The 3sixteen jeans fit a bit different from most of the classic straight leg jeans we have in house but then again it’s a different brand with its own fit. The jeans fitted, inspected and tried are size 36 straight leg jeans that fit my true 36″ waist very nicely. A bit tight but then again the denim is bound to stretch and adjust after wear. Based on the pair of jeans at hand I would recommend getting your true size. Don’t size down as you might end up with none button unbuttoned. So what about the fit? It’s a bit tighter than what I’m used to, but that’s just me.

Those looking for a tighter fitting pair of premium jeans should definitely try these out. Remember that there is also a tight fitting ST-100x design which I believe would not fit me very well as the straight leg design fits more like slim fit on my case. But I know some of our readers whom have been asking for tighter jeans, thus I am confident you will love 3sixteen.

The fit and jeans have Maxwell’s approval as well.

For more details and detailed pics you can check out our previous post.

To pre-order yours, drop us an email at taavi.kuisma@nordicdenimhouse.com.

Picture courtesy of Tilmann Seipp.

The jeans are scheduled to ship around beginning of March from Japan to Finland, Malaysia and across the globe from there. Exciting times. Get your pair online through NDH store or drop an email to taavi.kuisma@nordicdenimhouse.com to reserve your pair. All profits go to charity to help the earthquake and tsunami victims of the March 11th disaster that shook Japan last year.

High quality, yet affordable jeans produced in the USA. Pretty good combination. Although our dialogue started while back already, it sometimes takes time to get things moving. However recently we received a pair of 3sixteen SL-100x straight leg jeans from the brand, which give a good idea about the attention to detail 3sixteen is all about.

I decided to split the introduction to few posts, starting with some of the nice details about the jeans/brand and moving along to the fit and rest of the details. My first impression is very good and we are very interested to hear what you think and would you be interested of the 3sixteen brand. Even before we go into fit details and pics, I can already hint that those looking for a slimmer pair of denim with some weight to it (the fabric), this could be the brand you are looking for. But without further due, let’s go through some of the details.

Heavy duty leather patch.

Made in USA.

Pocket bag details.

Selvedge lining on the fly.

Double stitching on the inseam. Neatly chainstitched cuffs.

Branded rivets and hidden selvedge in the cion pocket.

Double belt loop in the back.

Branded hardware. 3sixteen buttons.

And some more key details courtesy of 3sixteen.

- 14.5 oz slub yarn selvedge denim
- Sanforized, skewed, and singed
- 7×6 weave (#7 warp slub yarn x #6 weft)
- Red line selvedge
- 100% Cotton
- Woven in Okayama, Japan to 3sixteen’s exact specifications

The last point is one of the key differentiations between 3sixteen and many other denim brands. 3sixteen spent the past year and a half working directly the denim mill to develop the textile that’s exclusive to the brand, featuring all the properties wanted for a high quality pair of jeans. Some of the details include:

- Minimal processing (this allows the denim to retain some hairiness, and prevents the denim from looking too sleek and uniform)
- Crunchy, yet comfortable from the first wear. The 14.5 oz denim is heavy duty but due to the open ended weft yarns, the inside of the jeans have an exceptionally soft feel to them.

The jeans are very unique. The softness of the denim reminds me of some other denim brands whom use lighter, soft denim to ensure the soft feel. But this one’s 14.5 oz, heavy duty denim that will definitely last in wear. The jeans are combination of unique features from the details to the fit. The fit feels a bit slimmer than some of the other brands I have worn. But I will talk more about the fit in my next post on the brand with more pictures including the fit.

Speaking of 3sixteen and Andrew, we recently got a nice little parcel from the above mentioned inclusive of a pair of jeans that I will be talking about in a later blog post. Thus a little teaser at this point and stay tuned for more.

Via Railcar Fine Goods.

I wish I could share pictures of the jeans’ worn for a year, but as the only pair ready and in wear has been only worn for roughly 2 months, we have to progress in steps. Still the 2 month progress is impressive and I can’t wait to see how the jeans fare another 12 months of wear from here on. The jeans fared well in a washing machine & tumble dryer test as well. The fit improved a bit more and the jeans are fresh again.

