Choosing a good DENIM fabric – (Very) Well Dressed #2

Dear friends, here we go again for a new episode of (Très) Bien Habillé!

Today, we are going to give a little (over)refresher on the basics : we're going to talk about jeans.

Not their cut, their manufacturing or their style but only their canvas, and how to choose it well.

Because this is undoubtedly the most important thing in jeans: a good fabric is the central element that distinguishes the good from the mediocre. We will obviously start by talking about raw indigo fabrics, which are a bit of a basic piece to have, but faded, black, gray and even white or ecru jeans will not be left out!

Each of these types of denim has its own specificities, and its little tips to know in order to choose them well.

1. The right canvas

We start with the basis to recognize a good canvas: the visual aspect. And of course, we must talk about the raw indigo first, since it will serve as a starting point for learning to recognize the other beautiful canvases.

A beautiful raw denim fabric is both "deep" (that is to say its color is intense), "luminous" (exposed to direct light, the fabric gives off reflections) and "nuanced" (its blue is composed of various shades.)

2. Weight and rigidity

Raw denim is known for its rigid and cardboardy appearance when new (which always surprises newbies).

The weight of the canvas is also an important factor: not only because it allows you to estimate which season a pair of jeans is intended for , but also to assess its robustness, and, in a certain way, its quality.

Heavier jeans are not necessarily of better quality, and there are very beautiful “summer” fabrics deliberately designed to be lighter.

Despite everything, low-end brands prefer lighter canvases mainly because they are less expensive.

And brands that do not provide weight information tend to design their products for undemanding customers (at a minimum, less demanding than you after this video 😏).

For the joke: the famous Naked & Famous raw jeans which broke records for thickness, so much so that they stood up on their own. (Don’t worry, this is a special case)

3. Selvedge or not?

How can we talk about denim fabric without addressing the question of “selvedge”?

This word, which was completely unknown to the general public 20 years ago, is now at the tip of all the pens of the specialized media, and which we see attached to jeans of all price ranges.

We will also talk about the most recognized countries of origin for denim.

The selvedge edging... Do these simple little white bands at the edge of the canvas guarantee quality?

4. The case of faded

We will see the three most common types of faded blues: "rince", "stone" and "bleach".

And why there is one of the three that I recommend less than the others.

Obviously, at the risk of knocking open doors, we will remember that when it comes to washing, a certain sobriety remains necessary to avoid falling into the nightmare zone of the worst trends of the end of the 90's...

Bleach jeans are a piece with great potential, as long as we avoid very coarse washes (which had tarnished its reputation in the past, including in our columns.)

4. The case of white jeans , light blue jeans, black jeans , and gray jeans...

Did you think we would only talk about blue? No, don't worry, the other colors are also covered.

For example, I would explain to you why most gray jeans are not worth the detour in my opinion... And how to find gray jeans that are an exception to the rule! (tip: it’s linked to the industrial technique which allows you to obtain gray denim).

I would tell you what advantages and disadvantages raw black canvases have compared to indigo canvases.

And how do you recognize a good blank canvas when concretely... At a glance, you don't notice any difference from one canvas to another. (Well yes, it’s all white).

Enjoy your viewing!

PS: In this video, I wear...

• A BonneGueule cotton & camel tee .
• A Momotaro denim jacket.