Category: Denimopedia

Steady Eddie Dry Selvage, worn by Jason for 13 months with 1 wash  When I bought my Steady Eddies in May of 2014 they were released as a new fit and I liked the fit right away; . It was love at first sight. I took it as a mission to break in this bad boy. My dedication helped me through the first five months of non stop wear and tear. The transformation of the jeans felt unreal. My Steady Eddies are the first pair of Nudie Jeans denim I own and the first drys I’ve ever tried to break in. I’ve never regretted the last part. No repairs yet, but I foresee a crotch blowout in the near future. I’m teaching my 10 month old son to crawl, so I expect some great fades on the knees. I’ve carried a wooden coin in my right back pocket for a while, until it cracked. But it left a nice mark.

Only 3 months of wear and we’re seeing results that most people would spend 18 months and fat wad of cash to develop. Let’s just say that hard work does pay off. This is the next installment in the 12 month break-in journey. April journal entry: Work has been crazy. Long, 9-10 hour days. Building some very specific custom homes. It’s been a challenge on a skill level, which is good. Its a perfect time to grow in my abilities. Weekends have also been full of travel adventures. One to Vancouver to check out the international car show and one just to leave the city to get some solitude. Most days now are in its mid 20’s, Kelowna couldn’t be any better weather wise.

The way you way you wear your jeans, what you do, becomes as unique as a fingerprint. It’s kinda crazy when you think about it. – I’m not new to breaking in denim, but this was my first encounter with heavyweight selvage denim. I’ve worn my 18 oz. selvage Steady Eddies non stop since I first got them in November; working in my studio, power sliding on dance floors and out on different adventures with my buddies. – I just soaked them for the first time and I recognized the fade patterns from previous broken in denim. The way you way you wear your jeans, what you do, becomes as unique as a fingerprint. It’s kinda crazy when you think about it.

I kinda realized that there are no right or wrong way to break in denim. Just wear them and love them. They will be great regardless – I’ve broken in many a pair of dry denim, so with this pair I was aiming for never, or at least 12 months. That didn’t happen, but I wore them for five months straight, with no exception, before my son smeared curry sauce all over my lap. However, I was really satisfied with how they turned out. And I kinda realized that there are no right or wrong way to break in denim. Just wear them and love them. They will be great regardless, since they reflect what you’ve been through. – A few repairs here and there, but nothing big, really. I had a cocktail umbrella jammed into my leg at one point, but that only left a permanent mark on me, and being a father takes it toll on knees. These Grim Tims are probably the best pair of denim I ever owned.

Kids are not only really sweet people, they are also the perfect when it comes to breaking in denim. Edwin has worn his Black Selvage Grim Tims for 6 months and the time spent on his knees, and in the sandbox has really made them look great.

Breaking in denim. A long arduous journey, lasting at least 6 months, or that’s what we  recommend. There really is no right or wrong way to go about it, but as long as you wear them a lot, give them all the love and attention they deserve, you will end up with a beautiful set of denim. Meet Steven Wickenheiser. Carpenter, musician, coffee lover and overall creative. He lives in Kelowna, BC, Canada. We will follow Steven and his dry denim kit for a year. The jeans and jacket will be worn primarily at work, so let’s go to work. Tell us about yourself – I have been doing carpentry since I graduated high school, I got asked by my brother to work for him and his company, and I love hands-on work, so I decided to. I love being creative. Plus you can never really go wrong with learning how to build a house or the things inside it. – Kelowna is the California of Canada. Beautiful warm summers with nice cold winters for the ski hill. We have all that weather has to offer. We have everything from hiking trails down to entertaining places to eat. Any other creative outlets? – I love making and playing music when I’m not working, I play bass and acoustic guitar and have been trying to get better at drums lately, working hard at understanding how they all go together in a band setting. – Photography has been another outlet to get my creative side out. I love capturing moments in people's lives.

Here’s Martin’s High Kai Recycle Dry Navy. Reckless living, holes and a whole lot of repairs. This is what love looks when you put in 6 months of everyday wear. – These were my go-to pair of jeans pretty much every day for 6 months. I did everything in them, and I might have exaggerated it a bit just to break them in perfectly. In my opinion, I did a pretty decent job. I’m particularly proud of the fact that all repairs are done by me. – I got them from the Vallgatan Repair Shop in the spring of 2012, and in November I turned them inside-out and threw them in the washing machine for the first time. 60 °c, no-bleach detergent. Nowadays, I can’t even wear them half a day without them breaking. It’s a shame, really.

