Zagat Review 2014 Outstanding

This is our 2014 Zagat review. As you can see we received an OUTSTANDING review again. This is very exciting because it is reviewed by our customers. We always do whatever we can to make each and every customer happy and apparently it shows. This is a huge accomplishment, Zagat does not give out OUTSTANDING reviews too frequently.  Thanks to all of our customers for making this happen we really appreciate it.

  Jeans Shop Staff

What's the deal with raw, selvedge denim?

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It’s the strangest thing when a customer comes into Jean Shop not knowing what selvedge denim is. Rookies!

Just Kidding.. sort of.

So what exactly is selvedge denim and why is it worth educating yourself on?

The word Selvedge pretty much defines itself: It is “self” and “edge” crammed together to make one word. Both edges of the fabric are finished off, and this keeps the fabric from unraveling or fraying. Selvedge is literally a sign of high-end, high-quality denim, so show those bad boys off.This is also bringing it back to the classics, the vintage looms. 

Speaking of vintage, the idea of wearing denim from the raw state is just that; vintage. Denim was originally meant to be lived-in, worn, and beaten up. The more you live in them, the better jeans get.

If you’ve never gotten the chance to try on a pair of raw, selvedge denim and see how they age, I suggest you do it because you’re missing out. Being educated on denim is like anything else – nobody wants to be “that guy” who doesn’t get it.  Style preference of course, but you can also try cuffing your jeans to let the selvedge show. You might be surprised by how many double takes you get in a day. 

So you’re welcome. The next time you’re on the subway and see some cute girl or guy on the subway rockin’ some sweet selvedge denim, throw them a compliment or simply point and say, “I get it!”  And spread the word to your friends that might be a little..behind in the denim game.

This jean has amazing wear on it, the customer brought them in to show us and we traded for them. We have them on the wall in our store in the Meat Packing District in NYC. Come and visit.  Jean Shop did some of the repair work but not all of it, very very nice. 

It's Okay To Wash Your Jeans.

I’ve been told by first time visitors to Jean Shop that what’s holding them back from trying raw denim is the high maintenance of it all. The possibility of ruining a pair of jeans by using a basic washing machine is a turn-off. 

Putting your jeans in the washing machine won’t cause them to dissolve into thin air (or, water?) or damage the jeans. It will halt the natural ageing process, which is what those who avoid washing are trying to prevent. The longer you wait before you give your jeans their first wash, the more defined the wear pattern will be, and the better they will fit you. As raw denim breaks in, the soften up and mold to your body. The more time it has to do that, the more customized your jeans will feel when you put them on.

For those of you who aren’t interested in honeycombing, pocket impressions, and naturally formed holes, you can give your jeans a cold water wash(by hand or in a machine) and hang dry them.

For those of you who are interested in watching your jeans age, you should check out Denim Debate. They’ve got a great line-up of people taking that exact route, with great tips on making it through the break-in process.