Been wearing my Uniqlo Kiehara for over 10 years now. Still looks brand new. Mine has button flies. Not anywhere to this level of wear but I go to work in office. It’s a great product! At this point, I’ve definitely gotten mileage over value.
I love selvedge denim, but after owning over 30 pairs I realised that yes I am getting a better quality product but also at a bigger price. For anyone who is ready to start their selvedge journey, please please don’t buy too many pairs, although I know each pair has its own uniqueness but the whole point of selvedge denim is to have less quantity but higher quality, my advice is to go for what you want the most, not buying everything. Great videos with good philosophy behind, definitely don’t test the water by starting with Uniqlo selvedge or gap, otherwise you will likely to end up with many pairs you don’t 100% like.
Thanks John! If I only knew what I know now… a $500 selvedge can last a couple of decades and actually comes out cheaper than buying 10 pairs of cheap jeans. Besides, there’s no story behind those fast style jeans…
The whole point of selvedge denim is creating your own story... Uniqlo's selvedge can hold up for those 10 years for sure. And to suggest someone should spend $300 before trying a $50 pair, is absolutely ridiculous. $50 is very low risk and the value/price ratio is insane.
Hello Chris. I dig your channel. I just wanted to say that all of my selvedge denim, with the exception of my type 1 LVC jacket, which i found at a flea market, I have found at thrift shops. My first pair is from Gustin. To be honest, 90% of the time I come home empty handed as I am focused in my purchases. (I'm an out of work actor) But I love the hunt. I did find a pair of the Uniqlo selvedge a few months ago. But I rarely wear them. Maybe it's too much of a modern cut. Or they're a bit dressy for the heritage look I'm going for. But, Ironically, my favorite pair that I wear almost daily is a from G, by Guess. They are made in China, which I don't feel great about. But, being a thrifter, at least I'm not putting my money directly back into the system, if that makes sense. These jeans are very well made. I would say better than my Naked and Famous jeans. The G's are slubby, thick and don't have that greasy feeling that the Gustins have. They are forming to my body and the fades are coming in nicely. Oh, by the way, I recently thrifted a pair of what I THOUGHT was a pair of selvedge denim from Zara. Nope! they have a six inch strip of selvedge trim tacked onto the seam at the cuff. I'd feel like an imposter if i wore these. Have ya'll seen this before? I've seen pairs with false stitching, but not a straight up fake before. Weird! Anyway, keep it up. Maybe one day I can swing a new, crisp pair of TCB, Iron Heart or The Real McCoy's. But until then, I'll continue the hunt. Many blessing on you, brother. -Kristian
Hey Kristian! Wow man, good deal. I also frequent thrift stores and garage sales in hopes something good that I’m looking for shows up. With the exception of a pair of Red Wing 1907, I really haven’t come across any selvedge jeans. Nothing wrong with thrifting! I loved thrifting when I was stationed in Okinawa Japan. There was a ton of selvedge jeans but unfortunately none fit me. The common sizes were 30s waist and I’m a tight 34 haha! Gotta be careful about those fake selvedge. They are out there. Make sure you turn them inside out to make sure. Thanks for the discussion here. Cheers!!
Thank you very much for your excellent overview on Selvedge ieans.I am a new entrant to this segment ,& have learnt useful information to guide folks in the lookout for selvedge jeans.Thank you 👍
I just purchased the Selvage Badlands Starkweather 13 ounce denim jacket from Bravestar. I am very happy with the jacket. So far all my selvage denim has been from Naked and Famous, Unbranded and Bravestar. Great quality for the price. Working towards getting a pair of jeans from Iron Heart next. Chris, I really enjoy your broadcast! Keep up the good work.
Hey thanks Walter! More vids coming as time allows. I too have a couple of Bravestar and definitely give it to this company to make their amazing high quality product available for such a bargain!
I can appreciate heritage. But first and foremost is fit. I just got into raw denim. First pair from gustin. They fit decent and I have now worn them for 4 months. Had to wash earlier then planned, as a result of a house project I have been working on. I put on a pair of jeans with a little stretch, while I was waiting a day for them to dry. I had forgotten how comfortable my other pair are. And they drape perfectly on me. Technically they are not selvedge. But they are very dark.(side note * they are new as well.) I think with enough time and following the rule of waiting as long as I can between washes and not drying them that I will end up with a really nice fade as well. Hopefully over time the gustin jeans will be close in comfort and overall fit. But so far I like my much cheaper jeans better. The main draw is that these are raw and I should get a better high contrast fade out of them. As curious as I am to try the more expensive brands, I am not certain that it is worth it. Only time will tell.
I have a few pairs of non-selvedge jeans that I use when working on my projects. I put them on whenever I know that the day will be spent on the ground and I get really greasy. Gustin’s are like Brave Stars in which the price is decent and the product is pretty good. Tough to break in and get to the faded phase but it will get there. On the other hand, the Iron Heart 666s is more expensive but comfortable out of the box and getting to the faded phase really quickly. It also forms to my legs and waist easily. I think we all have a level of comfort when it comes to getting into more expensive selvedge and there is absolutely nothing wrong with owning a sub-100 selvedge and owning one for a long time. Thanks and have fun with this adventure!