This is how we hem jeans at Nudie Jeans Hemming is something that divides denim wearers into four categories. Some are opposed to it and wouldn’t even consider it. Others would, but only if it’s done with the proper tools, i.e. a chain stitch machine. The third category are the ones who would allow it, if the original seam is reattached. Then there’s the lot who simply don’t give a hoot. All these opinions aside, we give you a simple guide on how to hem your jeans. This is how we usually do it, or at least in 99% of every hemming case. When you have measured your denim, don’t cut them off according to what measure you got. You have to subtract at least one inch/2.5 centimeters from the original measure so that you have something to hem. We cannot stress this enough. If your jeans are just a tad too long, or they only need a little bit of hemming, wear them for some time and maybe wash them before hemming. If they are still a bit too long, we recommend you use a seam ripper and do as stated above. Further tips and pointers Remember that practice makes perfect – make a few test runs on a pair of jeans that you no longer use. At our Repair Shops, we got powerful sewing machines, but the ones people have at home will do just fine. However, before you start hemming, make sure the needle is up for the task. The needles we use are a lot stronger and won’t break as you hem the jeans Also, make sure you use a thread that’s a bit thicker than average. Ask your local sewing supply expert, they’ll know what to use.

Long John worn by Peter for 3 years, 5 Washes “I pretty much lived in my jeans for a year. Together we’ve been to four festivals and five countries. They’ve kept me company on the bus, on the bike and at the pub. Looking back, I realize I spent more time with my jeans than with my friends. They’ve been washed five times now, and are a bit fragile, but it’s better to burn out than to fade away.” This is where every journey starts!

Since 1983 he’s been a member of legendary Swedish rockers Sator, and his still deep in the rock game. Kent Norberg and his bandmates are still touring, only not as much as back in the day. A while back he visited us at the office and brought a pair of Slim Jims that’s done over 100 gigs, but still, look fresh. – There might not be a lot of wear and tear, but they are way more shiny and leather-like, which I love. There are some honeycombs developing and the pockets are starting to fray. But I’ll keep wearing these for another 100 gigs and hopefully, you can do a feature on them again. My bandmates tell me I transpire like a fish. I’ve done many gigs with my leather jacket on, and I hardly ever break a sweat. These jeans have been on the road for sure. From Svalbard in the north of Norway, down to Italy, by way of Holland, Belgium, Germany, and all the other Nordic countries.

Those of you who follow us on the regular often come in contact with the term selvage or selvedge. This refers to the self-bound edges of the selvage fabric. If you sneak a peek on the outseam of someone’s cuffed denim you will either see the joining edges with either a overcast seam or the coveted selvage. The selvage fabric is weaved on old shuttle looms. It has a tighter and denser weave than non-selvage denim, which makes the fabric heavier and sturdier. One single weft thread is passed back and forth under one or two warp threads, creating a natural edge on the fabric that won’t unravel. The old looms create variations and imperfections, which makes for more unique texture of the fabric. The colored thread stitched in the warp was a way for the fabric manufacturers to the tell rolls apart, when they produced for different jean manufacturers. If you take a closer look at our selvage denim you see that we have our own orange selvage. When the demand for denim exploded in the 1950s, American manufacturers switched to projectile looms that were more cost efficient. The fabric is made with weft threads are shot in only one direction, making the finished edges frayed and in need of an overcast seam. In the 80’s Japanese companies saw a bigger interest in traditional made denim and bought pretty much every old shuttle loom they could get their hands on and started producing selvage fabric. Today, many people claim that Japanese selvage denim is superior to other selvage denim. We use a couple of different selvage fabrics, but our long time favorite is the Japanese selvage denim from Kaihara Mills. What sets the Kaihara selvage apart from other selvage fabrics is that it’s multifaceted. It will break in beautifully – most selvage fabrics do – but the Kaihara gives different, more personal result. Also, the result will vary every time you break it in.

“I got these in February 2010 and wore them every single day for a year before I finally washed them. They have been washed once a year since then. There are really no fun facts about the wear, tear, and repairs. When you wear them a lot the crotch, and knees will eventually wear out, so I have had a fair deal of repairing done. I still enjoy putting them on, but now they’re hanging on the wall at the Vallgatan Repair Shop in Gothenburg.” It all starts with a pair of drys. Go get them, tiger

Sharp Bengt worn by Melker for 1 year and 4 months “I got this pair of Sharp Bengts just before the summer. I wore them every day until the end of the summer the following year. They have been through rain and shine with festivals, fishing trips, at work and everyday life. The hole in the coin pocket is from my earplugs. Being the father of a little guy has taken its toll on the knees, especially the left one. I got some white paint on them while painting my flat. I still haven’t washed them, just turned them inside out and hung them outside. I will try to repair the turn-up rips before washing them, but I think the crotch will have to wait until after that first wash.” Every pair of Nudie Jeans denim comes with free repairs for as long as the jeans are repairable. This can be done either by us at our Repair Shops, or by you! For those of you living too far away from the Repair Shops, we offer a free Repair Kit. The kit contains all you need to perform repairs on your beloved denim. This is a way to bond even more with you jeans; also, it’s great fun.

Grim Tim worn by Tobbe for 15 months. I used this pair of Grim Tim about seven months before I first washed them. When they were still brand new, I was wearing them on a great summer’s night at Debaser in Stockholm where I managed to spill a full pint into my lap. Don’t know if that had a positive effect on the outcome, but at least I’d like to think so. In total I’ve been using them for about 15 months and now they have been blessed with a second wash. Both times inside out at 60 degrees Celsius. Your next pair could be beautiful like these. Start your break-in project today: http://nj.io/rkPB