincoln Thin Cut Raw after 5 months of wear and 1 wash. Click for the continuation.

If you haven’t guessed it by now, we’re a bit in love with denim. The history of it, the feel of it, the story behind it and how it truly becomes yours over time. As you probably know, it’s not just any denim that becomes “yours” over time, is a very specific type. It’s the type of denim that dates back to when the material was created, when it was used daily, hardly ever taken off, and worn by men who had no fucking clue what “whisker stripes” were.

So we’re proud to add yet another contender in the “heavyweight hitters” of denim category. In about a month, we’ll be joining a list of about 20 retailers across the glob to carry  San Francisco’s Tellason denim. Click to read more.

Who tests denim at just 2 weeks in? We do. To us, initial reaction is one thing, but when it comes to denim, our goal is to stretch them out in the first two weeks so that those remaining five and a half months feel great. We’re stoked about getting Raleigh Denim in the shop and available online because we like to establish good relationships with our neighbors, and that’s how we think of Raleigh Denim. Click for the continuation.

Need Supply Co. just won first place in Richmond Magazine’s category for Best Designer Denim Selection. “In 14 years of business, Need Supply Co. has won the allegiance of shoppers from Richmond to the Ukraine (no joke) with more than 200 denim varieties for both men and women. Owner Chris Bossola says the women always go for the dark skinny jeans while the men grab the raw APC denim. Why? Versatility of course, Bossola says.”

Click here to shop our men’s denim. Click here to shop women’s denim.

Just got in this great video that showcases one of our favorite new denim companies, North Carolina’s own, Raleigh Denim. The video really gives you a look at the entire story of the company and their true patronage to the roots and heritage of the garment industry in North Carolina. It’s one of those videos that makes you think twice about buying a pair of jeans that are made overseas. The beauty of it all is the simplicity of their mission: to help revitalize the garment industry in North Carolina. Click to see the video.

You know, I think some girls could actually pull these off and look good in them. Brazilian footwear label Melissa has teamed up with many designers in the past – Vivienne Westwood, Jean Paul Gaultier and even world renowned architect Zaha Hadid. Well now they have joined forces with Italian architect Gaetano Pesce to create a boot made entirely of compressed, interconnected recycled plastic circles. Not feeling the ankle boot? They’re designed for the user to create their own profile by cutting away at the edges. I can picture them with a pair of good jeans and a little scrunch at the end or….nah, maybe just some good jeans.

Well, it happened. I noticed it yesterday evening after my bike ride home. My 8-month old A.P.C.’s had gotten their first tear. Click for the continuation.

On July 4th of this year, Levis Strauss & Co. opened their flagship store in San Francisco. The Tailor Shop is truly a one-of-a-kind retail location where customization and special goods are plenty. The shop is not your standard retail box. Click for the continuation.

I first heard about Raleigh Denim from my buddy Britt who worked there a few years ago as an intern. He worked mainly with their advertising but when orders got backed up, and they got backed up quickly, he had no choice but to learn how to construct a pair of jeans himself to keep the flow going. Click for the continuation.

A.P.C. just gave us a little taste of their 2010 Fall/Winter line up. Click to see what you can expect.

Most people don’t know who Brit Eaton is. He was thrown in jail in Greece; drove a cab in Madison, Wisconsin; created and sold T-shirts at Grateful Dead concerts; sold ice cream on nudist beaches in Holland; got caught up in a multilevel marketing scheme in Florida; and worked for a company that organized trekking expeditions for Americans traveling in Europe. In early 1997, he took a job working on a swordfish long-liner out of Puerto Rico. He was confined to his quarters for insubordination, but the trip had a positive outcome. A fishing captain from another boat mentioned to Brit that his mother worked for an import-export agent who had a 1,000-pound, compression-packed bale of used Levi’s in a Florida warehouse. But to truly find out who Brit Eaton is, click for the continuation.

Back in 2008, denim God, Carl Chiara, design director LEVI’S CAPITAL E and RED COLLECTIONS got a little spotlight in GQ Magazine. We were looking through some old magazines and found it. Click to read more.

