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August 7, 2013 By Nick Joelson 14 Comments

Purchase Review Nudie Grim Tim (Orange) Selvedge 13.5oz Dry Denim Jeans

Purchase Review Nudie Grim Tim (Orange) Selvedge 13.5oz Dry Denim Jeans
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After my last project, the Edwin’s had their first wash a couple of weeks back, I have been itching to get a new pair on the go.

I was unsure what I was going to go for next but wanted it to be something I had never tried before.

Buy A Pair of Organic Nudie Grim Tim’s raw denim Online

Nudie Have Been Around a While Now

Nudie are a brand that have specialised in making dry denim products since 1999. I remember looking on the web for information on how to treat raw denim quite a few years ago. Nudie had a website, and apart from the odd forum post or two, they were the only denim manufacturer to offer any real insight into the raw denim breaking in process. Respect where respect is due.

From what I remember, they showed image of fades created by users keeping their Snus tins, a type of chewing tobacco, in the back pocket.

nudie snus fade

At that point I had not come across the brand in any UK stores but I was aware it was Swedish. I eventually saw them when Liberty’s started stocking them as part of their specialist denim line up. This was a few years ago. When I tried them on, they only had a few in stock and the cut and sizes did not work for me. Too long on the leg.

As you know, with raw denim, you have to be pretty exact otherwise you end up with a pair that is unwearable.

However, things are different now, the Nudie range has grown, especially from an export point of view and now the big stores like Liberty and Selfridges keep their complete ranges and sizes in stock.

Making A Decision

For me, buying jeans is a very rapid and exact process. I only ever buy raw selvedge denim and it has to be made by a brand that specialises in denim. For example, Edwin, Red Ear or Cheap Monday. This puts Nudie in the running.

The only time I ever purchased from a company that denim was not it’s core product line was A.P.C. and I regretted it later.

So yesterday, when I popped into Liberty’s, there was a large area dedicated to Nudie so I thought I’d check out what was on offer. Immediately I homed in on the Grim Tim’s.

They had an amazing blue indigo colour with an interesting orange line for the selvedge seam:

Nudie-grim-tim-selvedge2

nudie selvedge close up

You could also tell the quality of the denim, they had used a 13.5oz dry denim that was unsaniforised so had that lovely hard feel to it but was not in any way waxy.

I find that if the denim is too waxy, it makes the breaking in process that much harder. The shape and the hang of the fabric is often distorted by it.

You can see below they have used a slightly brighter than usual tobacco stitching but with a more concealed subtle blue secondary stitch line:

Nudie-grim-tim-stiching

Also, I have to point out the weave of this denim is amazing, it’s made with organic cotton using a traditional tight weave and right hand twill . This type of weave is great for getting sharp fades. You can also see the attention to detail with the coin pocket finish:

Nudie-grim-tim-money-pocket2

Nudie-grim-tim-buttonsl

The Fit

Holding them up I could see they were a slim cut but not skinny. I am of a fairly broad build, so skinny jeans do not work on me. I went for my standard W34 L32 and slipped them on.

Snug, yet well fitting.

Unless you are going for a loose fit, which is not really in fashion in the UK at the moment, you need to make sure the jeans fit fairly snug around the waist and thigh. There will be a lot of stretching that takes place over the first few few days of wear. Even the heavier denim will stretch out, just a little more slowly.

I cycle a lot so this process is even more exaggerated.

So when I put on the Grim Tim’s and saw they were snug but perfectly proportioned, I knew I had the right size.

The main shrinkage after washing with raw and dry denim comes from the leg. The waist will shrink a little, but stretches back out once you put them on again. The leg however does not. So make sure sure there is enough length there to begin with, unless you want ankle riders that is!

Here you see the back pocket stitching and suede belt loop badge. This is amazingly soft by the way.

Nudie-grim-tim-back-close

Nudie-grim-tim-front-long

As I say, the Grim Tim cut is a slim fit with a normal rise. The rise however feels a little higher after the Edwin ED-71’s I have been wearing, which have a much lower rise in comparison.

They are also a slimmer, more European fit than the more American styled Edwin’s which are also classed as slim.

The image above makes the jeans look wider at the bottom than they are. This is because of the camera angle. In reality they are quite narrow at the bottom with a 19cm or 7.5 inch opening.

Nudie-grim-tim-inside

Nudie-grim-tim-labe2l

Nudie-grim-tim-label

The attention to detail inside the jeans is also good. The rivets are good quality and there’s some silly lifestyle writing on the pocket lining (which is also organic cotton).

