your all time favorite jeans (that you have owned)

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Great list there, Andrew!!!

[JohnM]

1)  Warehouse 800 -- simple, classic cut, less expensive than others, and no need for hemming!

[n8iveguy]

Have only been wearing/buying raw/selvedge denim for a little over a year. So far my favorites are,

 

Japan Blue x Blue Owl Deep Blue Monster 16.5oz

3Sixteen SL-140X Brown Weft

3Sixteen SL-100X

[ironheartfan123]

Have only been wearing/buying raw/selvedge denim for a little over a year

 

barely enough time for one pair!

[n8iveguy]

barely enough time for one pair!

 

 

I know, but I've bought quite a few pairs already and those are my favorite so far.

[srudy]

Imogene + Willie Bartons (reg or slim)-they fit great and break in beautifully!  Really amazing denim, soft as a baby's behind!

[PeterParker]

For me, it's hard to separate the sentimental and aesthetic value of jeans and ultimately they complement each other to (pardon the cliche) become more than the sum of the parts.

 

For sentimental value, I'd have say my Burgus Lot 780. I built a house, studied, worked, and traveled in three different countries in them over four years. While the construction and details were not as great as the best manufacturers, the denim was unlike anything I had seen before. I had to retire them due to a tear in the thigh, which I had every intention of having repaired; however, they were stolen from me. This is what they looked like after two years.

 

 

Runner-up: Warehouse 700J. Less sentimentally valued, but still accompanied me on a lot of great adventures. I loved the subtlety of these in every sense: the cinch back, the unassuming denim, the raised belt loops and tops of the back pockets, the impeccable stitching. Also, these were my first pair of regular fit jeans that were hemmed to the proper length (since becoming a denim fiend) 

and they made me realize not everything has to be slim and stacked. I had worn them for about a year and they were showcasing all of the things Warehouse does so well. Pity I didn't get to take any pictures of these before they were stolen. (Photo from when new)

 

For aesthetic value, I have to give it to my Fullcount 1108. Same mindblowing attention to detail as Warehouse, but the curved back pockets, arcs, and red tab put them over the top. Perhaps the softest hand of any denim I have felt, giving them a luxurious feel. The weight of the denim is perfect, whether in the heat of Thailand or the brisk PNW winter. I acquired these with light wear from the previous owner so they don't hold the same sentimental value; but they had been meticulously hemmed before soaking (or so I believe) as they have some great roping. It's a great slim fit, although it doesn't jive so well with the pre-war workwear aesthetic I've been rocking lately.

 

Warehouse and Fullcount are second to none. The beauty of both these houses is that the attention to detail is carried across all of their jeans, and their flagship denim is better than the "special run" most guys are using. The anniversary and limited releases are just the cherry on top. It just occurred to me I have pairs from both commemorating their respective 15th anniversaries, which is a testament to their dedication and mastery of their craft!

 

In a dark horse category, the Iron Heart 9301s truly were the ultimate black jeans. Armor-like 21oz denim, ink black colour that didn't fade, great slim silhouette. If only I were a punk rocker, barista, or server, then I would have lived in these jeans until they fell apart. Still, they had pretty good sentimental value. Purchased from SENY, and eventually brought back there to be hemmed (done perfectly on such heavy denim); cycled around SF and visited the original SE wearing them. Stopped by SEPDX, but then they were stolen later that day (along with the aforementioned jeans). Of all these jeans, this is the one cannot be replaced, as there simply is no other jean like it currently produced.

 

 

TL;DR Warehouse and Fullcount are the shit. Iron Heart/Self Edge, please make the 9301s again. There is some scumbag in Portland wearing my jeans.

Edited December 27, 2014 by PeterParker

[Sugar Mountain]

Superb post Peter Parker! spot on description of both Warehouse and Fullcount.

[edmond]

fro me its evisu , fullcount and fob factory.

 

and ill try to see warehouse and sda in a couple of months down the road.

 

i couldnt explain why. but i thought before samurai was the bomb and the shit. but i was wrong.

 

its not flathead , ironheart or momotaro either. i dont know but ive had so much denim that i got confused but

 

now getting older on this game you tend to be more sensitive to everything . so yes evisu, fullcount and fob factory stands.

 

wh, sda , old joe mccoy, resolute and old denime is not on the distant . well see on 2015

[BrownMetallic]

FCxBiGxSuFu 1108Cs held that ATF spot for years, until they became too tight to be comfortable.

'Always got a handful on rotation, but somehow there's always a thing or 2 that I [personally] find less desirable ... be it, the over all cut, fit, aesthetics, denim weight, denim behavior, thread breakage, etc.

ATF, for me, is outstanding all around fit & denim evolution. The Samurai 0110XJs jins ate my goto jeans right now. The fit is quite comfy @SU1, midrised. The denim hit a "plateau" after the 2nd wash, but has now moved to the next evo stage__ soft & pliant__ gorgeous ataris, though not much contrast.

