Article: What pair of jeans should every guy own?

Jeans are versatile as a motherfucker. Every guy will have a few different pairs on rotation — light blue, dark blue, black, grey, ripped, distressed, washed, straight, skinny and the endless list goes on.

But if you could only have one pair of denim jeans, what would you choose? For us, the answer is always: Raw Selvedge Denim.

What is Raw Selvedge Denim?

To explain what Raw Selvedge Denim is, we’ll define its building blocks.

• Raw Denim: Denim that has not been washed or pre-distressed. The dye (usually indigo) will rub off or fade as you wear your jeans, creases will become more pronounced and the jeans become more ‘personalised’ to your form.
• Selvedge Denim: Denim that was produced on a shuttle loom, that creates a ‘self-edge’, hence the term selvedge. The fabric produced can have either tight or a loose weave. Most mills producing the denim care about the process and leading to higher quality fabric.
• Raw Selvage Denim: With their powers combined, raw selvedge denim is made from high quality materials and is made to fade.

Why though?

Because raw selvedge denim will age with you. Similar to a great leather jacket, it will tell stories of where you’ve been and show scars of how you got here.

They’re also really versatile, from formal to casual and in-between.

When you first get them they’ll play the role of your formal jeans, great for Friday and Saturday nights out. They’ll be dark enough to dress up but not too casual.

After some time of breaking in, you’ll notice that unique wrinkles will have formed at the knees and the jeans have gone from a dark indigo to a pleasant blue. This is when they’ve transformed into your everyday, most comfortable pair of casual jeans.

Then after years of use, maybe a few repairs here and there it will be time to relegate this pair to working around the house or the garden. They’ll have served their time and will be close to retirement.

Essentially raw selvedge denim is a triple threat, 3 pairs of jeans in one. Once you fall in love with your first pair, it won’t be long til you get the rotation right and have a pair of jeans for every occasion.

The jeans pictured in this article were provided by Urban Lupe, a boutique store selling premium men’s clothing brands. Affordable Earl interviewed Edison, the owner of Urban Lupe. Read the interview.