Ready Your Thighs for the Raw Denim Resurgence
For a certain type of guy, raw denim can be a gateway into the world of men's fashion. From there, it’s only a matter of time before our indigo-pilled fella doubles down on his love of period-correct Americana, obsessing over jeans from a specific era (maybe even mortgaging his house to bid on a pair!) or embracing modernity with gusto, ditching the straight-legged stuff in favor of the wackiest options in SSENSE's catalog. These days, though, the Venn diagram separating those two archetypes is starting to look a little more like a circle: raw denim is staging a comeback—jeans-whisperers like 3sixteen's Andrew Chen have confirmed as much—this time with a very 2023 twist.
Unlike the raw denim that dominated the menswear conversation in the 2010s, the jeans we’re talking about here can do more than just stand up on their own. Instead, designers of the highest order are treating the fabric as a blank canvas to apply their signature flare—sometimes literally. The silhouettes are looser and flowier, the branding is more overt, and the hems are largely intended to be worn uncuffed; in most cases, the jeans themselves, not the red-trimmed evidence of their Japanese provenance, are the flex. They’ll still whisker with the best of 'em, but they’re meant to be worn how you want, with way more just than a waxed jacket and work boots.
Jonesing to rock a pair with a sharp black blazer and chunky, lug-soled loafers? Have at it. Feeling a graphic tee instead of a Brando-inspired undershirt? Do you! Below, we rounded up 16 standouts from the burgeoning raw denim resurgence for you to freak however your heart desires. Denimheads, rejoice—and then prep the saltwater bath.
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