SD 101 & Kapital Cisco got potential, but are just not "there" yet.

Edited December 29, 2014 by BrownMetallic

[exaptavist]

. 

Edited October 9, 2015 by hoggreaser

[beautiful_FrEaK]

Reviving an old thread because now after I lost some weight, nearly all of my jeans fit me again like they should. And I enjoyed trying on most of my jeans on the weekend.

 

• Denime 66XX (Shins)

I think I found my all-time favourite pair of jeans. I love the denim (still the best denim to me), I like the ‘60s fit and I like the detailing. The construction isn’t flawless and everyone who was part of the contest or followed it knows about the stitching issue. But because of the contest, the ending of the Capital, Orizzonti & Shins-era, the deadstock character (nearly impossible to get a pair) they are very dear to me I am sentimental about them.

The DWC seems like a good opportunity to finally start breaking them in.

 

• Samurai S0500XX

The S0500XX was my first pair of Samurai jeans I owned (Lot.10, sized wrong, long sold now). I loved the Samurai-Contest that was held by SUFU-“legends†like beatle, cheep, etc. and because of this contest I always wanted those S0500XXs. The pair I own now is from Lot.11. So it was released 2 years after the contest and is now 7 years old. I never really started wearing them as I admired the slubby and hairy texture of this Lot.11 denim which newer Lot# didn’t seem to have anymore and I didn’t want to “lose†that texture.

Recently I said “fuck it†and started wearing them as jeans should be worn. And since I started wearing my Denime 66XX which are even rarer I didn’t see a reason to keep them in this pristine state.

 

• Evisu #2000 No.1

I bought my pair via proxy in 2010. The reason I bought them was the Evisu World Tour (you see, I am easily influenced…). Nearly the same guys doing the Samurai Contest did a World Tour. The first World Tour and IMO still the best.

I am honest, the denim on my pair isn’t my favourite No.1 denim as it have that ugly grey selvedge line. But the cut, the details, the finish and the history of Evisu rank them very high in my list.

 

• Ooe Yofukuten OA02XX

I first heard about Ooe Yofukuten on MyNudies and Sufu in 2009 (I think). Fellow members ordered the custom jeans, made by the lovely couple Ryo&Hiro. Shortly after, a world tour was organized. “The Travelling Pants†and I was part of this tour.

Ever since I wanted a pair of Ooe made to my specifications. But money was tight, other brands were preferred by me and so just when I was finally about to customize and order a pair, the 2 stopped taking custom orders.

But when they finally released their ready-to-order line, I bought the OA02XX immediately. The OA-denim is so nice, the construction is flawless and so neat. In short, a pair that has to be on my “favourite jeansâ€-list.

 

 

 

Now it gets harder and harder to list my favourite pairs…my other deadstock Denimes are there, the SugarCane jeans with their crazy denim should be mentioned, the Resolute 710 as they are made by Hayashi-san and are an easy to pull off pair of jeans, Warehouse with its great denim…maybe I come back later for more sentimental gossip

Edited August 18, 2015 by beautiful_FrEaK

[JohnM]

Great trip down memory lane b_F.  Your appreciation for the history of our hobby, including the makers, the denim and details, and the various contests (which I've not yet participated in), really fuels the fire of interest for me, also making for great reading and additional credit card expenses!  Despite owning too many pairs already, I have yet to experience Denime, Resolute, Evisu, or Ooe Yofukuten.  So much to do, so little time.  Maybe best to live vicariously through you ;-)

 

John

[dwilson123]

Has to be my PBJ 24-005.  I love the fabric, love the fit, love the color they faded towards, love the butt leaf.  Everything about them is great.  Construction possibly could be a touch better and since I bought them from BiG price could have been lower but its all good.

 

Prior to that were my Nudie x Context Average Joe jeans.  They fit me perfectly and faded wonderfully.

[Flash]

really hard choice but i think ill have to go with my current 660's 

 

 

hands down the best fitting pair ive owned and the denim is soo nice 

 

but an honorable mention goes to my 1100-10's

 

 

 

gonna have to add a few to the list 

 

Freewheelers 601xx 1951

 

 

great fit , awesome denim .... what more could you want ?

one of the many things i like about them is the back pocket placement , there set slightly further apart compared to other brands ( quite similar to Fullcount 

 

 

 

Evisu 2000 no.1 

 

 

gonna piggyback on what BF said , great post mate 

[chantheman]

SugarCane x Begin

too bad they were too big and i i had to sell them

 

Edited August 21, 2015 by chantheman

[Bill_e_jean]

PRPS (P45P28X), 13oz raw japanese denim with purple selvedge 

 

To me the best pair of jeans I ever had. I´m wearing my first pair (I own three pairs of them in total) since 2009 now and they are awesome. The built quality is outstanding, no major repairs so far, no crotch blowout, no holes and the best fit ever. 

