Raw Denim & the Works

What is raw denim? There is a lot of hype concerning raw denim in the market. Denim is a very common fabric. You probably own at least one piece of clothing made of denim or even more. But raw denim is not something that everyone owns. We are always reading up crazy hacks that people do to their raw denim fabric like putting it in the freezer. There are many complaints that any piece of clothing made from raw denim is pretty expensive. There is some debate over whether people who wear a raw denim pant should consider washing them more often. Wearing pants unwashed for six months straight is “dirty” but the trick to raw denim is to wash it as less as possible.

Raw denim clothing is a luxury to have and something everyone should have in their closet. We want you to know everything there is about the fabric and why it is considered such an elite type of fabric.

Page Contents

What is Raw Denim?

Most of the denim clothing that you see around you is not made of raw denim. It is denim that has been washed and treated which is what gives you the worn-in look but it is completely artificial. Raw denim clothing is all about keeping it real as raw denim is never treated or washed. From the start, raw denim is kept as natural as possible. It is not touched by many human hands after it is pulled off from a loom to the time it is sold to a customer.

It is also known as dry denim. If you touch the fabric, you will find it crisp and stiff. Raw denim is susceptible to crocking. It is a phenomenon in which the natural denim leaves traces of indigo dye if it is rubbed against a surface. Even if you rub your hand against it, you will get a blue dye on it. You must remain careful with a new piece of clothing of raw denim. There is a high chance that you will be spreading around the indigo dye wherever you go.

What is Raw Denim: Benefits of It

  • The biggest benefit or allure of raw denim is that it allows you to personalize it. The denim reacts to how and where the wearer takes it. If you are wearing a piece of clothing made from raw denim then every crease, fade, the smudge of color, and fold will be made by you. The raw denim will age as to how you treat it. Over time, it will be personalized according to you and will tell a story of how you have worn it.
  • Raw denim does not go through the rough and artificial process of lasering, sandblasting, or stone washing. It is why the fabric lasts for a long time. A pair of jeans made from raw denim is much more durable than jeans made from denim that has been treated and processed.
  • A washed and distressed pair of jeans wastes a lot of water when it is being processed. Moreover, the workers that are processing the denim get exposed to harmful chemicals that are used in distressing and washing the denim. On the other hand, raw denim does not waste any water nor does it expose any human to harmful chemicals.
  • If you own a raw denim jean, then you would not need to purchase and hold on to other jeans because just one pair will last you a long time. It will save you closet space and money.
  • It is certainly a fact that raw denim costs more than processed denim. but raw denim is an investment. As we mentioned above, once you buy raw denim clothing, it will last you for many years which means that you will not need to buy another. The durability means that it will save you money so the initial high price should not be of concern.

What is Raw Denim: How to Pick the Right Clothing?

Every time you wear the fabric, you will leave a mark on it till the time comes that the indigo will chip away. The beautiful electric blue will come out. The white yarns of the fabric will start showing up . Finally, you will have a unique piece of clothing on your hands.

As we were pointing out previously, raw denim is stiff. This means that if you get the wrong size of clothing, you can feel stuffy. It might feel suffocating due to the crisp nature of the fabric. You do not want to get your circulation cut off just because you selected the wrong pair of jeans or shirt. If you are going for unsanforized denim clothing, then make sure that you opt for one upsize than your usual. Because this kind of raw denim is prone to shrinking in the beginning. As for sanforized raw denim, go for one size down than your usual one because it will stretch out. The stretching will be in the waist, seat, and thigh area. You will need to make sure to keep that in mind when you are purchasing it.

Final Thought

We would be the first ones to say that raw denim is hard to wear. Breaking in a piece of clothing made from raw denim is not fun at all. It is like wearing cardboard on your body and moving around in it. Despite the discomfort, we love raw denim due to the look, durability, quality. It allows us to leave a mark as we like. Any piece of clothing made from raw denim outshines all other fabrics. It would certainly fetch you a lot of compliments from your friends.

We would recommend that you only buy raw denim clothing from well-known brands. They should be reputed to sell the best raw denim in your town. Once you do buy any clothing made from raw denim, make sure that you wash it as less as possible. The key to having raw denim is that you break in it as much as possible in the beginning.

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