Naked and Famous: Brandon Svarc at Luna and Hill

The poster pretty much says it all but I speak for many denim heads in Saskatoon when I say that this is going to be a good time.  Brandon Svarc is a designer and owner of arguably the best denim brand coming out of Canada, Naked and Famous.  The Montreal based company specializes in Japanese selvedge denim in a variety of styles and some outrageous special editions like glow in the dark and scratch and sniff jeans.  Come on out to say hi to a guy making some noise for Canada in the fashion world and to support a local shop who just celebrated their first birthday.

E

Pick Ups: Wings + Horns Denim

After being curious of the way this pair of denim fit I managed to stumble upon a pair of Wings + Horns raw slim denim. Unfortunately these will not be found in Saskatoon. I am looking forward to starting a new piece of raw denim. My first pair was unsuccessful, my second pair is still in the works and this pair will hopefully top them both off. So far the fit is phenomenal. They are much skinnier than I anticipated but I am happy with that considering that they should stretch a fair bit. I also chose to side down by one size. The length is quite long for me (I'm 5'8) so I choose to double cuff the jeans rather than get them hemmed or let there be extra stacks.

Here are some measurements for different sizes:

SIZES: (cm)	30	32	34	36
1/2 Waist	40	42	44	46
Inseam	88	89	92	93
Leg Opening	16	17	18	19

 The simplicity is key for me, the plain leather tab and the plain back pockets. The colour is pretty blue so I am looking forward to seeing how they will fade. Wings + Horns denim is made at Cone Mills in the United States, the same factory that Levis jeans are made. As you can see below, the denim is 13.5 oz. 

Fit pictures:

Shout out to Brooklyn Clothing in Calgary for being helpful.

Love the North

Raw Denim Bath (1)

I finally got around to doing my first wash for my Naked & Famous jeans. I have been wearing them for about a year and three months. I finally felt like I should be more sanitary and remove the odour that was trapped in the fabric. I took photos for before and after. Let me begin by showing you photos of the denim before the wash.

Before

The Process
I filled a tub of freezing cold water and added a small amount of detergent. I then tossed my pair of jeans inside of the tub and removed the stains and marks by hand. I did this by playing around (scrubbing, splishing and splashing) with them. I then let them sit in the tub for about an hour.

After I rinsed them off with cold water to make sure that there was no soap remaining. The water left over was a dark blue. Finally I hung up my denim on a pant hanger and they took about 20 hours to dry without a fan.

After

Conclusion
Originally I was quite worried that they would fade a lot, thankfully they didn't. As you can see, the photos from before and after look almost identical. Although I have noticed that the jeans look more blue than before. They have also become very stiff again. I did have a chance to wear them for a full day and even get a bike ride out of them, it won't take long until they are as comfortable as before. Another thing that I am happy with is that the honeycombs (those marks behind the knees) and all other previous creasing are wearing the exact same way as the first time too. Overall, I am extremely happy with the wash. I am thinking that the next rinse/wash will be sometime next Spring.

If anyone has any denim questions feel free to ask me or our denim enthusiast Evan.

Love the North 

Raw Denim: Separating Fact From Fiction and More

Raw denim. What is it and why should I care about it?  Ahhh very good questions oh faithful reader!

Raw denim is generally made with 100% cotton just like any other pair of jeans but most companies will source their cotton and mill it where the utmost quality can be maintained.  The United States and Japan are the largest suppliers of raw denim.  If you look in the picture above you'll see something called selvedge (self-edge). The white edge on the out seam is the selvedge and it is only found on denim woven on vintage shuttle looms.  These looms are no longer in production thus making raw selvedge denim much more rare and usually expensive.  I've also heard that the shuttle loom will form a tighter weave on the jeans making for a more durable product but I'm not sure if I really believe that...  here is a video of selvedge denim being woven:

With no real function, selvedge is more or less something to look kind of cool when you cuff your jeans.

The weight of the denim is also something to consider.  When you increase the weight you increase durability and rigidity.  Rigidity is important for forming creases which will turn into cool fades later on.  Anything less than 12oz (the weight is measured by the square yard) is considered fairly light for raw denim (a regular pair of generic 'mall jeans' would probably be around 8-10oz).  24oz is the heaviest I have ever seen and it was pretty much made as a joke by Naked & Famous.  They had to fix their sewing machines after every two pairs because it was so thick...

Now, remember when I said raw denim is unwashed?  Many people will not wash their raw denim as often as their regular clothes because the indigo (blue colour) will bleed in the wash causing them to fade quickly.  That being said, never washing raw denim is probably one of the biggest misunderstandings about it.  People often ask me, "What if they get dirty??" Then, I'll wash them... "what if they start to stink??" They don't, but if they did, wash them up!  A general rule of thumb is to not wash them for six months to allow creases to set in and for them to fade naturally to your body.  Washing them doesn't fade a whole lot but over time it will definitely affect the look of your jeans.

