For a while there, the best raw denim jeans seems destined to remain a footnote in menswear—or is it #menswear?—history. See, if you’ve shopped for jeans recently, you’ve probably encountered some terrific washes. Light washes, medium washes, uneven washes, washes with whiskers, washes with trompe-l'oeil prints, you name it. You're not imagining it: since they height of the raw denim craze in the 2010s, we’ve entered something of a washed denim golden era, an equal and opposite reaction GQ clocked as early as January of 2023.
More recently, though, you might’ve also noticed that jeans have been getting a little bit darker again, and that the raw, deep-blue denim of decades past has made a triumphant return, just in time to keep your legs warm this winter. (For those of you who say selvedge never left, you’re right—plenty of people stuck by it during the down years, but die-hard loyalist are never the most accurate bellwether of mainstream ubiquity.)
When it comes to the brands doing 'em justice, the old guard is still crushing it, but we’ve also been delighted to see new names sidle into the arena, bringing roomier silhouettes and unexpected references along with them. So to help you sort the wheat from the chaff, we went deep on the absolute best raw denim jeans on the market right now, from the mass-market standbys to the true-blue Japanese grails. Take it from a gang of menswear nerds with an unhealthy amount of experience breaking in denim of all shapes and sizes—start wearing them today, and you'll enjoy sick fades by spring.
The Best Raw Denim Jeans, According to GQ
Best Raw Jeans Overall: Levi’s 501 Original Fit Shrink-to-Fit Jeans
Half the fun of owning a pair of raw denim is slowly watching the fades accumulate over time. And while some smaller brands work with fabrics that can yield amazing results, they can also be a bit unpredictable. Levi's 501s, on the other hand, are tried and true, with 150 years of R&D leading to consistently great fades and a dialed-in fit, backed up by a pedigree that will probably never be matched.
Levi's XX famous shrink-to-fit denim fabric starts out stiff and fades like a dream. Coupled with the classic 501 silhouette, it's the most logical entry point for anyone curious about the FIY (fade-it-yourself) mentality, especially for the price. Even for seasoned raw denim enjoyers, the original 501 rigid denim is a solid reminder of exactly why Levi's maintains its seat in the pantheon of jeans. That said, because these are not pre-shrunk, sizing can be tricky. You'll have to size up a few inches in the waist and the length, so a little research and some help from Levi's sales associates can help dial in the right fit. Rest assured, though, after you've gone through the ritual of soaking your jeans in the bathtub and experienced the joy (and frustration) that comes with the shrink-to-fit raw denim process, you'll be hooked.
Best Upgrade Raw Denim: 3sixteen RS-100x Relaxed Straight Fit Jeans
3sixteen has been on an absolute tear the last few years—just go check out their boots, or the shearling bomber that sold out in about three seconds—but regardless of how far they sail out to sea, the denim is the anchor for the entire brand. We're partial to the RS-100x relaxed straight fit, which is made with the same proprietary 100x raw indigo selvedge denim the brand has been using for the last 15 years, and has a nice roomy leg, an easy break-in period, and one of the best indigo hues you’ll find anywhere in the world. (These sell out with vexing regularity, but they also restock fairly consistently.)
The Best Raw Denim for Lightning-Fast Fades: A.P.C. Rescue Jeans
In the menswear boom of the 2010s, the French label A.P.C. converted a generation of budding fashion fans into raw denim believers. The denim was a steely shade of indigo and stiff as hell, much like the shrink-to-fit Levi's from which they were inspired. A.P.C. built lore around the jeans, advocating for never washing them, sticking them in the freezer, or taking them for a dip in the ocean before scrubbing them with beach sand. While the hogwash rigmarole helped indoctrinate schools of young, impressionable menswear bros into a selvedge cult and spread denim misinformation that we're still reckoning with today, it's ultimately the denim's ability to fade extremely fast that cemented A.P.C.'s jeans as the de facto gateway into a higher echelon of dungarees. Compared to many other options, A.P.C.'s denim showed supremely sick fades in far less time. By no means is this a quick dopamine hit. The fades still take months and months to reveal themselves. But if you're new to raw denim or are just impatient to see results, A.P.C. is still a stellar option.
