Break-In Jeans

The kind that make you work for it.

Hello and welcome to Tuesday. Today we’re going to talk about rigid jeans, the kind made with indigo-dyed denim that hasn’t been washed, sublimated by lasers, or hand-sanded to look like they’ve been loved already. To some, this kind of jean – stiffer and blue-black in hue with no visible signs of wear – is the gold standard. To others (retailers with customers hooked on butter-soft stretch, for example), they are pure markdown material. Most industry people will say that no one buys these raw, unwashed jeans. But show me a pair that’s been broken-in by a single committed human and I’ll tell you, nothing is more desirable.

The weathering that happens by wearing our jeans to pieces is hard to beat or repeat.

This letter features 2 pairs of rigid jeans that buck the classic shrink-to-fit standard and, in my opinion, are worth investing the dollars and time into. Did I mention that it generally takes a year to break-in jeans like these? Not that you have to. Today’s pairs are cool as they come and can remain more pristine, if you prefer. (You’ll just have to wear them less.)

Quick mention: I have a new sub-site that links all the top jeans from my letters in one place. It’s like a shoppable archive. I’m calling it Jean Bar. Here’s a first look, I hope you find it useful:

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The Ask Me Anything About Jeans button has been busy and on-theme. This request inspired me to go shopping…

Hi! I’ve searched for the perfect broken-in vintage jeans forever, but so far I haven’t found them. However, I also like the idea of just breaking in my own (new) jeans. They don’t make new Levi’s the way they used to though, correct? Do you have any advice on alternatives? A good dark denim that will break in nicely? – Sara Jane Crawford

To answer Sara’s first question: Yes, Levi's does still make the original shrink-to-fit selvedge 501s for men. Are they the same as the now-vintage ones we love from the 80s and 90s? Probably not since the new ones are made in different sewing facilities and the denim used is milled differently. But if weathering a pair of men’s 501s from raw is the dream, it can most certainly be had.

A.P.C. has long been a place where denimheads go for rigid jeans. In the aughts, fashion insiders wore either The Cure (now discontinued) or The Standard – 100% cotton styles that looked epically cool on men and women after being lived in hard without a lot of washing.

At the A.P.C. store in Los Angeles. Jean Martin in indigo has 2% stretch and a wider, relaxed leg. I’m wearing a size 27. Here is a tank that’s similar.

I hadn’t put on a pair of A.P.C. jeans in more than a decade (and not since having two kids). It was time for a visit, and the label’s Los Angeles flagship on Melrose Place sells it all – The Standard, the Petit Standard (a skinnier version of its namesake) and about a dozen new styles that purists might consider sacrilege – stretch denim! How dare they! – but that this mom in her 40s found accessible and exciting.

The jean I fell for is called Jean Martin, which is cut in raw, indigo denim with 2% stretch. The top block (hips, rise, waist) fits the same as The Standard, so it’s high, but it has a wider thigh, a slightly tapered leg, and a shorter inseam (I’m 5”4” and no hemming was required). I bought a size 27 (2 sizes up from my usual 25), and now feel inspired by Sara to wear them dogmatically and make them my own. Will the stretch affect the way they weather, she asked? Great question, since elastane typically sabotages a natural breaking-in process by giving out. I’ll let you know what happens.

Me and Jean Martin at the A.P.C. store in Los Angeles.

The sales person told me to wear my Martins for as long as I could without washing them. Hand wash cold and air dry when I’ve had enough. He said the indigo would not rub off on things – ‘crocking’ is the technical term – but I wouldn’t sit on a white suede couch until they’ve been through one rinse cycle, at least.

It’s been 3 days since I started wearing Jean Martin and I’ve seen very little signs of change. Hard to say where this is going, exactly, although comparisons between breaking in tough jeans and becoming a mother seem inevitable, I’m afraid.

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TORY BURCH: Selvedge Denim

If you go to buy this jean online, you’ll see it styled long over heels. I get it, Tory Burch’s wide, trouser style – with its welt pockets and clean front creases – feels like a dress pant. The fly, which is zippered with a hook & eye closure, is suit-like. The absence of a waistband or top button, plus the placement of the belt loops so far from the centerline, begs for a tight tuck and a belt. The obvious choice is a high heel to meet all that sartorial elevation.

Tory Burch Selvedge Denim. I’m wearing a size 0 (I’m 5’4” and a 25 in most contemporary jeans). Danton crew neck cardigan. My belt is from the legendary Uncle Sam’s army surplus store in NYC (now closed, sadly). Here is a similar one that’s $9.99. Margaux Mary Janes in black suede.

Tory’s talent for making conventional fashion tropes feel bright-and-shiny-new is thrilling, and to that point, here’s what I love about this jean: It’s made of selvedge denim, which means the outer side seams are self-finished and look good – I’d even argue, correct – cuffed with flats (surprise!). Such is how the denimheads often wear their selvedge. In Southern California, where it’s still 70 degrees fahrenheit during the day – a Mary Jane works. Swap it for my favorite Chelsea boot in more wintery climes (and see the Footnote¹ below for more).

Trouser-style welt pockets in the front and back, plus the absence of a waistband, beg for a belt. Any of the belts here would be suitable.

My instinct, I suppose, was to bring this fancy jean down to Earth with a $10 belt and basic cardigan. Truth is, the thoughtful mashup of references here – including the classic-vintage yellow top-stitch – grants us permission to wear Tory’s selvedge any way we want.

It’s unwashed denim. There will be wrinkles. Over time, the deepest creases will become things like whiskers and other enviable signs of wear. Tory Burch Selvedge Denim jeans. Here’s a belt like mine.

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I love answering your questions, please keep them coming. If you’re not into using the link, you can put them in the comments (preferred, since I know there are a number of denim experts reading along who may want to chime in). Liking, sharing, shopping at Jean Bar or The Only Jane, following me on Instagram, and becoming a paid subscriber (if you’re not already) are all great ways to show your support for my work. As always, thank you for reading.

Jane

1. Margaux’s popular Mary Jane was sold out so I pre-ordered it and waited (until the season turned against shoes like it) for mine to arrive. With most hard-denim jeans, a shoe this delicate would be wrong. With Tory’s proper selvedge – which has a black finishing edge v the standard red & white – it works… but only because the jean is so polished and pant-like. Is this shoe too young for me? Fashion consumers are still wearing the lean, flat-toed ballet slippers from Miu Miu (Reformation’s version is not bad, btw). There’s nothing entirely new about Margaux’s Mary Jane, but as it doesn’t have the little-girl-in-a-big-shoe proportions that trendier mary janes have right now, I believe it’ll last more than a minute. Or at least until spring.

Margaux’s Mary Jane has a padded insole and flattering toe point. I like it with a wide hem that hits right at the ankle.