Have you introduced your partner, friend, coworker, sibling or parent to selvedge denim?
Last week I shared a photo on Instagram and asked our followers a question… “Have you introduced your girlfriend, friend, sibling, mom or dad to selvedge denim? Did they thank you later or call a quits after putting one leg in mid-weight 100% selvedge?”.
Our customers are well versed in denim. They're educated shoppers. Sure, they will have a preference in fit, but what really gets them going is the denim; the construction, weight, content, where it was made. The average consumer doesn't consider the fabrication while they're shopping... I think it’s safe to say denim-heads have more than denim in common, we’re curious. If you’re looking to geek out and get technical about how you fade and care for your jeans, join fellow denim-heads on Reddit and follow Rawdenim.
The reason why I asked that question is our customer often comes in with their partner, co-worker or friends.. And usually, they’re the fanatic and their +1 is the skeptic. Our customer usually gravitates to our special edition denim, the heavyweights and unique constructions- Finally! They get to touch and feel the denim they’ve been reading about. We’ll “oou” and “ahh” over the details, that bumpy unsanforized feel, the heaviest denim in the world! At that point, the skeptic will pipe up and ask “Is it true you’re not supposed to wash them?”, and the fanatic will roll their eyes.
Our customers are proud of their hard-core knowledge and taste in denim… Brandon Svarc, Naked & Famous Denim founder, loves to “guarantee uncomfortable”. But if you’re looking to introduce a first timer, don’t show them The Heaviest Denim in World.
“I’m still trying to get my wife to put on unsanforized selvedge denim, but seems like that aint happening…” - @tateandyoko IG follower
First things first, new-comers are going to have to like the way they feel in the jeans. At this stage, the unique construction is just a bonus. There are a few options from Naked & Famous Denim’s Men's Core Collection that have a small percentage of stretch combined with cotton. That small percentage of stretch does not reduce the look of a classic selvedge denim, and increases comfort. We want new comers to want to want to wear their jeans.
5 stretch selvedge options that are comfortable right off the bat. Perfect for the guy that wants to try raw denim but his denim-head friend won't let him walk away with a non-selvedge jean.
I find our women customers think of Japanese denim differently. Stretch denim isn’t considered a faux-pas because it serves a bigger purpose than comfort... We tend to wear our jeans either super tight, see The High Skinny, or roomy, see The Classic. Skinny fits need more stretch to fit curves like a glove.
Top 3 options from the Naked & Famous Denim women's collection with incredible stretch recovery. Perfect for those looking for a skinny jean that hugs in all the right places.
Indigo Power Stretch. Available in The Skinny, The Crop Skinny.
Active Motion Denim. Available in The High Skinny, The Skinny.
2 stretch selvedge favorites from the Naked & Famous Denim women's collection. If you're just entering the world of selvedge and want something that will fade over time with wear.
Stretch Selvedge Raw Denim. Available in The Skinny, The Boyfriend, The Straight.
If you're looking to fade your indigo denim, you want a heavier weight 100% cotton denim. The deeper indigo, more rigid denim will create high contrast fades. Stretch denim is softer and more malleable therefore will fade less. Left Hand Twill Selvedge is my favorite introductory 100% cotton selvedge. For women, I suggest 11oz Indigo in The Classic fit.
Questions? Want help getting a friend's butt in selvedge? Comment below!
Cierra