Recently during the summer sales, I had the chance to invest in some jeans and I wanted something different than my usual Nudie ”Lean Dean’s”. I’ve been aware of Naked and Famous for some time but never really been in a position to try any of their clothing first hand. There’s no retailers in Sweden that carry the brand and when I’ve been traveling in the U.S for example, they just haven’t been on my radar.
So I must admit, it wasn’t until I researched N&F and had a closer look at Brandon Svarc, the founder of Naked and Famous, his business philosophy and his family’s history, that I was then aware of the unique approach to the jeans industry he had when he started the company back in 2008… and how many varieties of denim they carry in the N&F collection!
❝We are not a normal denim company and we never will be.
Instead of relying on celebrity endorsements and expensive ad campaigns, we devote all of our resources to sourcing the world’s best fabric and turning it into awesome jeans. No advertising, no washes, no pre-distressing, no nonsense. Just excellent denim at a reasonable price.❞
-N&F’s founder Brandon Svarc
After I did a quick online search I found that ”Sturarts”, a London based clothing store (that offer some great discounts in their online mid-season sale btw) had a variety of N&F jeans with reductions of up to 50%. I wasn’t familiar with N&F’s jeans models but after a bit of research I decided that their ”Weird Guy” fit was probably a safe bet for me. Weird Guy is a standard tapered fit, comfortable from waist to hip and tapered from the knee to hem - according to the fit guide on their homepage. Luckily Stuarts had Weird Guy in various different denims.
The jeans that stood out from Stuarts sale selection were Naked and Famous ”Scratch-n-Sniff” made with Japanese denim. Growing up in the 80’s I remember Scratch and Sniff clothing the first time around!
❝The ”Scratch-n-Sniff - Hiba Cypress” is a 12.7oz Japanese Selvedge Denim with scented micro-capsules baked into the fabric. When scratched, the micro capsules burst releasing the aromatic calming scent of northern Japan’s serene Hiba Cypress tree forests. The denim itself has that classic raw denim look and feel with a smooth surface texture and rigid body. Cut, sewn, built in Canada with contrast stitching, classic redline selvedge ID, 5oz natural vegetable tanned leather patch, and silver metallic buttons and rivets.❞
With that description and a discount bringing the jeans down to around $110, my mouse finger was twitching to ”add to basket”.
I knew that I’d have to pay some import tax and a handling fee to have the jeans shipped to Sweden but I calculated they would still end up cheaper than the full retail price. So in went the order, out came the credit card and I sat back and waited for my first pair of Naked and Famous jeans to arrive…
A week later and a waylay in Swedish customs, my jeans arrived.
Seems I wasn’t the only one interested in Scratch-n-Sniff jeans...
First to catch my eye when unpacking the jeans was the quality of the denim. It felt heavier than 12.7oz and quite rigid. It’s a tightly woven fabric, almost black in color with dark brown cotton stitching. I can image after a few years of wear, the denim will naturally fade emphasizing the contrasting stitching.
The fabric is very smooth to the touch. It isn’t slubby or neppy and has a very slight sheen which really gives it an expensive feel. The finishing of the button holes, the stitching of the leather patch, waistband and hems are so well constructed that the jeans really ooze quality.
The buttons are silver in color and have ”Naked and Famous” in raised embossed lettering circling around the button’s edge. The rivets, also silver, have ”Je t’adore route nue” - ”I love you naked” stamped into them and are very good quality.
The leather used for the patch looks almost un-dyed and is probably 3 or 4mm thick, according to the description it weighs 5oz so it’s pretty chunky. It’s embossed with the brands logo.
Attached to one belt loop with red cord is a folded cardboard tag again with N&F’s logo, the colored Roy Lichtenstein style pop-art design. Inside is a brief summary of the brand’s concept.
Adhering to jeans tradition, there is another thinner piece of cardboard in green this time, folded into the right back pocket with ”Scratch-n-Sniff” and details of the model’s weight, denim origin and dying technique in print.
N&F’s Roy L16ichtenstein style log
An example of the jeans buttons
Je t’adore route nue stamped rivets
The back pocket card with details of the product
The 5oz vegetable tanned leather patch
”Weird Guy” - Made in Canada
The Selvedge denim used in these jeans is a 12.7oz, 3x1 weave, Japanese red-line fabric. The jeans are cut, made and sewn in Canada feel expensive and almost too smart to be jeans, almost like you could wear them to a dinner party or funeral and get away with it.
The 34 waist x 34 leg size I opted for are a very good fit. I could have gone for a 32 leg but I’d have less turn up and when I come to wash these after 6 months or whatever, if they shrink they’re going to get shorter so it’s good to have a little extra length.
The front rise at 31cm (12.2 inches) is great, It doesn’t feel too high. The back rise at 39cm (15.3 inches) feels maybe a little higher than I’m used to but these jeans have the same back rise as my favorite Nudie’s so it’s probably because they’re new and not worn in yet. Generally, they’re really comfortable straight out of the bag so they’ll only get better over time and if all Naked and Famous ”Weird Guy” fit like these do, they have the potential of becoming my favorite brand...
What about the Scratch and Sniff?
Well, after vigorous scratching and deep nasal inhaling I couldn’t smell anything ”forresty” or ”serene”, that does’t mean it wasn’t there, it just means that I couldn’t smell it. I wouldn’t know a Northern Japanese Hiba Cypress smell from any other cypress to be honest.
So, to conclude my thoughts; my first experience of a pair of Naked and Famous jeans has been only positive. In my opinion they are entirely worthy of their price tag, and at the price I paid which was about $130 after import tax, they were an absolute steal. I have no affiliation with the Naked and Famous company but I am sincerely impressed by the quality of the jeans and the narrative of Brandon Svarc. I’ll definitely be investing in another pair of jeans from N&F as soon as I can.
I’ll also post a follow up 6 month ”wearing-in” article early next year.
N&F Scratch-n-Sniff Jeans - Front
N&F Scratch-n-Sniff Jeans - Back