What's The Deal With Lightweight Denim?

  

What’s the difference between heavyweight and lightweight denim? The weight of denim is measured in oz/square yard. (Fun Fact! Even countries on the metric system weigh denim this way instead of grams/square meter. It’s probably because Americans made denim world famous, and the US uses the imperial system.)  When weaving denim, the thicker the yarn fiber used, the denser and heavier the denim will become. Dense heavy fabrics tend to insulate while less dense lighter fabrics allow for better breath-ability. A lightweight denim is generally considered to be 12oz and under. You can find the weight of the denim for each product we offer listed as the first bullet point on our product pages. 

   

From left to right: Lightweight Selvedge - 10oz, 100% Cotton; Natural Indigo Selvedge - 13oz, 100% Cotton; MIJ1 - 15oz, 100% Cotton; Okayama Spirit 1 - 16oz, 100% Cotton; Elephant Denim 1 - 19oz, 100% Cotton; Elephant 4 - 22oz, 100% Cotton.

 

“We’ve been offering lightweight denim for a long time, since almost the beginning of Naked & Famous Denim 10 years ago. At the start, some of the hard core denim guys couldn’t imagine wearing something lightweight, maybe it didn’t seem tough enough. But over the years… More and more people have warmed up to the idea. They’ve discovered that lightweight denim is still durable, but also extremely comfortable to wear on a hot summer day.”  Says Bahzad Trinos, Sales and Product Development at Naked & Famous Denim.

  

Since we released the Naked & Famous Denim SS18 collection, we could barely keep up with the demand. I wondered where this new trend was coming from but as it turns out, wearing lightweight denim isn't a new concept at all. Pioneers digging for gold weren't wearing what we now consider heavyweight denim, though it was marketed as such back in the day. What we now consider lightweight denim was the weight of choice for farmers, minors, industrial and railroad workers. The though the durability of lightweight denim may not match that of a modern heavyweight denim, it's still tough enough for rugged wear.

 

 

Vintage Advertisement for "Extra Heavy 8oz." Denim

  

Heavyweight denim wins the crash test, but lightweight denim takes the gold for comfort.  Since they're less dense, it makes them more airy or breathable. There is little to no break in time because the denim isn't as stiff. It's easy to bend your knees, or crouch down to roll your cuff. Speaking of your cuff.. It's a breeze to roll your lightweights! The fabrication falls and drapes nicely which makes for a cool summer look.

   

Wearing my 9oz Featherweight Selvedge in the Easy Guy fit, size 28. I normally wear a size 24 in the Boyfriend and size 25 in The Skinny. The Boxy Top in Camel Rinsed Oxford, size XS. 

   

 

What about those high contrast fades? Just because the denim is lightweight it doesn't mean you can't achieve high contrast fades. High contrast fades are achieved when there is a wide variance of color from the darkest tone of the denim to lightest most faded part of the denim. Denim made with rope dyed yarns will achieve the highest levels of contrast, as the yarns dyed in a special manner that leaves the center core of the yarn white with a multitude of indigo layers on top. As the indigo layers fade away, they’ll reveal lighter shades underneath.  As a rule of thumb, the darker the denim the higher the potential contrast.  Heavier rigid denim will have thicker whiskers and wear lines while lighter weight denim will produce thinner lines.

 

From left to right: Lightweight Selvedge - 10oz, 100% Cotton; Elephant Denim 4 - 22oz, 100% Cotton.

Are lightweight jeans too cold for the winter? I get this question a lot in store. It's a more personal question than you think. I answer this question the same way I reply to "How will these fade?", "It depends".  It's freezing outside so you layer up, but you don’t actually spend a lot of time outside, and when you arrive to work or school, the building is pumping heat all day, and you wind up uncomfortable. If this sounds like you, lightweight denim is the answer.