Made In…A Few Places

Nudie head office is based in Gothenberg, Sweden.

The jeans say made in Italy, but after some investigation part of the process also takes place in Tunisia. Funnily enough, this is now where the European Edwin’s come from. In fact probably the same outlet. Nudie use a factory there called Denim Authority.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to buy jeans that are made in country of origin, whether that be the US, Japan or Sweden. When you do however, they come at a high price. Especially the Japanese ones.

I applaud Nudie though – they have been thoroughly open about the manufacturing process and almost over-reveal their sources on the Nudie website. Some brands who shall not be named here, openly advertise “Japanese denim” on their product branding material, only to reveal made elsewhere in the small print.

One Day In

So, where are we at? Well, I have only owned the jeans 24 hours so I cannot comment on much more than the build quality and attention to detail is nothing but excellent.

The cut, for me is perfect and will work well with a casual look with trainers and a t-shirt or a smarter look with shoes and a shirt.

As with all raw denim I buy, I will attempt to wait at least 6 months before their first machine wash. If they require a rinse for any reason during that time, I’ll use this method for rinsing raw denim. When I do that first wash, I use a quick 30 degree cycle and use a small dose of a specialist denim fabric cleaner such as the A.P.C. Fine Fabric Care:

apc-002

Sizing Advice

If you are looking to buy online and need some sizing advice, then for me I just went for my standard “go to” sizing and they fit perfectly. They were a little snug around the waist and thigh at first, but once they had been worn a few hours this quickly loosened off nicely. You do not need to size up with this jean unless you plan on washing early on in the process or you want a more relaxed fit.

At 13.5oz they are a heavier denim and will hold their shape well.

Conclusion

If you are looking at buying a pair of the Grim Tim’s and you are looking for some affirmation on your choice, then you have it from me!

They are a great pair of versatile, well made jeans that look great from the outset. They have clean, simple lines and quality stitching with no over the top embellishments, which I hate in a pair of jeans.

I paid £160 for them on the London high street, but I am sure you can pick them up cheaper online.

Buy A Pair of Organic Nudie Grim Tim’s raw denim Online

When looking for the same model as reviewed, this pair is made from rigid, Japanese cast denim, right hand twill with orange selvedge stripe. There are cheaper versions of the Grim Tim cut, but the denim my not be the same so be aware.

As usual I will update the blog with some fade updates over the coming months.

Happy fading!

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Filed Under: Raw Denim Tagged With: 13.5oz, Dry Selvedge, Men's Jeans, Nudie, Raw Denim

Comments

  1. Stuart says

    August 9, 2013 at 7:57 am

    Hi Nick

    these jeans look superb, very nice purchase. Was slightly surprised these are same waist size as your edwins as I always though edwins were vanity sized and nudie more tts.
    Look forward to update on them in a few months.

    Reply
    • Admin says

      August 9, 2013 at 8:35 am

      Hi Stuart, thanks for stopping by. You are right, the Nudie’s are a tighter a fit than the Edwin’s were on the first few wears. I put this down to them being a slimmer cut and the Edwins more relaxed. I also have lost a little weight since purchasing the Edwin’s. That said, I have always worn W34L32 so the sizing is fairly accurate for both brands styles in my experience. Nick

      Reply
  2. Joe says

    September 27, 2013 at 11:28 pm

    Hi Nick

    These are indeed a fine pair of jeans and I have just retired a pair myself. They aged beautifully and the quality is excellent. I have replaced them with a pair of Edwin ED 80 which are very slim in comparison to the Nudies, although I think I prefer them so far.

    There was just one point you make that I want to clarify. The country of manufacture does not indicate the origin of the denim used in the jeans. My Edwins use Japanese denim but we’re made in Tunisia. My Nudies used Turkish denim and we’re made in Italy.

    Great blog – thoroughly enjoyable reading.

    Reply
  3. Admin says

    September 28, 2013 at 12:07 am

    No you are right – Nudie state on their website that jeans are made 80% in Italy, but some parts of the process take place in Tunisia. It also mentions that the denim made from organic Turkish cotton.

    Edwins are great jeans – wearing a pair as I write!

    Thanks for taking the time to comment and I am glad you enjoyed the blog.

