A couple weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to tour a local based clothing factory in San Francisco. Copin denim invited me to visit the factory where their jeans are manufactured, so I could see the work put into their product. I must say this was an amazing experience. As a daily jean wearer I never took into consideration how much work is put into making a pair of jeans. The very unique thing about Copin denim jeans is that they are made of selvage raw denim. This denim is a speciality fabric which is woven on a shuttle loom and is often referred to as dry or raw denim. The term dry or raw refers to the denim being a bit stiffer because it is not washed or treated after the dye process. Selvage denim is considered a premium denim because not only does the fabric cost more, but selvage denim is about about half as wide as mass-produced denim, so the fabric yield in a pair of selvage jeans is double. At first I wondered why would someone want to pay more money for a pair of selvaged raw denim jeans than a pair of mass-produced denim jeans. Well the answer is in the quality and uniqueness of the denim. Not only is the fabric of selvage raw denim a higher quality, but raw denim fades, softens, and molds to your body. Depending on what you do in your jeans and how you go about your day, your jeans will wear and fade in a way to make them unique to you.
The thing that amazed me most about the production of Copin jeans is they are all handmade. There are no large scale production lines with machines making jeans. There are actual workers cutting fabric, stitching thread, steam pressing, stamping buttons. The best part of this process is that they are locally made! It's not everyday you can find a product that you love and it's handmade right where you live.
I have been waring a pair of Copin Denim jeans for the past 2 months and they are absolutely amazing. The quality of them is just phenomenal. The thing I like most about these jeans is the continual process of them forming to my body. The jeans keep a perfect fit in places, but after wearing them for some time they stretch a bit where it is needed. I can notice them fading into my own unique style. Another thing I love about the selvaged denim is that the jeans will last much longer then a mass-produced denim. When you buy selvaged you can expect to keep your jeans for many years. As someone who is practicing becoming a minimalist, these are the perfect fit.
If you are in the market for raw denim jeans I would recommend checking out Copin Denim. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. Plus it's awesome to be able to support small businesses and especially ones where the product is manufactured in the states. Copin currently only makes jeans for men, but they are working on a female line. I got a sneak peak of these jeans and I must say the female product seems amazing. Give them a look!
Just about every major selvaged denim fabric under one roof.
Selvaged denim
Selvaged denim being hand cut.
Each person that works in a handmade factory has a specific job.
Zippers ready to be stitched to denim.
Stitching the denim jeans together.
Ironing the inside looms of the denim.
Hand labeling denim size.
Stamping the buttons onto the pants.
Selection of thread which can be used to stitch the fabrics.