Gustin is a young brand that has managed to address the growing audience of lovers of beautiful jeans. In doing so, it has secured a good place for itself in the selvedge jean landscape.
There are many reasons for this craze, and you will discover them in detail in this article: the finishes, canvases that are out of the ordinary, lots of choice, and excellent value for money.
Slim model jeans from Gustin on Geoffrey
(with a pair of Heschung shoes, and a Commune De Paris sweatshirt).
A good product for winter (here with a Woolrich parka).
Inspection of Gustin jeans finishes
A lot of care is taken in the finishing of Gustin jeans, for this price range. Without laughing, they thought of everything. Semi-lined pockets, selvedge belt loops, selvedge fly, chain-stitch hems, chain-stitch ticket pocket... Gustin wants you to know that they put as much effort into making their jeans as possible. This is why most of the finishes are sewn with a beautiful, visible red thread.
As a reminder, we taught you what the finishes of high-end jeans were here: How to recognize high-end jeans?
What exactly is it about? I have carefully photographed everything there is to show you.
Semi-lined back pockets
I find this detail very well thought out. When you slip your keys into the back pocket, it is unlikely that with wear you will tear the top of the pocket. This semi-dubbing therefore makes perfect sense. This is why I tolerate the demarcation seam in the middle of the pocket, on the outside, where I usually prefer a really clean pocket like at APC or Naked and Famous.
Lined pockets, holed stitch pockets.
Chain stitch hem
Stronger than the simple hem, it is slightly raised while a simple seam is very flat. On jeans, we find chain stitches and simple stitches almost everywhere. You will also find a chain stitch along the waist, with the simple stitch still appearing on the rounded seam that runs along the entrance to the front pockets.
For me, this is a good benchmark to identify high-end jeans at first glance. On the other hand, this is not a really useful detail since most men will have to have a hem made in an alteration anyway where the tailor will make a simple hem (unless you specify otherwise, and pay extra. And again... few retouchers have a machine allowing them to sew this famous chain stitch).
Zoom on the canvas.
Ticket pocket with chain stitches
This is a detail that will be appreciated by purists but which, in my humble opinion, is not of much interest. In fact, I can't imagine the thread tearing after intensive use of this little storage space. Conversely, after several months of wear, it is not uncommon to see the interior thread of the pockets gradually wear out until there are a few loose stitches.
Again, this is an indicator of the care taken in manufacturing. You are then free to skip this type of detail, when they are not functionally very important.
In red, the chain stitch seams.
Selvedge belt loops
This time, it's a styling detail; it is of course very discreet, and that in no way changes the very easy-to-wear character of raw jeans. If you are a lover/collector of high-end jeans, you might have fun collecting selvedge edging in different colors
The leather patch
For me, this leather patch is quite aesthetic. It has a “mistreated” appearance because it is very thin, and the leather has some veins.
The sum of it all is...
It is all of these finishes that make me say that Gustin offers excellent value for money. You will find out how this is possible for jeans ranging from $90 to $130 (and $23 shipping costs), in the section on the economic model.
The Web
The jeans I tested are a very standard model, that is to say one of the most basic fabrics offered by Gustin. The weft is a beautiful blue indigo (couldn't be more classic), but the warp is not really white, but rather beige. This should logically be seen when washing, for a very workwear look.
Which brings me to the question of their paintings which are out of the ordinary.
Gustin and his paintings in limited series... (test canvas: 116699)
For me, this is a key asset of the brand. Of course the price is almost unbeatable considering the finishes, but that's not all. Having a good old raw jean with great finishes for excellent value for money is already very good. But discovering on top of that, that the brand offers a plethora of rare or new paintings, really arouses my curiosity, as well as that of the community of fans.
Remember the crazy jeans from Naked and Famous? The heaviest jeans in the world, "guaranteed uncomfortable or your money back", scratch and sniff jeans, fluorescent jeans...? I really appreciate the fact that Gustin offers beautiful original canvases at this price level, but the most bizarre innovations, the truly unique and never-before-seen canvases, still come from Naked and Famous .
Gustin, however, offers beautiful paintings, which really have things to tell. What do I mean by that? Let's see this as an example.
Some original paintings at Gustin
The rainbow nep has the particularity of having a very subtly mixed weft of colored threads. The result is almost imperceptible on the right side of the fabric, but we obtain truly unique raw jeans, for a very reasonable price... (to be clear: the weft is the white thread and the warp, the blue.)
"Rainbow" for rainbow,
which can be explained by all the colors mixed into the frame.
I think this example is quite revealing of how a painting can stand out from the ordinary. In general, you will find this "system" which leaves room for numerous experiments: namely a classic indigo warp, paired with an original weft.