Also, methods for washing aren't complicated.  If you don't want to wash but you suspect they're getting kind of gross, get some Febreeze on them and just leave them outside for about a day.  If you're ready for a full on wash, toss them in the washing machine inside out with some Woolite Dark to preserve as much indigo as possible.  If you're tall like me and need all the length you can get, hang dry your jeans hanging from the leg openings (I just use chip clips hanging from the rack in my laundry room) so the weight of them will stretch back out to their previous length. Different denims will shrink differently in the wash so do some research first if shrinkage will be a problem.  Last but not least, NEVER machine dry your raw denim.  It will shrink quite a bit but a hot dryer will work out all the creases you've been trying to set in for the past few months!  Dryers also deteriorate cotton fabrics much quicker so to preserve the look and life of your jeans, always hang dry.

Enough talk, here's an example of a pair of my jeans.  Not the best photos but it does the trick.  A.P.C. Rescue worn for about a year and I washed them 4 or 5 times.  You can clearly see my phone and wallet fading the back pockets putting my own personal fingerprint on them.  Each pair will fade differently and will stretch out where your body needs it too making them extremely comfortable.

and this is what they looked like brand new:

Long story short, I like raw denim because it is almost like wearable art.  Each pair will fade into something uniquely yours.  They almost become a second skin after a few weeks and I have a hard time wearing anything else!

PLEASE comment if you think I'm weird, wrong or if you think raw denim is something cool you might want to get familiar with.  I'd love to answer any questions you have but hopefully this article helped some of you with this strange but awesome fashion trend.

E

One Year Anniversary: Naked and Famous "Skinny Guy"

It's been a year since I have been wearing my "Skinny Guy" broken twill denim. I purchased them in Calgary at Holt Renfrew, but you can purchase them in the city now at Luna + Hill on 3rd Ave. The purpose of raw denim is to personalize your own denim. Most raw denim is recommended to be worn for six months without washing. Why buy pre-ripped costly denim when you can do it all on your own? You can treat your pair of jeans like a project, it's always neat to see change and the end result. These costed me $140 which was quite affordable and justifiable for the quality and look in my opinion.

Buying Guide
For Naked & Famous, all of their pants are a 34" leg inseam (can be hemmed). For the waist, I went with one size below my true fit. All fits and brands have different buying instructions, it is pretty standard to size down 1 or 2 from your true waist size. There are tons of different fit and colour options from each brand. I chose the broken twill because it is known to fade a bit nicer than their other washes. They will feel awkward at the beginning, but don't worry it only gets better.

One Year Ago
When I originally started wearing them I could barely do up the top button. It took me quite some time to put them on because the legs were very narrow. I never hemmed them but instead chose to use a double cuff. They were incredibly stiff and uncomfortable.

Taken One Year Ago

Now

They feel much better, the legs and waist stretched out nicely. I don't use a belt anymore and instead let them sag a bit. I still use a double cuff but my right one was done quite poorly and has a small tear in it. Because the jeans are long, there is a bit of a buckle at the knee as well. There is also a random tear behind my left knee located in the honeycombs. They have a couple of scars from activities like jumping soccer field fences. The photos beneath were taken with flash to show you exactly where they have faded and how they have worn. They were shot today.

How I Wore Them
Although my movements were restricted, I did everything I could to personalize my denim. I chose to ride my bike, skateboard and do weird stretches in them. There is now a noticeable Blackberry outlined in the front right pocket and my wallet is outlined in the back right.

Plans for the Denim
Right now I like the deep indigo colour of my denim but think that a single soak will not only clean them but look good (my girlfriend and mom will be happy). I hope to give them a nice long bath after the Spring because it will be mucky and wet. The plan is to follow The Madbury Club's instructions of letting them sit in a tub for a few hours. After this happens I may choose to hem them, but this is undecided.

Conclusion
So far, I am very happy with the way my Skinny Guy's have turned out. Naked and Famous produces very affordable raw selvedge denim, while still keeping things creative. I am always interested in seeing how other raw denim wearers' pants turn out, please feel free to post a picture of your jeans on our Facebook page. Mine still have a long life ahead of them and I am excited to see how they will turn out.

Love the North

Luna + Hill

Luna + Hill is a new clothing store on 208 3rd Avenue S. They have been open for around five months. Our friend Evan Neufeld told us about this joint and recommended it as being a unique fashion and denim shop in Saskatoon. The shop looks very nice and has an artsy/Canadian feel. They are interested in carrying Canadian-made, organic, sustainable, charitable, local and hand made products. I had the chance to speak with one of the owners, Amy. She was very knowledgable of their products, loved what they carried and was friendly.


If you are interested in buying some new raw denim, this place is a good place to look. They carry Naked & Famous and Nudies. They carry awesome fits and cool washes for both men and women. I am currently wearing the Naked & Famous "Skinny Guy" and I can say that they are a great price for the quality and look.


Check them out next time you hit down town!


View their website.


Love the North