Since then the jeans were thrown into snow and spent a night outside after half a glass of beer spilled on them during Christmas. We’ll be taking another trip from the sub-zero temperature in Finland back to +30 degrees Celsius in Malaysia. Let’s see what this denim journey has in store, but here are some status pics for your viewing pleasure. You can order yours by clicking here. The first batch is in production and those whom have made a pre-order have been contacted already. First batch is only 50 pairs, so get yours while they’re hot.

Wash Your Jeans Like Real People from John Moessner on Vimeo.

Did anyone notice that nobody on the video turned their jeans inside out though?

Every journey has a beginning and Northern Denim Co. got started little something like this, “The idea for Northern Denim Co. was born back in 2009. In the midst of stacking building blocks to a foundation called Nordic Denim House, I wished to establish something for the Finnish denim scene. Something new and different. The idea was transferred into number of iPhone notes, paper arks, doodles and fabric samples but like many great things, an idea needs to brew for a while before it can grow into something concrete.”

Basically all the thoughts were crystallized in 2010 when everything sort of fell in places and I felt confident that the project could be not just interesting but first and foremost, fun. A fun, personal denim project. What’s better than that? Well how about a denim project that helps others? On March 11th after seeing the news on the disaster that shook Japan that Northern Denim Co. would be used to make difference in people’s lives. The brand’s first line-up was already planned as “Lot 3010″, on that day Lot 3010 became a charity project. Although business-wise it might be a tough break to start a brand by giving all profits to charity, that’s the way we will go about Northern Denim Co. The profits are all donated to the victims of the March 11th tragedy in Japan and we are more than happy with this. I really hope that the project can not only produce high quality vintage denim to everyone interested, but also do good to those in need of help. As the project is non-profit we are taking pre-orders to get the first batch into production. Although the RRP for the jeans is 259 euros, being that the profits go to charity, every customer can decide how much they want to pay for the jeans, starting from 160 euros (plus shipping.)

It took a good 6 months before everything got to the point in which I could happily announce the news of the project to few insiders to get the initial response, as it was good we went ahead and produced the first pair of the Northern Denim Co. Lot 3010 jeans. Lot 3010 in a Vintage Straight cut pair of jeans that has a straight cut, but a slightly slimmer frame in comparison to many of the Classic Straight Cut jeans. Those familiar with Momotaro Jeans can find the cut similar to 1005SP of the GTB label with very similar sihouette. The denim is unwashed 13.5 oz Old American Selvedge Denim made of 100% Memphis Cotton.

The denim is produced replicating the old style of jeans produced back in the day which results in a slightly uneven surface. Rigid, comfortable denim no matter where you wear it. The choice of denim for the label was made after going through number, and number of alternatives. The Old American Selvedge Denim felt right all the way from the start. The ounce weight is in the regular wight class but the jeans are made to last. The hand made finishing is apparent across the jeans, in addition to number of vintage elements such as non-labeled brass button fly, non-labeled copper rivets, hidden rivets, embossed belt loops, hidden selvedge coin pocket and of course chain stitched hem for natural roping effect.

And of course leather patch featuring Northern Denim Co.’s muse, source of inspiration and symbol Maxwell aka the Husky Boy.

After having worn the jeans for good two weeks already, I’m happy with the choices made with the label. The reception the brand and label have received after first few days being “out there” has been inspirational. We have received positive number of pre-orders within the first few days, but we are still collecting these ever-important orders to move the project to the next level. Your pre-order and support counts.

For more details on the products, production, cause and of course order details, please visit Northern Denim Co.’s official website at www.northerndenim.com.

Huge thanks to everyone for their support, orders, emails and well wishes. I will be posting updates on how the denim evolves on Project Wear and Tear. so stay tuned for that as well.

That’s all for now, but just like in 1 year old Maxwell’s life right now, crawling and baby steps are so last month. It’s all about running now. So that’s what we’re going to do. Start running…