Tellason has been carving its name into the American denim scene since 2008. Founded by Tony Patella and Pete Searson in the blue-jeans home of San-Francisco, the brand is centered on raw denim but has grown to boast a rugged roster of American-made menswear.
While Tellason is known for its selvedge denim goods, the brand took a gamble in 2017 by offering a new range—Tellason Stock. Made from non-selvedge denim, Tellason’s Stock Denim jeans come in under at $100, making them a highly accessible pair of raw jeans.
But are they worth it? Well, we’re going to tell you, in our review of Tellason’s Stock Denim jeans in both straight and slim-tapered fits.
Details
- Name: Tellason Stock Denim Jeans
- Fabric: 100% cotton raw sanforized non-selvedge denim
- Fabric source: Cone Mills (Woven in Mexico)
- Weight: 14oz.
- Fits: Regular straight & slim-tapered
- Unique features
- ‘T’ stitching on rear pockets
- Donut button fly
- Available for $120 at Tellason
Fit
Regular Straight
Regular Straight – James is 6′, 168 pounds, and wears a size 33
First up, the regular straight, based on Tellason’s mainstay Ankara fit. For me, these are on the slimmer side of ‘straight leg’, reminiscent of 1960s Levi’s 501s reproduced by brands like TCB and Levi’s Vintage Clothing.
This is mainly down to the thighs and crotch area, which were slightly slimmer than I expected, and the back rise is a touch lower than other regular straight models on the market at 15.5″. This made the pockets a bit of a squeeze at first but I’m sure this would ease off with wear. The seat as a whole is actually pretty comfortable and these slipped on nicely, which is significant considering I usually wear wide-legged jeans. I had full range of movement from the get-go and could easily squat/bend over in the jeans with no restriction.
The hems on this regular straight fit are wide enough to sit nicely above your shoe of choice. I choose to roll my hems and had to roll these up a fair few times due to the standard longer inseams (35.5″ on this pair). This, of course, has tapered the hems in slightly, but I have included an image below with the hems inverted to give a rough representation of silhouette once these jeans are hemmed. As you can see, the silhouette remains clean and classic and sits on my Converse 70s nicely.
In terms of fade potential, you can see from the images that whiskers will have no problem coming through on these jeans and there is potential for some nice creasing around the knees. The snug crotch and large rear pockets will also give rise to some solid dye-loss in the top block, which will provide a welcomed contrast against those American-blue hues we’re accustomed to seeing from well-worn Cone denim.
Overall, I’d say these jeans fit one size above the tagged size, but still consider sizing up if you have larger thighs. They’re an archetypal American straight-leg fit that isn’t as wide as others on the market but still provides a clean silhouette with a nice bit of swing near the hems. This would be a great fit for someone who wears slim-straight jeans who’s looking to get into wider cuts and likewise someone who longs for a no-fuss mid-century straight-leg.
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Slim Tapered
Next up, the slim-tapered, based on Tellason’s Ladbroke Grove fit. This pair does exactly as it states. Slim, but not skinny, with a nice taper from the knee down. I’ve never tried on a pair of slim=tapered jeans and thought “wow… comfort!” but I have to say these are a bit slim in the crotch. I didn’t have full range of movement at first and it took a few hours to get a feel for this pair. In my opinion, that’s normal with slimmer jeans, and you can see from the images that this slight discomfort is forgiven when you realize what a handsome slim-tapered cut these are.
Nowadays, there is an ocean of ‘slim-tapered’ raw denim jeans out there, many of which need to be re-labeled skinny-fit. The Tellason Stock slim tapered is not one of those jeans. Tellason’s penchant for refined and versatile silhouettes is evident in this pair, with the jeans providing a heavily tapered cut without clinging to your legs at any point.
For someone who wears strictly straight-leg and wide jeans, I was pleasantly surprised at how good I felt in these, and that is down to the fit. If I was to revert back to my slim-tapered ways, I’d have no problem pairing these with boots, sneakers, and shoes alike. It just may take a few weeks to break that crotch area in.
