The jury is out on these beat up Edwin ED-55 jeans sent in by Ross Wicks. Some might think repairs are needed whereas others may feel the worn pockets and minor holes add a whole lot of character to an otherwise standard pair of jeans. Crotch repairs have been necessary though, but irrespective of where you stand, Ross has rightfully earned the FoTD with his submission.

In the past three years, he’s put these bad boys in the wash only twice, with a soak for good measure. The dye seems to be holding pretty well with some great fade details coming through. Tightly stacked combs and light whiskering bring life to the overall look and feel of the ED-55’s 14 oz Japanese denim in a remarkable manner.

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Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.

Overdyeing is the process of taking a pre-sewn article of sewing and dyeing the garment as a whole. It’s a time-consuming process but the results can make for a very interesting piece. These days it seems that black-overdyed jeans are the most popular, although more traditional indigo-overdyed denim is still very much around.

1) Iron Heart: 634s-B Overdyed

First up is a pair of Iron Heart‘s 634s-B Overdyed Jeans, for those of us who can’t decide if they want to wear blue or black denim. These pairs are constructed from ordinary indigo denim, but once completed they are overdyed to black. Over time the black will fade to blue and the blue will fade to white, leaving you with one unique pair of jeans.

Available for $350 from Self Edge.

2) Rogue Territory: SK 14.5Oz. Indigo Overdyed

Rogue Territory‘s SK Indigo Overdyed Jeans start with a 14.5oz. Indigo/White denim from the Nihon Menpu mill in Japan that is overdyed with another shade of indigo. The redyeing gets indigo on both the warp and the weft threads, but since the weft began as white it is far more affected by the dye. This gives these jeans a very interesting hue that will only get better with wear.

Available for $269 from Cultizm.

3) Naked and Famous: Weird Guy in Sumi Ink Coated

If there is one brand that is good at developing interesting denims, it is Naked and Famous. Their Weird Guy Sumi Ink Coated Jeans are constructed from one such denim, a 12 oz. Japanese selvedge denim that has had the warp threads (but not the weft threads) overdyed black with traditional Japanese calligraphy ink. This is a fairly substantial alteration to the overdyeing process, as the entire garment is not dip-dyed, but the results are spectacular none the less.

Available for $165 from Blue Owl.

4) Oldblue Co: Hand Overdyed II

Oldblue Co. isn’t the most well-known brand, but if their Hand Overdyed II Jeans is any indication that won’t be a problem of theirs for long. These jeans are made from an unsanforized denim from Cone Mills, but the initial shrinkage is removed during the 11-dip indigo overdyeing process. Each pair is finished with some great details such as red-tabbed pockets and Laurel Leaf buttons, both of which are references to traditional Levi’s.

Available for $195 from Oldblue Co.

5) Big John: M106 Slim Tapered Black Sulfur Overdyed

Big John is one of the biggest names in Japanese jeans. They were the first company to ever make jeans in Japan, and also developed the first denim milled in Japan. Those accomplishments come with a great deal of knowledge, which was clearly well focused when they were designing the M106 Slim Tapered Black Sulfur Overdyed Jeans. They are dyed two different colors, first indigo and then black, so like some of the previous pairs on this list they will fade black to blue to white. Maybe not traditional, but certainly very interesting.

Available for $220 from Tate + Yoko.

Plus One – Tender Co: Type 127 Woad Overdyed

If there was one criticism endure by Tender Co. in the past, it was the looseness of their fits; some might say this is unfair since they were based off trousers from the Great British Steam Age and were clearly successful homages in terms of fit. That criticism is much less valid today given the Type 127 Woad Overdyed Jeans new fit. Although certainly not skin tight, the Type 127s certainly take a substantial amount of the bulk away from previous fits and create a fairly understated silhouette. Each pair is overdyed with woad, a plant related to the cabbage, which produces a natural light-hued indigo.

Available for £275 from Trestle Shop.

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Got dirty? We sure do! Today’s Fade of the Day is a pair of Naked & Famous Weird Guy Dirty Fade that belongs to reader Anthony Amato of New England. He’s worn these daily for the past 7.5 months, and given them two washes and two soaks. In that time he’s also hemmed them and had the crotch repaired. The knees have developed two nice white knee fades, and the whiskers are coming along well, as are the honeycombs.

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Fast fashion? More like fast faders! Today’s Fade of the Day is a pair of Uniqlo Slim Straight Selvedge that comes to us from reader Tito Pranoto of Tangerang, Indonesia. For just shy of two years he’s worn these jeans every day to college, riding his motorcycle, traveling, and much more. In that time the jeans have faded well all over, and have only required a repair on the right knee. The honeycombs are sharp, as are the mid-thigh striations, and the whiskers took on a decidedly horizontal nature. Who says you can’t get interesting fades from an affordable brand?

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The way things are going, we might start referring to Fade Friday as “Another-Pair-of-Insane-Jeans-from-Southeast-Asia Friday,” because these submissions keep getting better and better. Today’s fades were sent to us by Bintang Tri from Indonesia, where he wore these Hoya Ironwoods for the last twelve months.

