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.
Summer is right around the corner, and that means it is time for all of us to either adopt shorts or find a pair of jeans light enough to wear in the heat. Sure, some denimheads manage to sport their heavyweight Iron Heart’s year round, but that just isn’t feasible for most. Plus, refusing to wear such thick jeans is the perfect excuse to invest in a new pair of selvedge.
1) Naked & Famous: Antique Selvedge – 9oz.
Naked and Famous is known for producing some of the most unique jeans on the market, so it’s always easy to find a pair from them that utilizes a lightweight denim. This season it is their lighter-colored Antique Selvedge, a pair made from 9oz. denim that is available in both N&F’s Weird Guy and Super Skinny Guy fits. Despite this pair’s lighter starting color it will fade just like normal raw denim and leave you with a perfectly faded summer pair.
Available for $148 from Blue Owl in Weird Guy and Super Skinny Guy.
2) Rogue Territory: Stealth – 11oz.
Rogue Territory‘s Stealth Jeans are some of the lightest weight black denim on the market, but they’re so much more than that. The fabric is made using a 2×1 twill, which uses two warp threads per one weft thread; this is counter to most denim that is made in the 3×1 pattern. Both the warp and weft threads are sulfur dyed black, which brings out the vertical texture of this Nihon Menpu Mills denim. This style is available in both the Stanton (slim straight) and SK (slim tapered) fits, so there is something out there for everyone.
Available for $230 from Rogue Territory in Stanton and SK.
3) Fullcount: 1994 Natural Indigo – 10.5oz.
Fullcount produces some of the best classically styled jeans out there, and their slim straight 1994 Natural Indigo’s are just one example. They feature a fairly loose fit, which pairs perfectly with the lighter hue of the natural-indigo dyed denim. They have all the great details you’d expect from high end denim, such as copper hardware and a unique leather patch (indigo dyed goatskin in this case). Although lightweight, this pair is unique enough that I doubt you’ll be able to shelve them when summer ends.
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Available for $270 from Okayama Denim.
4) Rogue Territory: Officer Trousers Nep – 9oz.
Rogue Territory Officer Trousers might not be traditional jeans, but they are a casual style and, in this case, made from a lightweight denim fabric. This model is produced from a highly neppy 9oz. denim; often times such neppy denims utilize a lot of not breathable synthetics, but luckily for us summer denimheads this fabric is 100% cotton. Rogue Territory’s Officer Trousers feature a decent taper below the knee, slanted front pockets, one slit back pocket, and one flapped back pocket.
Available for $256 from Cultizm.
5) Unbranded: Indigo Stretch – 11oz.
Unbranded makes some of the best entry level raw denim out there, and their Indigo Stretch fabric is perfect for those who are interested in entering the world of selvedge but want something comfortable for the coming warmer months. It features a 99%/1% cotton/spandex blend, and is available in all of their standard fits so you will definitely be able to find some proportions that are to your liking.
Available for $108 from Unbranded in Tapered, Skinny, Straight, Tight, and Relaxed Tapered Fits.
Plus One – Pike Brothers: 1936 Chopper Pants – 11oz.
Pike Brothers’ 1936 Chopper Pants are not for everyone. The style is loose and baggy, the stitching a highly-contrasting yellow, and the pockets plentiful and gaudy. That said, the lightweight 11oz. fabric and straight fit will keep you very cool this coming summer, and if the style fits your aesthetic then all the better. In addition to all the aforementioned details this pair also features belt loops, suspender buttons, and a back cinch so you can keep this pair fitting perfectly no matter your style.
Available for $182 from Cultizm.