Fabric
Tellason’s Stock Denim is a non-selvedge sanforized denim woven in Mexico by Cone Mills. Weighing in at 14oz. per square yard, this fabric is robust and starchy but won’t leave you feeling like you’re wearing chainmail.
It has that classic blue blue-collar look we know and love from Cone Denim, with that slight sheen that will dull nicely as the denim fades into Americana blue. To be honest, the only real difference here is the lack of selvedge.
To cut production costs and offer a more affordable jean, the Stock Denim is woven on modern denim looms, as opposed to vintage Draper looms which produce selvedge denim at a much slower rate. This means that the edges of this fabric are not selvedge and the edges are finished with overlock stitching.
Selvedge or not, Tellason’s Stock Denim is rich in indigo that will fade in its own unique way. It’s woven from double ringspun cotton that will make it durable and able to soften up nicely with wear. While ringspun cotton usually has longer, smoother yarns, there are still some small irregularities in the denim that mean it doesn’t look like mass-produced mall-store raw denim.
The inside of the yoke on Tellason’s Stock Denim jeans, detailing the weave
Details
Tellason Stock Denim Rear Pocket Stitching & Paper Waist Patch
Naturally, Tellason’s stripped-down Stock Denim jeans are short on unique details. But despite their simplicity, there’s still some charm to be found. I’m a big fan of the minimal rear pocket stitching. Rather than arcuates, Tellason opts for linear stitching that forms a ‘T’, using both golden and indigo yarns. This is a feature shared with the brand’s premium denim options that adds a welcome finish to the Stock Denim.
The other standout detail is the Tellason Stock waist patch which is made from thick, treated paper with contrasting indigo text. It’s not the most outstanding or ornate patch you’ll ever see but it’s bold and to-the-point. Being made from paper, this patch also makes the jeans completely vegan.
Construction
In terms of construction, Tellason’s Stock Denim Jeans are basic but fairly sturdy. You’ve got all the fundamental five-pocket construction points here, but each feels scaled back in its own subtle way. The belt loops are flat as opposed to raised, the rear pockets are reinforced with tonal bar tacks instead of hidden rivets, and the rivets that are used on the jean are unbranded.
Nitpicking aside – the overall construction is clean and a complete win when compared to the price point. Chainstitching appears at the yoke seams, waistband, and hems, and overlock stitching finishes the inseams. I personally wouldn’t accept a lack of flat-felled inseams as a drawback here, as many high-end brands like Samurai and Studio d’Artisan use overlocked inseams as standard.
Value
This is where the Tellason Stock Denim really hits the ball out of the park. Being slightly jaded in some aspects of my denim-headedness, I was admittedly skeptical when I first saw these jeans back in 2017. But I can honestly say that I’m impressed.
The 14 oz. denim sits nicely in that mid-weight category that allows jeans to be substantial while not carrying excess weight that can make them a chore to wear. Yes, the denim may be loomed in Mexico, grebut it’s loomed with the pedigree of Cone Mills that is evident in the fabric’s rich indigo tone which looks certain to age beautifully. They’re also made in San Francisco, which gives them a trump card against other affordable denim, like Unbranded, which are predominantly sewn overseas.
You really cannot argue with these for $99. If you’re someone looking for end-level selvedge with all the bells and whistles, no, these aren’t the jeans for you. But if you’re looking for high-quality denim with solid construction that doesn’t break the bank, then Tellason Stock denim is amongst the best value you’re going to get.
Likewise, if you’re entirely new to raw denim, these jeans would be a great starting point. Affordable, minimal shrinkage to worry about—but with the key ingredients of a good pair of jeans—you could cop these and see if this whole raw thing is for you. My bet is that you’d be hooked, and you’d have some great fades to look forward to from your first pair.
Available for $99 in Slim Tapered and Straight Fit at Heddels Shop.
If you were unsure of any of the terms used in this article, head over to our dictionary or take look at our Raw Denim Anatomy.
Also a disclaimer that we do indeed make money off of purchases from our content, but we also LOSE money if you return them so it is in our best interest to provide you with the most accurate information in our write ups.
