Nudie Jeans Brand & Product Guide

Nudie’s Impact On The Denim Market

Since it was formed, Nudie had managed to carve itself a unique position within the global denim market. Combining a touch of Scandinavian cool with the use of premium fabrics and sustainable manufacturing processes, it is known for offering jeans in a range of different fits that offer a contemporary yet classic look, whether you opt for a looser fitting pair or prefer something more on the skinny side.

At the time Nudie Jeans was founded, consumers were not as widely aware of where their clothes came from as they are today. However, Nudie believed that it was worth having a high level of awareness of every stage of their product development and production. With an emphasis on fair and legal working conditions and sustainable production methods, Nudie Jeans has been a leader in what has grown to be known as circularity.

Nudie aims to be as open and transparent as possible when it comes to how their products are made, and the environmental impact they have. For example, Nudie publishes information for each product in their collection that shows the entire production journey, including the amount of water used to create the item in question.

This increases consumer awareness of their own environmental impact and encourages competitors to keep up. It also reveals how much energy and work really goes into the consumption of clothing. While it took some time, Nudie Jeans’ producing 100% organic cotton has become increasingly popular and even expected, especially when it comes to premium brands in the denim industry.

As well as being a brand with strong ethical values, Nudie is also one that happens to make great quality products. The brand was a driving force behind the resurgence in popularity of raw denim since the start of the century, and encourages customers to wear their jeans for extended periods without washing.

Not only does this reduce water consumption, it also means that over time each pair of jeans will develop a unique pattern of fading that is individual to the person who wears the jeans. Nudie offered something unique at the time it launched; a forward thinking denim brand that combined quality materials with stylish modern fits, that also enabled customers to know they were making an environmentally conscious choice.

Nudie Fabrics & Selvedge Denims

Nudie Jeans prides itself on the quality of its denim fabrics. Both dry and washed denim is used for Nudie jeans, with an emphasis on dry denim as a leading characteristic of the brand. 

Dry, raw or unwashed denim is denim that has been untreated - it will not have been bleached or washed in any way. This means that the jeans will not be purchased with a vintage or broken-in look. Instead, the consumer will break the denim in, creating a bespoke fit and a unique look that depends on the amount you wear your jeans, and what you do in them.

As well as championing dry denim, Nudie Jeans uses all organic cotton and Japanese selvedge denim to create some of their jeans. This is seen as a superior type of denim, especially by those who are passionate about the material.

Made traditionally, like authentic vintage denim from the past, selvedge denim is produced using a different weaving process than non-selvedge denim, and is created with careful craftsmanship and specialised machinery. The looms used to create selvedge denim produce extremely high levels of detail in the fabric. Manufacturing selvedge denim is typically a slower process than manufacturing regular denim, with a lower output as the shuttle looms used aren’t able to produce large sheets of material. However, the tradeoff is a higher quality, longer lasting product.

Some of the fabrics used by Nudie Jeans include:

Dry Selvedge

One of the most popular types of selvedge denim used by Nudie Jeans is 13.5 oz dry selvedge. This denim is created in Japan, with a special orange selvedge ID. It is used in the Lean Dean jeans.

Deep Dry Selvedge

Another kind of dry selvedge is the 12.5 oz deep dry selvedge used in the Grim Tim jeans, which was created by studying a pair of jeans found in the USA that were thought to be over 100 years old.

Dry Ace Selvedge

14.2 oz dry ace selvedge is also used, which was inspired by 1950s denim jeans, with weft yarns that are dipped in pure indigo. This process is repeated 20 times to create a unique look.

Snake Eyes Selvedge

Snake eyes selvedge is another popular 13 oz denim which is created to look like vintage denim which becomes more distressed as it is worn and washed over time, with a grainy appearance.

Ten Pin Selvedge

With 13 oz fabric, ten pin selvedge has cotton fibres left on the surface of the material, creating a soft feel as it is broken in over time. This fabric quickly looks like classic vintage denim with a fuzzy feeling.

Dry Maze Selvedge

Another type of selvedge used by Nudie Jeans includes 14.25 oz dry maze selvedge, which is created in Turkey and uses indigo dye in the twill lines to create a striking contrast as the denim fades.

Black Selvedge

Classic black selvedge is perfect for those who don’t want their jeans to fade quickly, as the dye soaks into the fabric and will not appear to have a high level of contrast as the surface fades. However, black selvedge fades into a steady grey tone.