Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
Traditionally, denim is made from two different threads, the warp and the weft, which are usually indigo and white, respectively. However, denim made with a dark weft thread has shown an increase in popularity over the last several years, as it produces a darker fabric with higher contrast fades.
Below we’ve got five great options that mix dark with darker, plus one more that’s a little off the beaten path.
1) Momotaro: Vintage Label 0702
Momotaro might not be known for producing highly unique jeans but maybe they should be. Their Vintage Label 0702’s are made from 15.7oz. indigo/black denim with tonal stitching (except for the pink inseam stitching), pink selvedge ID, copper rivets, a deerskin patch, and herringbone pocket bags. The jeans is tapered, although they aren’t nearly as close-cut as those made by other brands.
Available for $220 from Okayama Denim.
2) Japan Blue: JB0463-J(IDBK)
The fabric used for Japan Blue’s JB0463-J IDBK features an indigo warp and black weft, but what’s really special about it is the Côte d’Ivoire long staple cotton used to make the yarn—the fabric it produces is much softer than standard cotton twills, hence its popularity. Beyond the fabric, these jeans are fairly understated, featuring a tapered cut, tonal stitching, a white back pocket tag, and a tan leather patch.
Available for $137 from Denimio.
3) Nama: NP004
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Nama isn’t a brand that we get a chance to feature too often, but they make a solid pair of jeans. Their NP004’s are constructed from a 14oz. indigo/black denim sourced from Okayama, they’re cut with a medium/high rise and a tapered leg, and they feature an elongated yoke, and selvedge details throughout. The silhouette of these jeans is definitely a bit more extreme than other brands, but they’re a great choice if you like the style.
Available for $220 from Nama Denim.
4) 3sixteen: ST-120x Shadow Selvedge
3sixteen’s Shadow Selvedge is the prime suspect for the increased popularity in black/indigo denim, so it’s only fitting that it has a place on this list. Shadow Selvedge is a 3sixteen-exclusive fabric from Japan’s Kuroki Mills—one known for its electric-blue fading color—and it’s available in both slim tapered and slim straight fits. It features gunmetal hardware and a Tanner Goods leather patch to complete its unique look.
Available for $230 from Self Edge.
5) Rogue Territory: Dark Stanton
Rogue Territory’s Dark Stanton is made using 13.5oz. indigo/black fabric from the Nihon Menpu mill in Japan, and they feature all the great details you’d expect from a pair of RT jeans, such as silk screened pocket bags, tucked belt loops, single-needle stitched waistband, that signature sixth pocket, and tons of selvedge details. The pair linked are the Stanton cut, which is a slim straight, but they’re also available in the more tapered SK cut.
Available for $235 from Lone Flag.
Plus One – Unbranded: UB231 Heavyweight
Unbranded produces some of the most popular entry level raw denim on the market, and one of their most recent products, the UB231, really hit the nail on the head when it came to what consumers really wanted: an indigo/black heavyweight denim at an affordable price. Both heavyweight denim and denim with dark weft are known for producing high contrast fades very quickly, so it comes as no surprise that these jeans quickly became a favorite of both new and veteran denimheads.
Available for $118 from Mildblend.