    Nick

    Reply
  4. BabyGenius says

    October 15, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    Hi,

    First I’d like to say that I have owned a pair of Nudie Grim Tim Orange Selvedge for the past year or so, lovely fades and so on. Just a bit dissapointed by the pocket bags, they both ripped and had to have them replaced, not so pretty….. Oh, and you mentioned that the denim is sanzforized, sorry to disappoint, it’s not. Wish it was because the denim stretched a bit too far for my tastes after breaking them in. Oh well, still lovely though. Going for real heavy denim after this, I want to see if my skin can handle 25 oz.

    BabyGenius

    Reply
    • Nick Joelson says

      October 15, 2013 at 9:56 pm

      Hi baby genius,

      Thanks for your comments. Sorry to hear about the pockets. I heard that the nudie denim tends not to be the toughest. I have some red ear 20oz jeans – i love them and they are still going strong after 6 or 7 years!

      Also, I did say unsaniforized, not saniforized. 🙂 I have found the denim has kept its shape really well so far – maybe 2/3 months wear. They are doing much better than some other pairs I bought lately.

      Heavier denim is the way forward though.

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Nick

      Reply
  5. Dave Sung says

    March 31, 2014 at 11:03 pm

    Hello Nick!

    I just bought a pair of grim Tim Dry Orange selvage
    and been in it for last 3 days.

    I regularly go for one size down for washed jeans,
    but after some research decided to go for my regular size
    since they shrink a lot after the washes.
    ( Happened with my Dior Homme raw and japan blue raw)

    I find these jeans extremely well fitting for me and
    wanna go for a second pair.

    How is the stretch after couple monthes now?

    Maybe you got this pair washed?
    How much did it shrink and stretch out again?

    Would be a great help!

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Admin says

      April 2, 2014 at 12:01 pm

      Hi Dave,

      Glad you are enjoying the Nudies. After 8 months I have yet to wash the jeans so cannot comment on the shrinkage. They have not stretched that much during this time either.

      To be honest, even if the denim shrinks after the first wash, if you have worn them in properly, they stretch back out very quickly anyway.

      Hope this helps.

      Nick

      Reply
  6. Christian says

    April 23, 2014 at 10:11 am

    Hurry up and wash them! Ha

    Looking forward to getting my first pair. They now have a concept store in soho, London with all their fits and cuts

    Reply
  7. Thomas says

    October 22, 2015 at 3:12 pm

    Same problem with pockets here! Although great producer the cloth nudie uses for their pockets is of poor quality. What a hassle to have them repaired or even worse replaced! It is even more annoying because this problem could have been prevented so easily.

    Reply
  8. Rohit Singh says

    April 21, 2016 at 1:14 am

    Sorry guys just could not stop myself posting this comment, the word “Sanforized” was used first time in the United States of America in 1930 later trademark was first registered I guess by Blue Bell Wrangler, not sure tho, too lazy to Google right now. Sanforized word was named after the inventor of the compressive shrinkage process, Mr. Sanford L. Cluett. In simple words it’s preshrunk and should not shrink much. Unsanforized or LOOMSTATE or STF (Shrink to Fit named by Levi’s) are unpredictable and totally untreated fabric, they may shrink two to three size down, that’s why Levi’s use to suggest wear em and sit in kind of hot water until they take your shape and go for a walk till they dry. Meaning Unsanforized shrink & Sanforized don’t. Other hand “Raw Sanforized” denim stretches a lot depending on weave, specially if it left hand or right hand. Wrangler came out of mix weave to avoid that type of stretch. Yeah, Nudie uses lighter denims mostly under 14 OZ so always buy tighter fit as these will stretch, best way to find the right size by way when you button these first time it should not be easy!!! Have a good one!!!

    Reply
    • Nick Joelson says

      April 28, 2016 at 9:55 am

      Hi Rohit, thanks for a detailed description! Very interesting indeed. Nick

      Reply
  9. Pardhu says

    March 10, 2017 at 8:15 am

    Hi Nick,

    Hows the stretch now..Have they stretched much in the waist..Want to decide between true to size or size down? thank you

    Pardhu

    Reply
  10. Don Turnipo says

    August 5, 2018 at 3:22 am

    Hi guys

    Just traded in a pair of older Nudies for a new pair of Thin Finn Japanese selvedge. Sized down on recommendation of the guy in the store. He also mentioned if not wearing all day every day (I don’t normally wear jeans to work) to wait a whole year before washing. My previous Nudies were washed after about 3 months and faded evenly, so for this pair I am aiming for proper fades.

    Reply

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