Biking, hiking, drinking, and hanging with friends are a few of the everyday activities these Hoyas saw with only one wash and two soaks to speak of. One of the best parts of these jeans is the super dark areas of retained indigo, contrasting the crazy back pocket fades and bright honeycombs. Bintang’s denim theory is simple: keep away from water and just be who you are. Well said!

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If you like your jeans tight and you like them slubby, there aren’t many options that don’t encase your legs like irregular indigo sausages. Cult Japanese brand Pure Blue Japan recognizes your needs and has added a whopping 5% stretch to their KS-013-ST 16oz. Knubbed Stretch Selvedge Jeans.

Five percent may not sound like a lot, but most stretch jeans top out at two, making these the heaviest, stretchiest, slubbiest, while still selvedg-est jeans we’ve seen yet. They retain all the details of the all cotton Knub Selvedge jean like the lambskin leather patch, roped belt loops, and custom branded hardware but add in the new fabric.

Squeeze into a pair for $260 at Okayama Denim.

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I don’t know about you guys, but I can confidently say that my raw denim typically doesn’t look this good at just six months and one wash in. Heddels reader Faizal Ismail from Malaysia must know some secret that I don’t, because for such a short wear period, these Burgus Plus Lot 850‘s look to be headed on a one-way path to denim glory.

Being a dispatch worker means constant travel in and out of the office and on a motorcycle all day every day for Faizal. All this action has earned him more than just some righteous fades, as he has already had to repair the crotch and back pockets. Solidified whiskers, picture-perfect seat fades, and well-defined honeycombs have me amped up to see them in another six months!

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Some brands consider heavyweight denim to be anything over 12oz. per yard. A little further up, 13.5oz. is solidly midweight for jeans but for a shirt, it’s as heavy as a time-traveling DeLorean. Nudie Jeans is going back to the fadings in their new Jonis Dry Selvedge Denim Shirt.

The Jonis is a silhouette to their popular but discontinued Gunnar western shirt, with pointed yokes, two chest pockets, copper snap buttons, and some seriously heavy Japanese selvedge denim.

Don’t be a chicken, the Jonis is available for $299 at Armitage & McMillan.

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Three and a half years of casual wear will do amazing things to a pair of raw denim jeans. Now throw a complete house renovation into that timeframe and watch what happens. Chad Crow from Oklahoma City, OK did exactly that with his favorite pair of Railcar Fine Goods Spikes X001‘s and has enough fades and repairs to make one question whether or not he let a rabid dog get a hold of them too.

Ok, I was joking about the dog, but seriously check out the crazy wear patterns on these things. What were once probably textbook whiskers have been surpassed into almost complete white fade spots, and those front pocket frays perfectly symbolize the years of reaching into that pocket looking for that last screw or bolt to get his house rebuild finished.

Chad also tells us that his back pockets were removed completely to patch up, then sewn back on ready for more abuse. While he recently had his first crotch blowout, more repairs have been made and he still rocks them today.

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Some people are vehemently opposed to ever letting their jeans touch water, claiming that it will ruin a jean’s character and cause the fabric to degrade. A typical counter would be that denim can’t rust…well these Rusted Blue jeans from Naked & Famous may prove otherwise.

The 13.5oz. Japanese selvedge denim uses a special greencast indigo dye, which leads to the denim’s off color. The typical N&F details are in show: branded buttons and rivets, a stamped buffalo patch, and an exposed selvedge coin pocket round out this rusty pair.

You can squeak away in a pair for $150 at Tate + Yoko.

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Hailing from Germany, Holger Schulze has been rocking these Nudie Straight Alf Dry Ropy Selvedge jeans for a solid six months, all day, every day. And it’s beginning to show. The fades aren’t anything out of the ordinary at this point, but they’re well on their way to bigger and better things considering they’re only at the six-month mark.  Got to give the guy kudos for always having his shopping cart money at hand. Strangely enough, it only took six months and two washes before he needed to have the crotch repaired. Granted he’s put some serious wear into his Nudie’s that’s a remarkable feat by most standards. That being said there’s still plenty of life left though and it would be great to see how well these jeans fare.

Strangely enough, it only taken six months and two washes before he needed to have the crotch repaired. Granted he’s put some serious wear into his Nudie’s, that’s somewhat of a concern by most standards. That being said, there’s still plenty of life left in these and we’re looking forward to seeing them in another six month’s time.

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If you’re looking for inspiration on how to get your favourite new denim fades started off right, look no further than these A.P.C. New Standard courtesy of Philadelphia’s Ryan Vietri. After only seven months, he’s managed to develop some pretty handsome combs and respectable wear and tear in all the common areas.

Only one wash has been recorded thus far and it would seem his pockets get some heavy usage. This, however, only enhances the unique characteristics of the look Ryan is developing here. As his go-to casual choice of jeans, his APC’s are taking centre stage among the rest of his denim collection, and rightfully so.

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We love it when jeans tell a story, but sometimes the owner’s stories are even better. Will Breedlove from Asheville, North Carolina wore these Railcar Fine Goods Old North edition Spikes for just under two years and has plenty of tales to go along with them.

