Denim Q&A

QUESTION:
Hello Chris - I'm looking for a pair or two of jeans. Do you have any recommendations for the sub-$100/$125 category? Figured you were the denim expert, and there are too many brands out there. I've returned a couple pair because I wasn't satisfied with them.

Thanks and indebted,

Mark Gobble, MARK Skateboards

ANSWER:

Although I wouldn't consider myself a expert on the subject of denim, I do wear a great deal of it and have quite a few friends creating incredible jeans. Most days I can be found wearing denim-on-denim and frequently asked how I curate my wardrobe.

For the past five months, every day, I've been wearing Imogene+Willie Barton Rigid. An amazing pair of handmade selvedge jeans. A moderate slim-straight with a low rise and slightly tapered for a tailored look. They are breaking in unbelievably.

When it comes to denim, I believe in supporting American made product. There are small brands such as Roy, Tellason and Baldwin crafting rad premium dungarees - most all using denim from Cone Mills' White Oak plant in Greensboro, North Carolina. Billy Reid offers great Levi's Made in the USA jeans, with the 501 Raw Selvedge being my favorite.

My personal advice would be to buy one great pair of raw selvedge jeans for a little more and wear the hell out of them - EVERY day for at least six months to a year before their first soak or wash. After that, you'll be giving denim buying advice.

Photography by Gustav Schmiege.