A Second Skin - Eleven months in. Two washes.

Jeans - Rogue Territory Stantons, T-shirt - Spurr, Boots - Allen Edmonds

Thanks to Nick Clute-Reinig for his photo assistance.

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These jeans received a bit of a break over summer, as heavyweight denim isn't particularly comfortable in the Los Angeles heat. But as the weather has finally cooled down over the past semester, these jeans have once again been used and abused. To the utter elation of my friends, these have received a second washing recently.

As expected, they continue to fade magnificently. The topstitching and details on the butt pockets are beginning to break apart, while the side seams are showing heavy wear and fading. I also finally got them hemmed by Karl at Rogue Territory, which has been a huge improvement. After a weekend in Sequoia filled with campfires, hiking, and scrambling, these jeans received a boost of wear that have pushed them into what I would consider "heavily worn." They also smell of Islay malts and smoke from sitting around the campfire so much.

Though this project technically ended five months ago, I still continue to wear these as much as possible and delight in all of the stories (and grime) that they accumulate. It's only a few more weeks until the one year mark, and I look forward to seeing what's in store for the future - mine and the jeans'.

A Second Skin - not quite my own.

Rogue Territory RKs, 2.5 months in, 0 washes

My friend Ian's been breaking in his RKs these past few months to great effect. The jeans are starting to break in nicely, with slight fading along the belt loops and other areas of heavy wear. The denim itself is something of a dream - incredibly lightweight and pliable, but with a noticeable toughness about it. I'm pretty excited to see how these break in over time.

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The giant mud splatters come from a little spill that he took when we were hiking through storm drains to take some pictures, some of which can be seen below. It took a bit of effort to convince him to keep the jeans nice and muddy so that I could take pictures of them. Heh.

A Second Skin - Finally washed.

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About 6 months in, one wash.

I finally gave in and washed the jeans a few weeks ago. They are no longer stinky (to the joy of my friends and other people whose beds I sit on) and have developed a much deeper range of blues and whites. They're a bit softer, a bit more faded, and much more comfortable. The stitching along the inseam continues to fall apart, but I'm not sure if this speaks to the craftsmanship of the jeans or normal wear and tear. In either case, I'm still quite satisfied with how these jeans have been working out these past few months. Beautiful fading, an extra layer of protection from all of my shenanigans, and pockets that aren't too deep. I noticed the other day that with my other jeans, I'm forced to swim around in its deep pockets to find my personal effects. These pockets are just the right size that things don't fall out, but are within easy reach.

Just a little over a week until I can switch over to summer pants, though. And boy, am I looking forward to that. Heavyweight denim isn't the best clothing option in this desert heat.

These jeans continue to amass a body of stories that they have been with me for. If only these jeans could talk.

A Second Skin - Five months in.

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These jeans still look surprisingly clean despite the fact that I've been wearing them for the past five months. That few people have noticed that I've been wearing these every single day is a testament to how little others actually care about that I'm wearing, which is beautiful and relieving.

Heavy wear. More threads coming undone. More fading slowly setting in. My ongoing list of things that I've spilled on these jeans is becoming a bit indicative of the fact that it's getting high time to wash these jeans. Finally. I'm also looking forward to sending these jeans back in to Karl so he can hem the ridiculously thick cuffs that came about from my desire to wear jeans with a 37" inseam right away. With that extra denim, maybe I'll make myself a wallet, or glasses case, or something fun.

I'm pretty excited for the initial sixth months to finally be over. There have been a few hot-as-balls days on campus, and the heavyweight denim is becoming a bit uncomfortable in the heat. Shorts and chinos, here I come! Tally-ho.

A Second Skin - Between three and four months in.

Jeans - Rogue Territory Stantons, Turtleneck - Uniqlo, Boots - Lands End Canvas

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I've been wearing these jeans particularly hard these past few weeks. As I'm coming up on four months, a date that I've arbitrarily set as some sort of landmark, I felt the need to get these jeans to really start showing some wear. So I dragged them through hell and I think they've come out the better from it.

It's still a bit funny for me to have these as my visual anchor through this crazy thing that we call college. Everything around me, as well as myself, is changing so rapidly. And yet, every morning I go through the same motions of putting on my jeans, shoving my notebook in my back pocket and my cellphone in the front, and going about my day. The world around me shifts and moves, and my morning routine stays the same. These Stantons are sort of helping to keep my feet on the ground as my mind slowly wanders away to... somewhere or other.

Existential crisis aside, these are still a damn well-made pair of jeans. The material and stitching are holding up well, the indigo is fading through beautiful shades of blue rather than going straight to brown/white like APCs tend to do.

Although, I'm pretty sure the whole "no washing" thing is starting to make people uncomfortable. Heh.

A Second Skin - Three months in.