From hauling around Asheville by foot to hiking around Pisgah National Forest, Will and his jeans have seen a lot together. Like many in search of great fades, he was trying to hold off as long as possible before that first wash, but when one fateful Thanksgiving eve ended with a friend’s dog relieving himself right onto Will’s leg, it was definitely time for a bath.

Many months and a couple more washes later, these babies are looking great with picturebook whiskering and thigh fades to the near white rear area and heavily patina‘d patch. They are currently taking a visit to Indigo Proof for some small crotch repairs, but these Spikes still have a lot of life left.

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After four fruitful years, David A. has decided to retire his favorite pair of jeans, the Iron Heart IH-666S, due to irreparable damage and wear along the backside of the thighs. Three trips to Self Edge SF has kept the denim respectable, but as the saying goes: all good things must come to an end.

And whilst it might be sad to see them laid to rest, the jeans have clearly been through a lot in the last few years. Almost entirely faded out, the combs are barely noticeable at this point as heavy wear patterns dominate, leaving us to wonder what sort of life David leads in order for these otherwise hardy jeans to turn out this way. RIP IH-666S, you will be forever immortalized in Fade of the Day.

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A common wisdom in the denim community states that your fades should reflect your life, and reader Adam Mowery of Indianapolis, Indiana, has certainly taken that to heart. He’s putting this pair of Unbranded UB201 through his their daily paces by wearing them while gardening, doing yard work, jogging, and traveling for work. They’ve even seen a little sea salt in Cabo San Lucas (related reading: “Raw Denim Jeans Ocean Wash – The Definitive Guide“).

As a result the knees are fading down to white quickly, and he’s also got some sharp honeycombs. There’s still many stories for these jeans to tell, which is why we’re looking forward to seeing them again down the line.

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While we don’t see lady fade submissions nearly as much as we would like to, it’s always great when they do come in, especially when they are as rad as today’s Jean Shop Women’s Indigo Denim Shirt. Sent in by Jean Shop‘s own Katie Scarr from New York, she has worn this thing for a whopping five years and three months and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Katie tells us when she first got the shirt, she wore it darn near every single day for five months straight, washing whenever necessary. As the years went by, the fades came in a big way with crazy arm honeycombs and, inevitably, some elbow holes. What started out as bandana patches quickly wore through and were replaced with denim, which already need another round of repairs. If you check out Jean Shop today, you may even find this shirt hanging on display to show its true fading potential.

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Fadhil Elgianda from Bandung, Indonesia sent in his beautifully beat up Naked & Famous Elephant 2 that have clearly been through a lot over the years. The crotch has needed to be repaired twice, not to take away from the ripped knee and pockets which indicate a life well-lived.

After four years, nine washes, and three soaks, the indigo has all but faded leaving some amazing combs and whisker detail. Overall, we’re seeing an awesome pair of jeans that have served the wearer well, and in turn, he’s been able to rock a badass look that’s earned him today’s FotD.

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Raw denim is meant to tell the story of one’s life, and sometimes it’s a good idea to take notes on just where our jeans have taken us, like in today’s fade.

This pair of Unbranded UB101 were sent to us from reader Luthfi Mustafah of Singapore, who has worn these jeans around the world in 2014. The inside front pocket bag reveals the details of his travels, from going up the Empire State Building in New York City to skiing in Japan, and the beaches of Hawaii.

Despite wearing these jeans hard, they’ve never needed a repair. They likely never will either as they’ve now been retired and put in storage. At least we got a glimpse of the fades first!

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It takes a special dedication to commit to having your jeans repaired every time they need it, but if there’s one thing we have learned from our featured fades it is that these repairs are always worth it. Heddels reader Mifflin Mabalot from the Philippines knows this all too well and sent us some shots of his thrashed up Levi’s Vintage Clothing 1947 501‘s to prove it.

Verging on three and a half years of wear, these jeans have seen more than one trip to the local tailor for crotch and thigh repairs. Mifflin even took it upon himself to self-repair the back and coin pockets, as well as some really rad stitch-heavy repairs on the pocket bags. He even chainstitched his own hem by hand!

The fades speak for themselves too, having lightened up throughout to that nice, washed out, comfiest-pair-of-pants-you-own feel. And for that, we tip our hats and thank you for sending us one awesome pair of jeans.

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More often than not, most of the jeans we feature on a regular basis have only seen water a handful of times – typically less than five even during multiple years of wear. Aditya Mulyawan from Indonesia took a different approach as he wore in his Oldblue Co. Indonesian Selvedge Jeans, having seen twice as many baths as months of wear with some very impressive results.

Aditya tells us that these are just his beater jeans, worn mainly to college and hiking through the city with the occasional trip to the rainforest thrown in the mix. Maybe he’s a clean freak or maybe he is just trying a new approach to caring for his raw denim, but nevertheless the fades are still noteworthy with pronounced honeycombs filling nicely behind the knees, and even a couple short stacks down by the ankles.

They may not be the most contrasting pair we’ve seen, but they prove that yes, you can wash your jeans and still achieve killer fades.

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