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Want Those Raw Denim Fades, Faster? The Jeans on This List Are Built for Just That
Not all raw denim fades at the same pace. Some pairs take months to show any real progress. Others start showing signs of life almost immediately. This guide is for those kinds of jeans.
If you’re in it for the fades—and especially if you’re not keen on battling through a brutal break-in—fast-fading selvedge is the way to go. These are the pairs that deliver results quickly, without needing to wear them every single day or beat them up on a construction site.
They’re typically lighter in weight, though that’s not a hard rule. What they share is the ability to develop high-contrast fades with moderate effort and consistent wear.
Bryan
Each time we cross the finish line of the Indigo Invitational, I pore over hundreds of submissions from denim faders from all over the world. Every time, I’m struck by how many pairs that, after a full year of wear, crossed the line looking nearly brand new.
Nearly all of the pairs that aren’t really faded after a year in the Indigo Invitational have something in common: They’re heavy. Heavy denim demands a lot from us. It’s hard to break in, and, if we want to fade it fully, we must keep our feet moving.
Whether you’re entering a fade competition or just want to get more visual bang for your buck, the jeans in this list are your best shot at fast, satisfying results.
WORTH BUYING RIGHT NOW – EDITOR’S PICKS
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Originally built for U.S. Navy sailors braving icy decks, the Deck Jacket is still one of the most dependable winter jackets. These are our favourites:
See our updated N1 Deck Jacket Guide for the full story and more great N1 jackets.
TL;DR – Quick Summary
Not seeing fades? You might be wearing the wrong denim.
Heavy, tightly woven jeans can take forever to break in. The pairs in this guide fade faster—thanks to midweight builds, looser weaves, and lower-dip indigo that sets creases quickly.
What to Look For:
- 12–15 oz. raw selvedge
- Looser weave, slubby texture
- Rope-dye or low-dip indigo
- A fit that hugs where it needs to
Top Picks:
Iron Heart, SOSO, TCB, Benzak, SOSO, Gustin, Brave Star, and Tellason. For more lightweight options, check out our Lightweight Selvedge Guide.
Before we get to the guide, though, there’s a new brand doing fast-fading selvedge jeans—and we have a special reason to promote it 😉
Naked & Famous – Natural Indigo Selvedge (12.5 oz.)
We’re leading off with an absolute stunner. When I asked the team at Naked & Famous for lighter-weight recommendations, they sent two: Dirty Fade Selvedge (14 oz.) and Natural Indigo Selvedge (12.5 oz.).
Both impressed—but the Natural Indigo floored me.
Before even trying them on, I was struck by the softer indigo tone.
Rather than saturating the yarns with deep indigo, they’ve used fewer dips, giving the denim a steely, grey-ish cast that contrasts beautifully with darker pieces—perfect for double denim without the workwear-overload look.
And when it comes to fades? They started coming in almost immediately.
After just a few wears, the thighs had begun to lighten. Within two weeks, whiskers and knee creases were clearly forming. By the end of the month, the wallet outline had set in, stacks were shaping up at the cuffs, and behind-the-knee honeycombs were sharp and defined.
They’re lightweight, comfortable from day one, and fade with barely any effort.
I wore them for a month, then switched to the 14 oz. Dirty Fade Selvedge—but only lasted a few days before jumping back into the Naturals. They’re just that satisfying.
I went with the Super Guy fit. The slim cut helped bring out contrast in the whiskers and knees. I gave them a warm soak before wear—no shrinkage at all. The denim eased from tight to snug within a week, so if you’re between sizes, go tight.
The Natural Indigo Selvedge inspired this whole list. They’re easily the fastest-fading jeans I’ve worn. If you’ve struggled with heavy selvedge, let this be your turning point.
Naked & Famous is available at: Cultizm (DE), Blue Beach Denim (TW), and DeeCee Style (CH).
SOSO – Raw Denim, Your Way (from $209)
SOSO makes jeans for denimheads who want more control over the process—and more action on the fades. Founded in 2010 by a pair of Swedish denim lovers, the brand offers fully custom raw selvedge jeans made to order in their own Bangkok workshop.
The big draw is the flexibility. You can tweak everything—fit, fabric, rise, fly, thread, hardware, pocket shape, you name it. But the real secret? Some of SOSO’s denims fade like hell.
They carry a wide range selvedge, with standout fast-fading options like their 15 oz. Dirty Harry, 13.5 oz. Slubby Samurai, and the new proprietary Green Cast selvedge. These denims are crisp, high-texture, and primed to deliver sharp fades with consistent wear.
Even better: the custom builds won’t break the bank.