The Best Raw Denim for the Modern Menswear Guy: OrSlow 105 Jeans
OrSlow is another one of those Japanese labels that recreates classic Americana garments with great respect and attention to detail. But unlike the droves of denim and repro purists, OrSlow tends to hit with the crowds who love brands like Auralee and Evan Kinori, a subsect of menswear guys who appreciate quality and heritage garments without looking like they're cosplaying as an oil baron. The 105 jeans are OrSlow's version of the Levi's 501 from the mid-20th Century with a classic mid-rise straight-leg fit, redline selvedge denim with a slight slubby texture, and oxidized rivets. The one-wash finish will be off putting to the strict raw denim purists, but if you don't mind a softer jean from the outset with esoteric details that will tickle the slightly pretentious side of you, then these are for you.
The Best Raw Denim for Japanophiles: Samurai S2000HX II 15.8oz Samurai Cotton GL3 Selvedge Denim
To uplift a single jean as the best Japanese denim feels a little silly. At least, it does for yours truly, an insufferable (yet reformed!) denimhead. There are just too many Japanese labels doing incredible work, each with its own approach and nuance. That said, it's easier for me to point to a single brand if you're obsessed not just with Japanese denim, but Japan as a whole.
Samurai's a label I've long admired for its distinctive denim and stunning quality. But while many Japanese labels chase a bygone era of Americana, Samurai infuses its products with a rich Nippon-ness that draws on Japan's famous warriors. From the illustration on the leather patch that depicts a famous samurai story to the custom buttons and rivets that recall samurai weapons, to the selvedge edge, which is woven with silver lamé thread that mimics the sheen of samurai swords. Beyond the more obvious visual references, Samurai has also embarked on a long journey of growing its own cotton in its native country. From there, the cotton threads are woven on vintage GL3 shuttle looms, the first looms to weave Japanese denim.
The Best Raw Jeans for the Repro-Obsessed: The Real McCoy's Lot.001 Jeans
There's a certain subculture within the raw denim crowd that is relentless about reproductions of vintage clothes, and The Real McCoy's is considered by many to be the ultimate Americana repro brand. From exacting stitch counts to importing rare cows to produce leather for its WWII-era A-2 bomber jackets, The Real McCoy's has earned its name. The Lot.001 Jeans are among its best-known products, a recreation of a pair of jeans originally produced in 1955. Details like hidden copper rivets and V-stitch at the waistband are present, as is the high-waist relaxed fit. Further than that, TRM went to great lengths to reproduce the denim from the era, thoroughly researching and developing the fabric to use the correct yarn size and dipping the cotton yarns in indigo seven times to get the exact shade.
Unless you have a grandparent with an unworn pair collecting dust in an attic, a deadstock pair from the era will cost you several mortgages. And while coughing up over $400 for a jeans is a lot, it's the closest you'll get to the real thing.
More Raw Denim Jeans We Love
Wrangler
Rigid Cowboy Cut Original Fit Jeans
There's a reason you'll see professional bull riders wearing these on the job. he Cowboy Cuts cost $40, are made from a rigid, 100% cotton 14. 5oz. denim and cut to effortlessly accommodate a pair of boots. Rigid does mean rigid, though, so make sure you're ready to wrestle with them a little.
Gap
Heavyweight Relaxed Straight Jeans
Though this isn't raw denim in the strictest sense, Gap's heavyweight jeans are still plenty inky. They've been very lightly washed with no discernable distressing, so if you're looking for a blank denim slate to fade yourself minus the starch-stiff break-in period, these are a great option.
Gustin
The 1968 Selvedge Denim Jeans
Gustin built its cadre of menswear staples on a foundation of high-quality materials and made-in-USA production—all via a DTC crowdfunding model. Using Cone Mills selvedge denim and produced in San Francisco (the veritable home of Blue Jeans), Gustin's 1968 jean have become so popular it's now produced as a stock item. What seals the deal is that sweet DTC price point. Good luck finding another pair of raw selvedge denim jeans as good and as affordable.
