We cherish well-worn and mended jeans, jeans that become more beautiful the more you wear them, the more you repair them.
Transparency At Nudie Jeans, we believe in being totally open about how we create our products. We want you to know exactly where your favorite garment comes from and how they're made. By knowing all the steps, from the cotton field to the packaging area, also helps us improve the conditions in our supply chain. If we don't know where or how our products are made, we can't make things better. It's thanks to transparent and healthy relationships with the suppliers, we can give you information about CO2 emissions, water usage, and all the suppliers involved in making every piece of garment. It is important for us to visit the suppliers yearly for an exchange of knowledge but also to build and maintain strong relationships. Nudie Jeans supports the Apparel and Footwear Supply Chain Transparency Pledge, which encourages the textile industry to share information about the factories where they produce. You can download a list of all our suppliers from our website. Since 2021, we have added our supplier list to Open Supply Hub. Download full supplier list
Living wages and social impact In many countries, the minimum wage doesn't cover the cost of living, leaving workers struggling to make ends meet. However, we're committed to making a positive change. Since 2013, we've taken steps to ensure that the people who help make our Nudie Jeans products are paid fair wages. Our goal is simple: we believe that everyone involved in producing a Nudie Jeans item should earn a wage they can actually live on. While many in our industry have debated how to achieve this, we've chosen a hands-on approach. We work closely with living wage projects at our suppliers in India and Türkiye. Here we have not only paid our share of living wages but also ensured that organizations like the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) verify that these payments reach the workers. In the Indian supply chain, our use of Fairtrade cotton ensures additional payments directly benefit farming communities. In 2024, we expanded the living wage program to include our leather garment supplier in India, encompassing all Indian main suppliers in the program. We take our responsibility seriously and are proud members of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving conditions for workers. We've been part of FWF since 2009, and their labor standards are incorporated into our Code of Conduct. FWF conducts annual Brand Performance Checks on its members, and the results are available to the public online. Regular social audits and follow-ups are performed at all our production facilities to ensure compliance with these standards and identify areas for improvement. We're pleased to report that the number of worker complaints has been minimal over the years, and these reports can be found on the FWF website. While audits are essential, we also believe in the importance of educating and training employees for lasting change. That's why we've engaged our suppliers and their workers in trainings such as Social Dialogue, Worker Rights Awareness and Female supervisor training. This program, which we facilitate and fund, has been implemented in India, Türkiye, and Tunisia. We are dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of the people who make our products, every step of the way.
We recognize that chemicals are needed in the production of textiles, but our challenge is to reduce the use of harmful chemicals and to increase the use of better chemicals. We want all our products to be safe for consumers, the environment, and the people who work in the production process. One way to ensure that our production is safe for the surrounding environment is to only work with suppliers with proper chemical handling procedures and approved wastewater systems, as chemicals released with wastewater is a large source of chemical pollution in some countries. We have high chemical requirements for all our suppliers, whether production is outside or within Europe. All supplier must comply with European legislation and regulations on chemicals, but in addition, all supplier must sign the Nudie Jeans Chemical Policy including our Restricted Substance List (RSL), that have stricter limitations than the legal requirements for many of the listed chemicals. All chemicals used in the production of Nudie Jeans’ products should comply with the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) created by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) initiative.
Water is one of our most important resources. Access to clean and safe water is crucial for our continued well-being and our existence. As an active player in a very water-intensive industry, we continuously endeavor to reduce water use, but most importantly, we make sure to only work with suppliers with an effective wastewater system in place, to ensure that no contaminated water reaches natural water systems and their ecosystems. To read more about how we work to decrease water use from all stages in the supply chain, from the organic cotton cultivations to the production of our fabrics and the washing of our garments, head over to our sustainability report.
Sometimes we use other fibers and fiber blends in addition to organic cotton. When we, do we are mindful of prioritizing to work with recycled or certified fibers. Based on third party expertise from the textile industry as well as our own experiences we have created The Nudie Jeans Material Tool, as a framework to guide product developers and designers in their fiber and material choices. In short, preferred fibers are recycled or reused biodegradable fibers, or so called Best Practice virgin fibers. Certified organic or equivalent, recyclable but not biodegradable fibers are also preferred but to a slightly lower degree. The traceability of fibers is crucial for determining their level of sustainability, and there are of course plenty of fibers we avoid and do not use at all. To see our complete material tool and read more about the fibers we use on a yearly basis, head over to our sustainability report for all the details.