They have no "sick fades" but look like a great vintage jeans and they get better with every wash.

I really love them and will continue wearing them for many years.

[noobedloser]

For me, its Skull Jeans 5010xx 6x6 texas cotton. This pair was everything I was looking for in a pair of quality selvedge jeans and I knew I had to get this pair. The way they faded and look was exactly how I wanted them to be. Here is a repost of them:

 

 

[CC Hudson]

I've had many, but if I have to pick only one it would be for sheer perseverance these Indigofera Ray Jeans. It's fabric 42 that is no longer available but they still make Ray fit.

 

Had them since 2010 and they are tough to fade, although they have been worn only occasionally. But I have realised that when I really have to pick a comfortable pair for a trip for example, I usually go for these.

 

 

 

[Max Power]

As my current pair is being repaired I wear my UES 400 T a lot. I think they're slowly replacing the 710XX (or maybe sometimes a worn in Warehouse) as my favorite pair. Here's why.

 

1.) The fit

 

I have no other pair that feels so perfect in the top block. Both rises and thigh measurements are on spot. I can move and still have not much sagging going on. On all my other pairs it's either tight or loose. I also like the taper that is pretty subtle, by no means a carrot type fit but also offering a "modern" slim leg. I can rarely wear jeans with legs that slim due to the thighs on slim fits.

 

2.) The denim

 

I found it "boring" in the beginning, besides the brown weft the denim has no obvious special features when you see it raw. And it needs a lot of wash & wear to bring the beauty of it out. But you get rewarded with a pretty high contrast as the jeans holds the colour in the areas without much friction but shows a lot of vertical falling and near white colour in some spots.

14,9 oz is the perfect weight - they feel heavy compared to 14 oz WH and light compared to 19 oz. So the perfect balance between heavy duty and suitable for every day and almost every climate. The red selvage has a nice intense colour. A nice touch, compared to the lighter pink/orange/brown colour of some other brands. The denim also keeps a bit stiffness, so it doesn't feel like stretch material.

 

3.) The frontpockets

 

Something I always notice positively when I switch to this pair (or annoys me when I swith to another): This jeans has the best frontpockets. Period. The fabric is super thick and sturdy. The pockets are deep. They are accessible - the opening is pretty large and they're cut deep. Momotaro and IH for example come with super narrow pockets, that I find completely unusable. Other brands have flimsy pocket bags that rip easily. The pocket on my LVC is poorly crafted and the pocket bag material shows.

On my UES I can even use the coin pocket without breaking my fingers.

 

4.) The construction

 

I can't recall a pair that I wore as long and that didn't need any repair at all. No fraying fabric, no stitching issues, perfect thick rivets, as already said super thick pocket fabric. I only roasted my patch and will surely lose it soon, but that was my fault.

 

5.) What else?

 

They jeans have no crazy details or unique features, but they get 10/10 points in the most neccesary criteria for a pair of blue jeans. I fell in love with a jacket from UES that I saw in an old Lightning Denim Buyer's guide and wanted a pair ever since. Great to see it did keep and exceed what I was hoping for.

Edited August 19, 2015 by Max Power

[Raoul Duke]

Tough to say...I really love them all.  

 

Would probably give the nod to the S710XX though, as I think they are my overall favourite.  

[JohnM]

Can't say there's a single favorite, but here are a few:

 

Roy KS1001/2:  flawless construction

Samurai OG (710 or 500):  denim color, weight, texture

Fullcount 1101:  softness and comfort

Warehouse 800:  classic pair of blue jeans, no frills, just good fit and good denim

[tigerstrom]

I have to say evisu 2000 no.1 special. Love the fabric and the cut!

[SuperJackle]

@max power,

It's good to know about the 400t pockets being usable and having substantial fabric. Those are two details I definitely appreciate.

[Max Power]

It's actual selvage fabric, that you only notice when you turn the pocketbags inside out. I hope the pictures give you a good impression. Some people in the UES contest also got nice fades from the pockets on the thighs (a fading detail that I adore),  but unfortunately I din't.

[beautiful_FrEaK]

I have to agree with Flo by 100%!

 

Other brands (like Denime) also have selvedge fabric but no other pocket bag fabric I encountered so far is as sturdy as UES' !

[aho]

I can't think of it getting any better than the OA01XX for me 

 

(EDIT: Funny, looking back it was #1 on my list back in December last year!)

Edited August 22, 2015 by aho

[bod]

Evisu

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 20, 2015 by hoggreaser

[bod]

Yep I was.  I'm wearing a pair of washed out Levi's 501ct that I picked up in a sale. I've got a pair of evisu 2000 #1 on order, dunno if they'll fit, hope they do as I'm sorta done with buying Jap jeans at the moment.