Carhartt WIP
Brandon Jeans
From the classic workwear details to the hardy fabrics, it's clear that Carhartt WIP shares the same DNA as its older sibling. Where it deviates is in its hipper approach and streetwear aesthetic. Its Brandon jeans feature the label's flagship Smith denim, a hefty 14-ounce raw fabric, which has an almost slate-gray indigo tone compared to other raw denim jeans. The baggy fit, lower crotch, and none-too-precious details make these the perfect option for anyone looking for raw jeans without the selvedge snobbery.
Tellason
Fredy 12.5oz Jeans
Tellason's remained an underground, unsung advocate of the made-in-USA raw denim movement. And perhaps, they wouldn't have it any other way. Founders Pete Searson and Tony Patella grew up listening to punk rock and have taken the DIY, no-nonsense approach to jeans since its inception: Japanese and Italian fabrics, full-grain leathers, cut and sewn just over the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.
RRL
Slim Boot East-West Selvedge Jean
RRL is a jack of all trades and a master of, well, all of them. And if there's one label doing denim just about as good as the masterful Japanese labels, it's this Ralph Lauren sub-brand. You'll see minute details that the nerdiest of denimheads will appreciate like hidden rivets, filled belt loops, and long-forgotten single-needle reinforcements before the invention of bartacks. There are no skips in RRL's denim catalog, but a rare sight in this corner of the denim world is a good pair of raw bootcut jeans like these.
Fullcount
0105SSW 11.5 oz. Wide Straight Jeans
Made with a lighter-weight denim that will still fade as righteously as its heavier counterparts, Full Count is practically incapable of producing anything that's not class-leading. They specialize in making some of the best-wearing, best-fading raw selvedge jeans in the world. (If you can find them.)
Oni
277-Bumpy "Murasaki Purple Overdye" 17oz Selvedge Denim
Oni remains one of the most mysterious Japanese denim brands out there. There's not much background on the elusive label, but what we do know is that its denim is produced on a single loom in micro batches. The brand's denim is a dissertation on texture, fabric tension, and a surpisingly wide range of indigo tones. Frankly, the obfuscation is refreshing. It lets the product speak for itself.
Tender
Type 136 Oxford Jeans
Artisanal and antique techniques have garnered Tender a cult following. The Pennsylvania-based, British-born label's M.O. is to infuse truly heady construction methods with long-forgotten references, before dipping it all in healthy mix of natural dyes. The result is a unique imprint on the denim scene and the menswear game at large. These jeans, inspired by late-19th century workwear and the Oxford bags, features a denim that uses the indigo dye for the weft rather than the warp, before cutting it at a right angle, and then overdyeing it in woad, a cousin of indigo. If that's a bit too complicated for you, don't worry, there's plenty of other raw denim out there.
Left Field NYC
Smokestack 17oz Awa Shoai Natural Hank Dyed Indigo Warp Kakishibu Weft Jeans
We're not sure that there's any American denim brand doing it like Left Field. Authentic workwear designs, a clear love for New York City, and an embrace of Japanese fabric weaving and dyeing make the label a beacon of Stateside selvdge. Case in point, these wide-legged jeans made from a heavyweight hank-dyed denim with natural plant indigo dye for the warp and persimmon dye for the weft. Sheesh!
What to Look for in a Great Pair of Raw Denim Jeans
Ideally, we're looking for 100% cotton jeans with a decent weight—at a minimum, 11-ounce fabric, though a heavyweight 13-14 ounce is nice, too. Preferably, you’re also getting the selvedge cut of that fabric—meaning the jeans have their own, tightly-finished edges that won’t fray—although that part isn’t required. And this list is all-cotton for two reasons: the fabric lasts longer and ages better. Finally, the richest-looking fabrics tend to use indigo dyes, which produce incredible fades, but can also bleed onto surfaces (leather couch owners, beware).
You also won't find many skinny jeans in this guide, but that doesn’t mean that the brands we included don’t make a slimmer cut with the same attention to detail or high-quality materials. In fact, just about every one does, if something looks a little too loose (or tight) for your liking.
How We Test and Review Products
Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.
Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.
How We Make These Picks
We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.
To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.
We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.
Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)
