How to Fit Yourself for Your First Pair of Selvedge Denim Jeans

Because you`ll likely be buying your raw and Selvedge Denim jeans online, it`s important you get the measurements right.

Measure yourself. There a few key measurements you`ll need for getting a proper fit on jeans. The most important are the waist and inseam, but you`ll also want to measure the front rise, back rise, thigh, and leg opening. Josey breaks it all down for us in the video below. Also, take a gander at the diagram from Real Men Real Style.

If you`re reading this in an email, click here to watch video on how to measure for raw Denim Jeans.

Image from Real Men Real Style

Remember, unsanforized denim hasn`t been treated to prevent shrinking, so when you wash or soak your jeans for the first time, they`ll shrink by 5%-10%. When purchasing jeans made with unsanforized denim, you`ll need to buy jeans a few sizes larger than you normally would and soak the jeans before you put them on so they shrink to the appropriate size.

Decide on fit. Most raw and selvedge denim jeans come in two fits: slim and regular fit. What each brand considers [slim" and [regular" will differ, which is why it`s so important to double-check their respective sizing guides.

Slim fit. Slim fit jeans have narrow thigh openings and are designed to hug your body (avoid this fit if you have thighs bigger than your head). If a brand doesn`t offer a slim fit, but you want a closer-fitting style, just buy your jeans a size down. Raw denim stretches a bit (about an inch at the waist) so you shouldn`t have a problem with fitting into a smaller pair of jeans.
Regular fit. Your traditional blue jean fit, giving you more room in the thigh and the crotch than you get with a slim fit. If a brand doesn`t distinguish between slim and regular fit, and you want a regular fit, make sure to buy your jeans [true to size."