Hi Colin, have a look at Brave Star Selvedge, they're in the US but you order direct so no middle man which makes them cheaper. They may say they're out of stock but that's bull. Drop them an email.

I tend to not be so fussed about the rise on jeans as I am on khakis, which just look wrong with anything below a generous standard rise. Or as I would be about those elusive grey flannels.

Generally, a higher rise on denim falls into the 'comfort' zone. Which also means a bit of stretch. So not raw denim. I suppose similar to Lands End traditional fit?

Also no use to Colin, but four/five years or so ago, at a Next clearance store, I found two pairs of Next branded, indigo, heavyweight, high rise, straight fit, selvedge Cone Mills jeans for £15 or so. No idea how they found their way in there, but it might help explain why I keep up my High Street patrols.

I still swear by Lee 101z and Edwin 55s, which are only just touching mid rise. Having thoroughly bashed standard 501s in the past I'm kind of coming back round to them.

Last edited by Spendthrift (2022-05-06 05:31:45)

Try Bronson, they fit the bill.  I just sold on a pair of 36s as they didn't shrink nearly as much as advertised, so here are the measurements for https://bronsonshop.com/collections/jeans-all/products/non-stock-mens-15oz-unwash-heavy-red-ear-tannin-jeans after two hot soaks

Waist: 18 1/4  (measured across the top)
Front rise: 12 ¾
Back rise: 16 ¼
Inseam: 32
Hem width: 8 5/8

Last edited by plastic palm tree (2022-05-06 03:18:20)

Being an inveterate cheapskate, my latest grey sweatshirt cost around the price of a pint of London beer (maybe less) and my last pair of 501s about fifteen quid.  Both the sweat and the jeans are USA-made.  I spend more money on books nowadays.  And they can be sold on to a dealer.  Clothing often goes to charity or is consigned to the bin.

Tom's absolutely right about that pointless Pike Brothers logo.

I seem to remember one of our American posters - I can't remember who - being rather perplexed over the English way of wearing jeans, i.e. the fussing over them.  At one time I would have done the same, having slight alterations done.  But no longer.  The remaining pair of USA-made 501s I have are slightly baggy, only medium-waisted, and with a modest cuff that I adjust as necessary.
I paid attention fairly recently to Patrick, who spoke up in praise of chinos and TRS, who dismissed chinos as dowdy.  I also paid attention to a gentleman I've known for some forty five years who told me I was too old to be wearing Levis.  Yet my father was wearing them until he died at the age of seventy eight.
I can simply no longer summon up any enthusiasm.

I wear indigo jeans quite often in the winter, they go with most things except a formal jacket and don’t have the old man vibe of corduroy trousers - a garment I’ve completely gone off and wonder why I bought more than one pair of.

In LVC 101’s I lean towards the 1955 version and according to their website I ‘pay tribute to the epitome of American rebellion’ and there was me thinking they were just a nice pair of jeans.  But I see denim jeans as a utilitarian item and like Colin I balk at paying £200+ for a pair, also LVC jeans ain’t what they used to be. Personally I’m not worried about the selvedge nonsense and am over the roll up on jeans, done so everyone can what colour stripes you’ve got in your seams. Who ever did that twenty five years ago? Who had heard of selvedge prior to twenty five years ago? Middle men walking around with giant roll ups on their jeans looking like American railroad workers from 1900 - ridiculous.

Jeans are a very American item though, so I avoid niche makers and like to stick with recognisable American brands like Levis, Wrangler and Lee. They’ve been mentioned on here before but I’ll flag up Wrangler 13 MWZs as a great buy, they’re not selvedge but they are very tough, a relaxed cut and sit at the waist, just a traditional cowboy jean. The snag is they are not sold direct in the UK, you have to go via eBay, Amazon (spits) or an American website like Sheplers and accept that you pay shipping and probably a cut to HMRC. But they are cheap to begin so not so bad. Being very robust they take a bit of breaking in and they tend to shrink on the first couple of washes, losing 2?  leg length and a bit in the waist so size up.

https://www.sheplers.com/wrangler-mens-13mwz-dark-wash-high-rise-rigid-cowboy-cut-straight-jeans/010058.html?dwvar_010058_color=7001#start=1

In the pictures on this link for some reason the model is wearing jeans with ironed creases, which would obviously make you look a right wanker.

