9 Weeks (2 Months, 1 Week): Feb 25th - March 11th

So I have crossed into the 2 month barrier now.  I apologize for not getting a post up last week for the official 2 month mark.  It has been quite a busy couple of weeks.  Anyways, I think I have some pretty sweet pics for you today.  I took more than normal to give you some more detail on the progress.

So a couple of things:
I recently had to febreeze them and throw them in the freezer to combat the smell and it has seemed to work very well.  When you wear jeans pretty much everyday, they can tend to get a little more worked in than normal.  This helps to yield some pretty fantastic fades and fantastic smells.  :)  Never the less, I am very determined to get these guys through the full journey.  The fade from my wallet on the back right pocket is popping out pretty well.  Also, you can now see some honeycombs coming in amongst many other typical spots.  I can't believe how fast this is coming together.  I may have a crotch blow out before that year mark.  If you look at the pics then you can see how there is already some significant wear in that area.  I foresee some darning in my future.

Also, I added a pair of Red Wing boots to the mix yesterday.

 I picked them up over at the Cabella's in Hamburg, PA.  My wife and I went hiking on Saturday and dropped in on the way home.  It was the first day since fall that we had weather hit the 60's, so it felt like summer to us and we knew it was wise to take advantage of it.  I have included pics of the boots to give you an idea.  These are not the typical "heritage" line, but they are from that same time.

These are like the old school Irish Setter work boots.  It was in 1950 that Red Wing's first official work/hunt boots released.  Since then, the Irish setter has been evolving and changing while keeping that same quality.  These have that signature "moc" toe that a lot of denim enthusiasts are after.  Take a look and post all the questions that you want to.

peace,
~austin~

7 Weeks: Feb 18th - 25th

Well, I'm now at 7 weeks in my jeans.  All I say is I love them.  Every time I put them on it's like wearing a glove.  They fit so well.  Once again, the quickness of fading is surprising me.  It is probably going to be very tempting to wash these at 6 months because of that.  But I will push through because these guys are going to look so sick after a year.  

I'm going to keep this post short because these pictures speak for themselves.  Feel free to leave comments.  I love "geeking" out over this stuff.  Also, I have a few posts coming up in the near future that are going to be nice.  There are a couple of people that have gotten the indigo itch and are beginning their raw denim journey this year and I want you guys to know all about it. 

~austin~

Colin Harris: Art & Indigo

My friend Colin has officially caught the denim bug.  I've known him for a year and a half now since moving to the Philly area.  In random passing, I have dropped subtle mentions of my denim fetish from time to time.  However, me starting this blog and his time spent on rawrdenim.com is what led him to buying his first pair of raw selvedge denim.  That is so so cool to me.  He really liked the idea of having a blank canvas in the form of jeans.  So he picked up a pair of Naked and Famous's Left Hand Twills in the brand new Super Skinny Guy fit.  Ironically, we have the same denim but in different fits, which is bizarre, considering I didn't tell him what kind to get at all.  It's super cool that my project is inspiring others to jump into this indigo-soaked world that completely captured me a few years ago.  Be sure to look for some updates on his fades and first wash on here after some time passes and he breaks them in.  

For fun, I had him do a short interview about himself & his whole experience so far.

Brand:  Naked & Famous
Type: Left Hand Twill
Fit:  Super Skinny Guy
Size:  31 waist  (he normally wears a 32 but sized down to a 31)

If you could describe yourself in 3 sentences...

- I am a Philadelphia based artist, husband and recent father. I am constantly trying to create things. The majority of my art consists of screen printing, woodcutting, illustration and live caricature. 

When and why did denim first catch your eye?

- Jeans have always been in heavy rotation in my day to day wardrobe. I saw your jeans about a year ago and that’s when I first heard about raw denim. (Admittedly I was a bit skeptical at first about the whole not washing thing) But when I recently read your blog and followed the link to rawrdenim.com I got hooked. I love the process of turning an untouched pair of jeans into a personalized, wearable piece of art. 

What are some activities you will be getting into while breaking your jeans in?

- Making art, drinking coffee, chasing around my baby when she learns to crawl, and possible some skateboarding. 

How long are you planning on wearing your jeans before the first wash?

My goal is to make it a year if possible, although I am going to assess them at 6 months and determine if they need a wash. So a possible summer trip to the shore for a beach wash may be in store.

My website:

www.mainlinecaricatures.com

6 Weeks: Feb 11th - 18th

Well a month and a half is here.  My jeans are starting to become very comfy.  They aren't really stiff anymore which is nice.  No stains as far as I can tell either.  Overall, fading is looking nice for only a month and a half.  I'm please with the color of the indigo bleed too.  My back right pocket where I keep my wallet is taking shape quite well and the fade from my phone on the other pocket is becoming more prominent.  These photos make it a bit harder to tell that some honeycomb fading is showing, but you can see it a little.  my knee on the left side is barely starting to fade and along the side of the seam.  It's more prominent there, I think, because of my left leg rubbing up against the door of my car when I drive.  Kind cool.

As promised last week, you will be seeing a post on my friend Colin and his new obsession with Raw Denim.

These photos have only had their white balance adjusted so they aren't really edited.  Enjoy....

~austin~