Selvage Lab – recreating history

A PAIR OF WELL-WORN dry denim jeans can tell a story about its owner. And two different pairs will never look exactly the same. Where the creases end up depends on the fit, and how you wear your jeans.
Keeping your wallet or keys in your back pocket will leave marks on the denim fabric. These marks will become even more evident once you wash your jeans. The spots from your bicycle chain, or those holes from the time you got stuck in that barbed wire. Together, all those marks, stains, and spots tell the story of what your jeans have experienced.

AT THE NUDIE JEANS SELVAGE LAB we work with the best denim artists and laundry experts to recreate that special pair of worn jeans. Only high-quality selvage denim is used. Recreating a pair of jeans and giving them an authentic look takes craftsmanship and a stroke of genius. Not to mention time and patience. The creases on the thighs and the back of the knees have to be in exactly the right places. Folded sandpaper, with the right grit, is used to create streaks on the denim. The seams, pockets, and waistband also get a go with the sandpaper in order to imitate a year or so of daily use. Rasps are used to carefully create holes, which are patched after washing.

The final magic takes place in the washing machine, where the indigo bleeds out, revealing the result of the wear and tear. It takes a trained eye to know how much “damage” to inflict on the jeans. Every treatment is accentuated in the washing machine.