raw

Have you heard of raw denim?  Maybe everyone has already and I'm just super late to the game, but on the off chance that you're like me, I thought I'd share my discovery with you.

I first read about raw denim over at Dead Fleurette (one of my favorite blogs, check it out if you're not familiar with it), and she linked over to the guys at Rawr Denim, where I promptly got completely sucked in to this fascinating subculture and lost the better part of my day.

Raw denim is unwashed and untreated; it's stiff and dark, and from what I can tell, incredibly uncomfortable in the beginning.  And then, as you wear it (no washing allowed!), it conforms and molds to your body in a way that raw denim virgins like me can only begin to imagine (Levi's 501s, shrink-to-fit?  Yup, that's what that means).  It begins to crease and fade and tell the story of You.  Your wallet/coin/good luck charm in your back pocket, extra wear from the shaft of your boots, abrasions on the hip from your messenger bag... all those whiskers and fades and creases that high-end denim companies spend so much time artificially creating for us, will actually be yours, honest and authentic.  Maybe it's totally irrational for me to be so enthralled by the idea, but I'm starting to obsess.  And I'm thinking I may have to try this.  I'd probably go with the A.P.C.s, since they seem so easily accessible, but there's lots of options out there if you're interested.

After the jump, some enticing photos from Rawr Denim...

There's plenty of info on raw denim online, the sheer amount of forums and chats and articles will blow your mind, (though it does seem mostly male-driven).  Rawr Denim seems to be one of the greatest resources though, with detailed explanations of what exactly it is, how to care for it, how/when to wash, etc.  My favorite posts though are from the Fade Fridays section, where people send in photos of their own raw denim, before and after.

What do you think?  Would you try it?