Like most hipsters, I love denim. And in the immortal words of the Old Dirty Bastard, "I like it raw". I won't bother explaining what raw denim is or what selvedge denim is, as the fine lads over at Rawr Denim have that covered (click through those links to get a primer). While being raw and/or selvedge doesn't automatically make a pair of jeans better, much of the world's best denim possesses those qualities, making them catnip to the #denimhead crowd. So for the second installment of MADE IN USA WEEK, we'll take a look at two American brands that do denim right: Tellason and Rogue Territory.
Tellason's jeans are about as American as American can be. The denim is from the legendary Cone Denim Mills in North Carolina, the leather patch from Tanner Goods in Oregon, and the jeans are made in San Francisco. Even the thread and pocketing are made in America. Founders Tony Patella and Pete Searson (Tellason is a portmanteau of the ends of their last names) focus on delivering a high-quality product, not distracting you with hand-waving bullshit. Their jeans are simple and clean, keeping with a classic American denim aesthetic that has never been broken and never needed fixing. Wear them while herding cattle or while sipping your single origin pour-over. Both are completely valid options.
LA's own Rogue Territory opts for a slightly different strategy, using fabrics from Japan, the denim holy land. Like the above Strider, made with a 14oz sanforized 52% hemp / 48% cotton denim, and the below Slubby Stanton, made with a 13.5oz (pre-soak) / 14.5oz (post-soak) unsanforized denim that is particularly slubby (a type of texture, characteristic of low-tension shuttle looms).
Slub city, right thurr.
I truly admire both these brands: Tellason for their aesthetic purity and their dedication to honoring the "Made in USA" label in every detail; Rogue Territory for taking risks with fabrics and having a little fun, while still managing to make straightforward, gimmick-free jeans. If you're looking for American-made jeans you can't go wrong with either company. So go buy some denim. Do it for America.
And check out this cool little video for a little more info on Tellason:
Tellason | Brand Story from Vertical Online on Vimeo. |