Nudie Jeans only uses certified organic cotton. Choosing organic cotton means that we reduce our environmental impact from the very first step in the process of making a pair of jeans. Organic cotton is grown without any artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or genetically modified seeds. Organic farming methods eliminate the risks associated with hazardous chemicals used in conventional cotton farming. No toxic chemicals mean not only safer working conditions for the farming communities but also increased soil health, and soil that is suitable for crops that also can supplement farmers’ food and income, boosting biodiversity and supporting local economies. About 70% of the organic cotton used for Nudie Jeans products is sourced from Türkiye, and our second largest sourcing country for cotton is India. We have visited cotton fields in both Türkiye and India as a part of our traceability work and for our interest in learning more about the raw material. The cotton sourced from the Indian supplier Chetna Organic is also Fairtrade certified. This means we have both the positive aspects of organic cotton and the Fairtrade system that guarantees fair working conditions and correct payment to the farmers for their cotton. And there are more benefits. No artificial pesticides or fertilizers mean no energy consumption to produce those substances. Organic cotton is rain-fed to large parts, meaning less irrigation and less strain on already water-scarce areas. With all these facts on hand, it is a mystery why less than 1% of all cotton produced worldwide is organic. "What to choose is a no-brainer. It’s really about common sense." – Joakim Levin, CEO Nudie Jeans Recycled Cotton Using recycled cotton is a great way to decrease our environmental impact. We try to use recycled cotton from our own production or our products when we can. It can be cotton coming from our fabric suppliers own waste streams, or we recycle products that did not live up to our quality standards in production. We also recycle old Nudie jeans that no longer can be repaired or resold through our re-use program.
Ace selvage is a Sturdy, 14.2 oz, redcast selvage denim woven by Shinya Mills in Okayama, Japan.
The history of black denim From its origins as rugged workwear fabric, denim has embarked on an unexpected journey from railroads and goldmines to offices and catwalks. When denim gained popularity as a workwear fabric in the late 19th century, it was primarily produced in indigo blue, leading to the creation of what we now know as "indigo denim." Up until the 1940s and 1950s, denim remained predominantly a workwear material. However, the shift towards denim's fashion appeal began post-WWII in America, driven by the influence of Hollywood movies and economic growth. The 1950s and 1960s witnessed the rise of youth culture and fashion. Indigo denim jeans became a popular choice for those seeking to distinguish themselves from older generations. Blue jeans transformed into a symbol of rebellion and counterculture. As Hollywood movies captured the hearts of millions and the economy surged, denim's status shifted. The 1960s and 1970s marked a period of significant social and cultural change, with the civil rights movement, women's liberation movement, and anti-establishment sentiments influencing fashion trends. Blue jeans, previously seen as work pants, became an emblem of non-conformity and non-traditional values. However, perceptions of jeans rapidly changed, and by the late 1970s, they had evolved into fully-fledged fashion garments accepted by the mainstream. It was during this period that black denim jeans began to gain traction. The increased popularity of black jeans was largely driven by rock 'n roll, mod, and counter-culture movements, all of which aimed to differentiate themselves from the norm.
The aging of denim imparts unique stories onto each pair of jeans. As time passes, the jeans adapt and reflect the wear they are subjected to. Yet, this evolution isn't merely a transformation forced upon the fabric by the wearer; it also mirrors the craftsmanship and artistry invested in crafting the denim. In this article, we explore the differences between two of our most notable Japanese selvage denim fabrics – Dry Selvage and Dry Ace Selvage – highlighting their unique attributes and their impact on distinct aging properties.
We are proud to announce the opening of the second Nudie Jeans Repair Shop location in New York City. Our new repair shop is in the heart of Brooklyn at 116 Bedford Ave. As we expand our presence in New York and North America, we extend the promise of free repairs forever — it also strengthens our brand presence globally, as New York has always been one of the world's travel destinations. The Repair Shop experience is a social, tactile, and inclusive experience of Nudie Jeans. It's where our customers can experience Nudie Jeans; how the brand feels, smells, and sounds. Visitors can enjoy our women's and men's collections, take a moment at the denim bar, browse the Re-use options, or have their jeans repaired. Aesthetically we reference our Scandinavian roots, Japanese craftsmanship, and our love of all things indigo. As we urge customers to wear our products a lot, this comes with our promise and added value of free repairs. Opening more Nudie Jeans Repair Stores allows us to extend our services to more people. The new Nudie Jeans Brooklyn location is at 116 Bedford Avenue, in Brooklyn. We invite you to visit us whenever you are in town!
Our goal for Repair Shops is to create sensory and social shopping experiences that highlight our product while conveying our brand story and philosophy through details and finishes. The new store is now located at 232 Siam Square Soi 2 in Pathumwan, Bangkok.