I wear indigo jeans quite often in the winter, they go with most things except a formal jacket and don’t have the old man vibe of corduroy trousers - a garment I’ve completely gone off and wonder why I bought more than one pair of.

In LVC 101’s I lean towards the 1955 version and according to their website I ‘pay tribute to the epitome of American rebellion’ and there was me thinking they were just a nice pair of jeans.  But I see denim jeans as a utilitarian item and like Colin I balk at paying £200+ for a pair, also LVC jeans ain’t what they used to be. Personally I’m not worried about the selvedge nonsense and am over the roll up on jeans, done so everyone can see what colour stripes you’ve got in your seams. Who ever did that twenty five years ago? Who had heard of selvedge prior to twenty five years ago? Middle aged men walking around with giant roll ups on their jeans looking like American railroad workers from 1900 - ridiculous.

Jeans are a very American item though, so I avoid niche makers and like to stick with recognisable American brands like Levis, Wrangler and Lee. They’ve been mentioned on here before but I’ll flag up Wrangler 13 MWZs as a great buy, they’re not selvedge but they are very tough, a relaxed cut and sit at the waist, just a traditional cowboy jean. The snag is they are not sold direct in the UK, you have to go via eBay, Amazon (spits) or an American website like Sheplers and accept that you pay shipping and probably a cut to HMRC. But they are cheap to begin so not so bad. Being very robust they take a bit of breaking in and they tend to shrink on the first couple of washes, losing 2 inches leg length and a bit in the waist so size up.

Sheplers now have a UK website but in the 13MWZ pictures for some reason the model is wearing them with ironed creases, which would obviously make you look a right wanker and not very cool at all.

I did not find Wranglers 13MZW shrank at all. They were cheap in Sheplers and I never got stung for import duty. Mentioned on here a while back by that Oliver chap.

However I don’t wear jeans so much now. There are warmer alternatives in Winter and cooler ones in Summer.

I recently picked up a graduate style tan cord jacket from the high street. Two button and slightly darted (which actually I believe Dustin’s was?) but unlined and soft shoulder. I’m more pleased with it than I am with a darker brown RL that hits most Ivy details.
Cord trousers, I made the mistake of grabbing standard trouser type when I should have held out for 5p’s which would have aged me (slightly) less. I wore them to an in law get together and realised that apart from shoes I was dressed the same as my wife’s step grandfather.

Thanks all - I definitely get why some of you can't get excited about denim (not least given the obsession out there over raw selvedge etc). Thanks too for the suggestions of options out there.

As it just so happened, managed to picked up a highly discounted pair of Edwin jeans (made in Japan, which is nice) which seem to fit the bill, and came up at less than £100 - which given they get such regular wear from me, is worth the price.

That said, I have really taken to wearing navy cords a lot more when it's not khaki weather. But being on the younger side, jeans play an important role within my take on an ivy look! (Although the shrinkage and stretching of raw denim always a bit of a gamble, as well as finding a fit that isn't too slim not too baggy. I actually find it easier to buy natural shoulder jackets and suits than I do jeans!).

In a slightly bolder move now the sun's coming out, I have also taken a ten pound ebay gamble on a pair of old off-white/sand made in USA levis - to be worn short, for that surf ivy look (wearing with, maybe, stripey t-shirts, popovers, weejuns, maybe even a golden coloured shetland if it works).

Last edited by colin (2022-05-07 06:23:00)

Old man. Yes I get this a fair bit. But we have this loosely shared set of standards, values and influences. If other people are only capable of distilling that down to ‘old man’ it’s not my problem.

Colin, I can’t imagine you’ll be anything other than pleased with the Edwins.

I’ve also embraced off white denim for summer. It’s a good look. As you say, short and sockless. Apart from more white, I’ve found they go with most stuff blue denim does.