The Raw denim experience

Raw denim fans tend to own less clothing in general, opting for a wardrobe of a few higher-quality pieces. Not everyone can be an activist, but for those who wish to decrease their environmental footprint practices like proper care of clothing to maximize usage, buying fewer new clothes, and buying clothes that are undistressed and untreated like our jeans, are small steps that can make a huge impact in the long run.

What is raw denim?

Raw denim is denim fabric that is unwashed, simple as that. Compared to most of jeans found in stores that have gone through some kind of pre-washing process. It’s the garment in its most authentic and purest form. It's practically woven, cut, sewn and sold to you, straight off the loom.

How long does it take to break in raw denim?

Up until the early 1970s, all jeans were made of raw denim and it was up to the consumer to break them in, welcome back. Raw denim requires some breaking in due to it’s rigidity or ’’stiffness’’. It eventually softens, molds to your body and creates it’s own patterns according to your movements and the use of the jeans. That’s the beauty of raw denim, no two pair are the same. You tell a story and give life to it.

What are the benefits to raw denim?

One of the most exciting benefits of raw denim is its carbon footprint which is far less than that of a washed pair. On average, a washed and pre distressed jeans will require 42 liters of water to achieve that worn-in look. On top of that, there are chemicals used to treat the jeans, power needed to dry the jeans after the wash as well as the manpower and labor needed to distress the jeans by hand. Our jeans doesn’t use any of that.

What precautions should I take with raw denim?

Part of the process is this beautiful indigo color left on the surface of the jean, but you're going to want to treat it with care. The deeply pigmented color transfers easily meaning it can rub off on surfaces or other clothing. Meaning you may not want to wear your jeans with your white AF1 for a while in the beginning.

Care instructions

We believe that raw denim jeans should never or rarely be washed. However, excess dirt and bacteria buildup can cause unwashed fabric to break down and tear if not treated properly. So when your jeans are ready for a wash, you are going to want to keep its characteristics as intact as possible.

We recommend: Soak the jeans in a tub using cold water to minimize indigo loss (if the jeans are very dirty you can use a small amount of detergent). Gently scrub the jeans and let them soak for about an hour. Remove the jeans from the tub, and rinse them with water to remove any leftover dirt, dye, or detergent. Finally, hang the jeans up and allow to air dry.

On washing machine: Wash cold on gentle cycle, [with] non-bleach and small amount of detergent, inside out and line dry. Don't wash your jeans with any other articles of clothing to avoid color bleeding. The jeans may feel a bit tight after wash, but will soon stretch back out to normal with wear. Please take a few months before washing your jeans, get to know them.

Know your weights

Denim is measured in weight of ounces per square yard, it’s usually abbreviated as ‘oz.’ in writing. This unit of mass is used to categorise denim fabric by weight. The higher the ounces, the heavier the denim. The weight of denim matters because it influences how the garment feels to wear and how durable it is.

Atelier Détails uses between 13.75 oz. and 15 oz. raw denim fabric.

  • 7-9 oz. lightweight : It’s light and thin. Some will say it’s perfect for summer. Honestly we think it’s unstable.

  • 10-13 oz. standard weight : The most common weight used to make jeans.

  • 14-16 oz. mid-weight : Probably heavier than your standard denim.These jeans usually require a few weeks to break in and provide more durability so you can kick ass longer and harder.

  • 17-21 oz. heavy weight : Made for hardwearing, these jeans can handle just about anything you throw at them.

  • 22 oz.+ super heavy weight : It's like wearing cardboard box shaped pants. You must be willing to go through pain and suffering to wear these jeans.