Klaxon Howl's limited-edition "California Slim"
Seeking a deeper appreciation of the world of dead stock, salt washing and denimheads, we went straight to our neighbourhood jeans expert. Matt Robinson, owner and designer of Toronto’s Klaxon Howl (694R Queen St. W., 647 436 6628, klaxonhowl.com), sat down with us to talk about raw denim, selvage and shrinkage.
What is raw denim?
Raw denim is basically unwashed denim: Dead stock, rigid, raw, dry denim.
What does the washing process do to a pair of jeans?
Washing changes the handle, the feel of the cloth. When it’s raw, denim has a stiffer, scratchier feel—and it’s un-shrunk. Even with samforized denim there’s usually shrinkage. Early Levi’s stuff was shrink-to-fit, so you had to buy according to how you would launder them. Depending on the fabric, you would get one to two inches of shrinkage in the waist and length, and had to know to size up. Read more »
