The Raw Denim Jeans Experts Are Breaking in

When you want to know about cheese or wine, you consult the people that make it. The same goes for denim. If you want to know which pair of jeans to buy next, you ask the owners of a few of the most respected shops.

Don’t have any close by? Giving them a call a little too forward? We asked Kiya Babzani, co-owner of Self Edge, Jeremy Smith, co-owner of Standard & Strange, and Okayama Denim owner Merv Seth for you. Here’s what they’re wearing.

Kiya Babzani: Stevenson Overall Co. 714 Valencia Jeans

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“One of the only production jeans in the world where the entire thing is single-needle stitched. Three years, two repairs. I love the way they age over time. The denim doesn’t have a massive amount of character when it’s brand new, but as it fades over time it definitely comes through.” — Kiya Babzani, Self Edge

Jeremy Smith: Ooe Yofukuten OA02 Jeans

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“The 02 cut is like a sixties [Levi’s] 505. Very timeless and wearable with anything. They’re the best jeans-makers alive right now, possibly of all time — doubly so if you’re into vintage [reproductions]. My outgoing pair is perfectly worn in.” — Jeremy Smith, Standard & Strange

Merv Sethi: Big John x Okayama Denim Sample

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“We switched the weft out for a bamboo-fiber yarn, rather than the usual hundred percent cotton composition. These selvedge jeans are not only insane on the aesthetic and texture front, they were our first foray into a long-term effort to be a more socially and ecologically conscious company.” — Merv Sethi, Okayama Denim

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