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It's surprising how well the rough rocks of Joshua Tree help to break in a pair of jeans. Rock climbing, scrambling over boulders, squeezing through narrow canyons, and overall just running around and getting injured makes for a great formula to fade raw denim.

I now have access to the photo studio at school (yay art classes) so I can finally take some pictures that aren't completely horrible. These are probably the most color-correct shots that I've taken so far. I'm quite happy with the increase in quality, in any case.

About the jeans themselves - I've worn through the edges of the back pockets, have increased the wear in the knees, and my pocket notebook fade is setting in nicely. And no one's commented on any unwanted odors or anything like that, so I'm gonna say that I'm safe with not washing these things for now. Ha.

A Second Skin - Two months in.

I've been wearing these jeans everyday with the exception of a few days of unbearable heat and humidity in Singapore, and they continue to perform excellently. I now feel strange whenever I have to wear another pair of pants, I've become so accustomed to these jeans.

Nothing to much to add, except that I'm incredibly satisfied with the fading of the natural indigo in all of its lovely shades of blue. I'll be putting these through hell when I take them to Joshua Tree this weekend.

Thanks again to those who have been sending lots of encouragement and compliments my way. It's much appreciated.

A Second Skin - One month in.

After only a month, these jeans are slowly showing more signs of fading. All of the usual fades are coming through as expected - at the backs of the knees, the pockets, and along the edges of the denim.

These jeans are developing a softer hand the more I wear them. They've also stretched a bit in the thigh (a welcome change) without loosening too much in the waist. The pockets are still a bit difficult to get into because of the tightness around the hip area, but not so much as to detract from wearability. The stitching on the pen pocket's coming loose, which is quite disappointing, but requires only a minor repair.

And now, a list of things that have gotten on these jeans to date:

- assorted beers

-moonshine

-blood

-stagnant cave water/cave moss

-coconut milk

- assorted chemicals from lab work

- chalk

-mustard

and the list should get more interesting with time.

And I've been getting a lot of positive feedback on this project and the jeans themselves. Thanks to everyone for your continued support. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

A Second Skin - Twelve days in.

These jeans have been treating me very well since in the short time that I've had them. They're starting to break in nicely, with slight fading where I keep my cellphone and pocket notebook. The creases at the knees have set in and there's some slight fading at the sides of the knees. However, the stitching at the knee is a tiny bit loose and I seem to have worn through some of the stitching on the back pen pocket. But then, I wore these rock climbing so I don't think the craftsman is at fault here.

Whenever the indigo fades, it does so slowly through a progression of lighter shades of blue that creates a range of hues that I absolutely love. I'm going to have fun with these as time goes on.

I also realized that the back pen pocket serves well as a wand pocket for when I go watch Harry Potter. Success.

Also, the wonderful people over at Without a Box have been nice enough to help fund this project of mine, for which I'm incredibly grateful. Check out their shows for a good laugh, and to help other art students!

A Second Skin - Details

I can't say enough good things about these jeans. Here are the important facts.

- Made in Downtown LA by Karl (he's pretty freaking cool, btw) -

- Manufactured from 14.5 oz raw selvage denim from Nihon Mills in Okayama, Japan -

- Dyed with shoaizome (natural Japanese indigo) -

- leather patch is locally sourced, then cut and branded by hand -

- They fit amazingly -

and these jeans are filled with details. It's actually ridiculous.

- hand silk-screened pocket bag

- Hidden pen pocket in right back pocket

- Back pockets are half-lined in heavyweight canvas

- Selvage on fly and coin pocket

-Hand stitched detailing on back pocket

- Custom branded buttons and rivets

There are so many little touches that can only be found upon close inspection, almost all of which serve the purpose of adding to the overall construction and aesthetics of a superior pair of jeans. So I get to support the production of handmade, artisanal goods. I get to buy local. And I get to walk away with the best jeans I've ever owned. Win.

A Second Skin

A pair of jeans worn everyday for a year.

With that much wear and tear, they slowly take on the characteristics of the owner - specific patterns of fading that give little hints into one's lifestyle. A telltale rip here, a patch there... it's like painting one's life story on a rich, blue canvas.

I bought these jeans - Stantons from Rogue Territory in Los Angeles - with the intention of squeezing every last ounce of life out of them... clothes as an investment rather than a consumable, if you want to put it that way. There's an inherent charm to clothing that has "character" whether it was bought at some vintage store or found in a grandparent's closet. But I want my clothes to develop their own character. I'm young and all over the place. What better time to break in some raw denim and make them wholly my own?

These jeans will also serve as a sort of visual anchor amongst the changes that happen all around me. My immediate surroundings may shift, but these jeans will be a constant through it all - a reference point that will be with me everyday to help keep my sanity in check. Think of it like a totem from Inception, if you must.

And so I put on these jeans - this blank canvas that will be with me for many days. Time to beat these things to hell.