The American workforce, circa 1940 began to divide into two types of working classes: Blue-collar workers and white-collar workers. The blue-collars were what kept America running, they were the working class. Pure manual labor, which many of you today have never even seen. Hourly wage, short lunch breaks and dirt under your nails. White-collar workers or sitters watched from behind their desks. Click for the continuation…

Last weekend I took a trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for a wedding. Besides taking full advantage of the open bar, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone and wash my 7 month A.P.C’s in the ocean. Click for the continuation…

Fuck it.

No, not really. But I did get a chuckle when I saw these last night in CVS. Annnd they’re L.E. for the hypebeast parents! Depends needs to make these for the fashion conscious adults with B.M. issues so they can rock them (and yes, just them) to the club and not have to worry!

To be honest, when Jean Shop came in, me and Patty were a bit skeptical about its party orange selvedge line, zipper fly and inflated price tag. But like all of the jeans that come in, we tried them on and took a closer look. Despite its 14oz raw, Japanese selvedge denim, its hand is nice and not too stiff. The fit is a slim straight, but they run big with a lot of room in the legs. There are a ton of details in these jeans: custom rivets, orange-line selvedge, embroidered leather patch, Riri zipper (sorry, Yoshida), and each pair is hand dated on the inside pocket of when it was completed. Subtle details that those with an eye will appreciate. But what really sold us is how beautifully they age when we saw this post on The Denim Debate. Nice. Come through the shop or buy it here!

If you have an abnormal obsession with denim like we do, then you’re sure to enjoy the Denim Debate, which is exactly what it is. Check up on your favorite pairs of raw denim, month by month, inspecting every crease, wear and distress. And the comments on here are to die for. Check it out.

The 1950′s: high waisted everything, dark blue denim, white t-shirts, slicked back hair, fast as hell cars and the beginning of an era in American pop culture that was highly idealized for all of this. Music, fashion, style and culture.

To create the ideal feel for Rebel Without A Cause, director Nicholas Ray hired the likes of Frank Mazzola, the leader of a real L.A. gang called the Athenians. Ray instructed Mazzola to hang out with Dean, one on one, get a feel for what this shit was really like. Let him hang out with the Athenians, witness brawls, and smoke more cigarettes than he could handle.

Mazzola had the wardrobe department buy the Athenians club jackets and over 400 pairs of Levi’s 501s.

“The iconic Baracuta jacket is often credited as the famous red jacket in Rebel Without a Cause — but some say it was a McGregor or fabricated by the film’s costume designer Moss Mabry, as he himself claims. There are accounts from staffers that it was bought at Matson’s men’s store for use in the 1955 film, but costume designer Moss Mabry has insisted all along that he made three of the jackets from a bolt of red nylon, and painstakingly worked on the size of the collar and the placement of the pockets. >via

…in ACTION JEANS! and at 20 bones, shit. The 70s musta been fuckin awesome!

We’re happy to introduce a new player in our denim line-up. Kicking Mule Workshop is a no-nonsense raw denim company, pretty bad-ass. These jeans are shuttle loomed and chain stitched with hidden rivets at points of stress. Finished with KMW’s signature deer hide patch. Click for the continuation. You can get them here.

We’re gonna let you in on a little secret. Rogue Territory is a small little denim company located on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. They are truly dedicated to preserving the trade of handcrafted goods and supporting the skilled artisans who employ creativity and manual dexterity to produce truly unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Their small little staff produces some amazing, raw, authentic material. Expect to see much more from these guys at Need Supply very soon. Click for the continuation.

I got my first pair of APC New Standards this past October, and as this weather has been warming up, they have definitely seen the seat of my bike much more often. This of course, has created a greater stress on the crotch which makes me even more so nervous for the notorious “blown-out crotch” (pictured). Thanks to a great review via Jake Davis, check out what NYC’s Denim Therapy can do to help. Click for the continuation.

There are literally 11 days until the official morning of Spring and we’re still continuing to get in great new stuff for this already warm season. Crisp collard shirts, lightweight pants, great bags for summer trips and short sleeves that you’ll probably end up taking off. Click here for a look at what we’ve just gotten in. More after the jump.

Japan’s Hysteric Glamour continues their gritty, Japanese rock band style with some great photogrphy by WATARU. I could definitely see myself in that denim jacket. >via Click for the continuation.