This is how you will find blue jeans with a black chain , which offer a very different light catch than usual. Or a white chain, not cotton, but silk . We therefore find jeans that will be lighter for summer, but which will remain robust, and which also benefit from a silky feel (well yes, that makes sense).
“True Blue Silk” canvas that features a silk chain.
You will also find Pima cotton, organic cotton, etc. It's a bit like the open bar of jeans.
The grain of the canvas
You also have the choice between many classic canvases, but which clearly stand out from each other when placed side by side. This allows me to clearly illustrate the notion of “grain” in the canvas.
Indeed, some canvases have a very smooth finish, while others reveal numerous small white dots with no discernible pattern. It is of course the weft thread that appears.
Is there a canvas that is better than the other? There is certainly a small difference in quality, but for me it is above all a question of taste: everyone has their own preference.
Compare for example this canvas which leaves nothing visible, to this one where the frame is more visible.
Gustin canvases of different thicknesses
We have seen the little aesthetic and comfort follies, but on more functional criteria, you have the possibility of choosing from different weights.
What is it actually used for? To be able to wear beautiful raw jeans even in summer, thanks to 9 oz fabrics . While the standard canvas is more like 13 oz or 13.5 oz, which is already high for summer. If you are a man, a real one, Gustin even offers canvases over 16 oz.
“Super Light” canvas with a weight of 9 oz,
for lightweight summer jeans.
And where does all this choice come from?
Where do these paintings come from? Everywhere, since they systematically indicate "comes from one of the best cotton factories in XXX". Replace XXX with Japan, Greensboro (North Carolina), or Italy.
The fabrics certainly come from all over the world, but where are the jeans assembled? Once again, there's a bit of everything: some are made in Japan - in Okayama (we've already told you about Okayama here) - but most are assembled in San Francisco. For this information, refer to the product sheet for each jean.
The cuts at Gustin
Gustin only offers two cuts: straight and slim. But I must warn you, the slim cut is not really one: we are talking about a really wide cut at the thighs and buttocks. Be really aware of this when you order, because we are really on very loose American standards, even on the slim. This is the only point that is a bit of a shame about the brand, namely its poor adaptation to European cutting standards.
Even on Geoffrey who has strong thighs,
we see that there is quite a bit of space left.
And if like me you're slender, thin, ectomorphic, with a tall stem (choose the label you like best), think twice: you risk floating in your skinny jeans.
On this subject, Stephen de Gustin was very honest with me, which is very nice coming from a designer: " we know that our slim fit is not very fitted - that will probably come at some point, along the way "
On the other hand, if you have a strong physique, then this cut will suit you very well. If you have muscular thighs (riding, cycling etc.), don't worry, it will also suit you very well . And if the slim fit is too tight (which I can't imagine), then the straight fit will be perfect.
Those with muscular thighs have a cut here that will suit them well.
We have a tight side to the shoes,
but with very generous thighs.
Gustin and crowdsourcing
Gustin doesn't work like other brands: they rely on a pre-order model, which is very similar to that of Kickstarter, the platform on which the brand was initially launched.
Concretely, denim fabrics are offered regularly. And if a sufficient number of customers reserve a pair of jeans, they "back" the operation, and production is launched. Customers are then delivered a few months later, as specified at the time of purchase.
You must participate in the financing of productions,
and if the gauge reaches 100%,
your jeans are produced, and sent to you.
You have understood, you cannot see the jeans before purchasing, nor try them on, because everything is done in a just-in-time fashion: no stock, no unsold items, few sales (this is in makes jeans which are returned to them, and a little effort is made during the US sales: the famous Black Friday ). For size, you will therefore have to rely on the size guide on their site.
Obviously, this is a very advantageous model for Gustin. In fact, compared to putting a collection in store, which is a process that requires several months of work and a lot of cash advance, Gustin takes on much less risk, which allows them to offer jeans that are as well priced. (less than $100, provided of course you are patient).
Geoffrey's Slim Gustin jeans again.
My conclusion on Gustin jeans
It’s a very nice offer, varied, and above all very inexpensive. Gustin really has a very good place in the jeans landscape in terms of quality/price ratio, without forgetting that the brand also offers original fabrics.
However, you won't be able to try them on (unless you live in San Francisco), and you will only be able to wear them for a few months after purchasing them. Added to this is management of exchanges based on a model of jeans different from the one you purchased (if you have not chosen the right size or if the cut does not suit you).
But we can only welcome such transparency, and this desire to do well. Few people dare to offer so much innovation in jeans. Well done Gustin!
I'll let you discover more about the brand through these few links:
- An interview with one of the founders , just after their Kickstarter campaign at Electro Gent.
- To learn more about their business model, read this TechCrunch article .
- Gustin's exemplary, and once again honest, communication , this time with Reddit users.
- And finally, their blog , where you will discover beautiful examples of jeans, once weathered by regular wear.
