Men’s style guide: The guy’s guide to becoming a denimhead

Date April 16, 2010

Klaxon Howl's limited-edition "California Slim"

Seeking a deeper appreciation of the world of dead stock, salt washing and denimheads, we went straight to our neighbourhood jeans expert. Matt Robinson, owner and designer of Toronto’s Klaxon Howl (694R Queen St. W., 647 436 6628, klaxonhowl.com), sat down with us to talk about raw denim, selvage and shrinkage.

What is raw denim?

Raw denim is basically unwashed denim: Dead stock, rigid, raw, dry denim.

What does the washing process do to a pair of jeans?

Washing changes the handle, the feel of the cloth. When it’s raw, denim has a stiffer, scratchier feel—and it’s un-shrunk. Even with samforized denim there’s usually shrinkage. Early Levi’s stuff was shrink-to-fit, so you had to buy according to how you would launder them. Depending on the fabric, you would get one to two inches of shrinkage in the waist and length, and had to know to size up.

Er…What does samforized mean?

It’s basically a pre-wash of the fabric or of the yarn, so that there’s less shrinkage.

What is selvage?

Selvage is the finish on the left and the right side of a bolt of fabric made on a shuttle loom. Early weaving looms produced a self-finished edge on the left and the right side of a bolt of fabric. Using that in manufacturing, you didn’t have to add seam allowance, you knew to fold it up for a finished seam or a finished edge. It didn’t need to be stitched or serged [a method of finishing fabric edges], and that’s why all of the old jeans are cut really square on the side, they had to follow the fabric’s vertical line to get that hem.

And why is selvage so desirable?

Because it’s old. Because it’s not done anymore, it’s not the norm, right?

Does it make for a better pant?

I think that now it’s a hallmark; it’s a premium product. It’s for those who want that level of authenticity. You want it to look old-school? That’s something to look for.

What about wear?

In terms of wear, I would say that raw denim wears faster than washed. Dry denim is quite stiff and abrasive, and anything raw that rubs against itself, rubs that much faster. If you cuff a pair of jeans, which a lot people do with selvage, because they want to show off the selvage, the raw jean will actually saw its way through and cut through the cuff a lot faster than a washed pair. Wear-points on most guys are in the rise, the whiskering on the front, and the back of the knee.

Is there a way you can wash raw denim without it shrinking too much?

People have got all sorts of crazy ways of washing their jeans. Talk about washing with salt, washing with Woolite, just wetting them in the tub, wearing them in the tub, wearing them in the shower, using shampoo, swimming in the ocean, not washing them, putting them in the freezer to kill the bacteria, dry cleaning. I mean you can do all of those things, if that turns your crank, go ahead wear them in the tub. But ultimately you’re doing the same kind of thing. You can literally spot clean them if you want to, you know, damp cloth, that kind of thing.

Where do you see raw and selvage denim figuring into menswear today?

Everybody wants something different out of their jeans. There are guys who only want them dark, and want them to stay dark for a more dressy look. They don’t like faded jeans, they don’t like any distressing, and they want to keep them that way. But there are guys that ultimately want them worn out, and want to do it themselves. That’s kind of the cool thing about the raw denim and buying it dead-stock and wearing it until it’s, you know—

Dead?

Yeah, dead, exactly. Those people like the journey.

For more men’s fashion coverage, visit our Men’s Spring Style Guide.