Thank you for the quick reply. Yes gustin is a very slow fading Jean I am finding out. But these jeans are built like a tank. Even the knees have hardly faded and I am always bending down working on projects. I wish they were more forgiving in movement but that should improve over time. I usually destroy a pair of jeans in the Knees, in the first year. Raw denim is definitely built stronger and better. It is interesting how different raw denim can be though. As in the case of iron heart being so soft out of the gate. And gaining character quicker. At some point I may have to try the more expensive brands.
I have two pairs from G-star raw selvedge denim jeans. G-star raw selvedge denim are button fly and the quality is excellent. Still a lot cheaper than 💯 Japanese made selvedge denim jeans that used natural indigo from plant extracts.
Nice, I couldn't find G-star that goes with my old school self. Most I've seen have bold designs. Nothing is wrong with that, just not my style. Thanks!
So glad you came out with this review, I have a few pairs of Bravestar and love them. I have been looking into Uniqlo to have as a couple supplemental pairs, that don't fade quite as much and can be worn in an office setting (and have some stretch). How is the sizing? That is the biggest thing that has held me back since there isn't a physical location near me, will have to order online. In bravestar I am a 34 in the slim taper, but have heard the uniqlo fit a little tighter, would you recommend sizing up?
Hi, thank you! I’m glad this is useful. I too have Bravestars. I’m a 34 on regular jeans and ordered my BS as size 34 as well. I honestly did not read the sizing instructions from BS and my 14.5 oz have stretched out a bit to a 35.5 on the waist (true to the website sizing). I just wear a belt for now until I can take them in. As far as UNIQLO, yes, they are a bit tighter than usual. After wearing them a few times, I’ve gotten used to them now. Luckily these ones have a stretch which helps with comfort. I would recommend for you to make sure that the online store has a good return policy. They usually do. Order a size 34 and try it on first. Hope this helps! Thanks again!
Yes, I agree. I own the 14.5 regular straight (Come Mills selvedge) Bravestar and they are definitely up there in quality at an affordable price. Maybe I’ll include that info on my next video. From my understanding, Brave Star got a hold of plenty of Cone Mills selvedge before the loom factory closed and only make jeans whenever a quantity of orders are met so they don’t waste them. That’s another reason they sell them at a much lower price. I also have the 21.5 heavy duty Japanese selvedge and for $128 it is comparable to my 21 oz Iron Heart.
Hi Chris I agree, I’d rather buy 1 pair of top quality Selvedge and enjoy having them fade and age uniquely to me. But there is is a place for cheaper Selvedge and at 50 bucks they are a bargain.
Yes and no. It all depends on the individual’s outlook and choice. I’m used to wearing my military gear (MARPATs) in more humid climates like Okinawa so it doesn’t bother me. On the other hand, I’m not your normal local boy. Yes, I do wear shorts but not all the time. I’ve always been a leader vs a follower of trends. Thanks!
@@StylishGreaseMonkey give a chance to European Benzak Candiani very well made the most eco denim in the world,i have selvedge in brave star,levis,and Benzak candiani 15 oz, bat my favorite its very low price wrangler 936 rigid,good fades,last longer,great jeans,wonderful color...great bike Buddy.
It's not for everyone. If you are thinking of riding, take the Basic Course and you'll find out if it is for you or not. I took that course when I was 18 years old but have been riding for a couple of years before that. Good luck and be safe out there.
Well, the Uniqlo costs 49 Bucks, the Flat heads 300. So you can buy 6 Uniqlos for the price of one Flat Head jeans. The law of diminishing returns comes into play here. Are the Flat Heads 6 times better? Will they last 6 times longer? Do they look 6 times better? Are they made 6 times better? Is the selvedge 6 times better? The answer is probably no. From a realistic standpoint, the Uniqlo are better value for money. Taste is another matter. As far as heritage goes, a real pair of heritage jeans would be the Lee 101 Riders, for instance. James Dean wore them. Lee was founded in the 1890`s. That's real heritage. The Osaka 5 didn't start making denim until the late 80's, and they copied USA brands. They are still basically copies. I do know what you mean, though.
I don't know but this video and such a comparison wasn't required. If only price told the heritage, only sky is the limit. Uniqlo also has it's heritage. You may like any other brand but this video could not tell Uniqlo is any which way inferior to other costly brands. I sometimes feel that, we humans are such sadists' that we don't appreciate humble efforts and sacrifices someone at some corner of the world is doing put a smile of satisfaction on our faces.
In the world of Selvedge, the U.S. still pushes out quality denim. I know the cone mills of the Carolinas left behind tons of selvedge used by creators such as Brave Star. We can’t forget about Red Wings also. There are a lot of pretty bad ass American products we share with the world still and not limited to weapons and burgers lol. I do love Japan selvedge but at the end of the day, the heritage of Japan selvedge is a gift of opportunity from the American businesses that left those old mills there. Japan loves American products and they are naturally full of artisan products and workers. Cheers!!!
Who cares or can see what you wear at 50 feet? Just for a turn up? I like Japanese jeans for the dyeing process of real indigo flowers. That’s all . Rest of the time， tough rigid and raw will do .
