Uniqlo’s New $60 Jeans Are the Best Entry-Level Selvedge I’ve Tried

I’m not sure of the exact number, but I have a lot of jeans. Last I counted, I had at least 30 pairs before I got distracted by something more important. My obsession goes back at least 15 years, when I tried on my first pair of raw denim from A.P.C. Since then, my collection has ballooned by the dozens and contains everything from vintage Levi’s redlines that date as far back as the 1950s to Japanese selvedge denim from the likes of Oni, Samurai, and Studio D’artisan. I have a couple of pairs from revered one-man denim geniuses like Roy Slaper and Glenn Liburd. I have oddball pairs from high-fashion labels like Doublet as well as niche brands like Tender and Lil’ Denim Jeans.

I’ve collected more raw denim jeans than I have time to wear, let alone fade, and still, the most popular question people ask me as the token Denim Guy in my circle is ‘what jeans should I get?’ That answer changes depending on the person, but also the market. Right now, the answer is the Uniqlo x JW Anderson selvedge denim jeans.

Uniqlo x J.W. Anderson

Selvedge Straight Jeans

I’ve seen Uniqlo’s JWA jeans all over New York City, and the thing that grabs my attention is both the cut and the fabric. The jeans have a flattering, relaxed-fit silhouette that gently hugs the hips without gripping the butt before falling to a satisfyingly wide hem. They have a higher rise than most jeans, which looks great with shorter jackets but can also be worn a little lower for a baggier feel. It’s a rinsed selvedge denim that has more character than you would expect from your typical mall fare, with a peppering of neppy yarns throughout to give it an interesting texture. And, because it’s been rinsed already, the seams have shrunken and rippled nicely. That also means you won’t have to worry about shrinkage as much as other raw jeans. While most raw denim jeans are produced in a single, fixed length, Uniqlo offers in-house hemming even if you order them online, thereby removing another annoying quirk of the raw denim process.

They’re not perfect, though. The bottom of the rear pockets are cut flat, so my wallet tends to rotate as I wear them. Annoying, but small potatoes. More importantly, the fabric is a touch light for my taste. My best guess is that the denim weighs somewhere around 11 ounces—not exactly skimpy, but definitely lighter than a typical pair of Levi’s. That’s likely the reason Uniqlo’s reinforced the belt loops with another layer of denim on the inside. The pocket bags are also a bit flimsier than most jeans, too. If you’re the type to keep your keys in your pocket rather than letting them hang off your belt loop, that could be an issue sooner rather than later.

That said, the lighter denim does mean the jeans are more breathable, which gives them an edge during the warmer months. The rinsed finish removes the stiff cardboard feel and tedious break-in process of other raw denim jeans. That starch-stiff denim is a draw for freaks like me, but if this is your first time getting into the fade-it-yourself style of denim, it makes the onboarding period a little less painful.