Their jeans start at $209, and even fully spec’d-out pairs rarely cross into luxury pricing territory. Fit options include both ready-made templates and fully bespoke patterns, making SOSO a smart choice for guys who struggle with standard sizing—or who just want to build something truly personal.
With fair pricing, quick turnaround, and real fade potential, SOSO belongs on any fader’s shortlist.
Gustin – Crowdfunded Selvedge Jeans (from $89)
Gustin helped pioneer the crowdfunded selvedge model, and they’ve built a loyal following by offering made-in-USA raw denim at near-wholesale prices.
Their fabrics rotate constantly, but the core approach stays the same: you back a project, they make exactly what’s ordered—no overproduction, no middleman markup.
Not all Gustin denims are fast faders. Some of their heavier, tightly woven Cone Mills or Kaihara runs can be slow to wake up. But choose the right fabric—look for midweight, lower-dip, more textured options—and you can get strong fades for half the price of most Japanese brands.
Most jeans land between 13–15 oz., and the fit range (Skinny, Slim, Straight) works well for modern wardrobes. Their in-stock section is growing, but pre-order drops still offer the best fabric variety.
If you’re looking for fade-friendly selvedge without breaking the bank, Gustin delivers—so long as you choose wisely.
Read more about the brand in our Gustin Buying Guide … or:
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Iron Heart – 142 Selvedge (14 oz.)
The lightest denim in Iron Heart’s line-up, the 142 selvedge (so-called because it’s their second and most-successful attempt at creating a 14 oz. denim) gets far more love from fans of Iron Heart’s denim jackets than fans of their jeans.
The brand is best known for their heavyweight 21 oz. and 25 oz. denims—famous for producing incredible fades but also for being notoriously stubborn. You’ll need serious commitment to break those in and bring out their full potential.
Not so with the 142. If you want to get to denim heaven in a hurry, this one’s your ticket.
There’s no doubt that Iron Heart’s heaviest denims have produced some of the most remarkable fades we’ve ever seen, but the Japanese brand’s heavier denims have a well-earned reputation for stubbornness.
They won’t fade fully inside of a year without a truly titanic effort. If you’ve got the patience to wait it out, the fades will come, and they’ll definitely be worth the wait. If you want to get to denim heaven in a hurry, though, this denim is your ticket.
It has a truly remarkable hand-feel. Most denims at this weight feel slick or thin—this one is plush and springy, likely thanks to the double-twisted weft yarns. It feels and looks heavier than it is, but without the boardy stiffness of Iron Heart’s heavier fabrics.
No break-in required. They’re wearable right out of the box and get better with every wear.
Iron Heart is available at: Division Road (US), Franklin & Poe (US), Brooklyn Clothing (CA), Iron Provisions (US), and of course at Iron Heart International.
TCB – Zimbabwe Cotton Selvedge (13.5 oz.)
If you’re looking for crisp denim that will crease and crack to create eye-catching contrasts, this is not the denim for you.
If, however, you’re looking to slide into a pair that’s comfortable from day one and primed for long-haul wear with regular washing, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better denim than this one.
Like much-more-expensive pairs from brands like Full Count and Momotaro, the key here is the Zimbabwe cotton. Selvedge woven from the long-staple cotton has a soft and plushy hand-feel, and this makes the pairs incredibly easy to wear day in and day out.
It’s a truly painless break-in period, and those who have a pair (particularly the Slim 50s) frequently say that they are the pair they turn to when they need or want a hiatus from the heavy stuff.
TCB also might be the best value pairs you’ll find from a brand that weaves its denim and sews all of its pairs entirely in Japan. For this reason (among many others), popular pairs like the Slim 50s sell out remarkably quickly.
If you find a pair in your size, jump into them. The relatively small investment will immediately start paying huge dividends.
TCB is available at: Redcast Heritage (ES) and Cultizm (DE)
Brave Star Selvage – Made in LA (from $118)
If you’re after American-made fades on a budget, Brave Star delivers more bang for your buck than almost anyone else in the game. Sewn in Los Angeles and priced from just over $100, their jeans offer serious value for faders who want the real thing without the premium markup.
Brave Star’s rotating lineup includes both Cone Mills and Japanese selvedge options. The lighter-weight denims in the 13.5–14 oz. range fade well with consistent wear, especially the slubbier Japanese fabrics. And for those chasing heavier fades, they also offer a 21 oz. monster—and even a 25 oz. beast that’s developed a cult following.
They don’t overcomplicate the offering: Slim, Taper, and Straight fits cover most body types, and all jeans come with chain-stitched hems and tucked belt loops as standard.
If you’re just getting into raw denim—or want an everyday pair to beat up without babying—Brave Star is well worth a look. Just don’t sleep on the good stuff; the best fabrics go quick.
Benzak – Japanese and Italian Selvedge
Founded in 2013 by Lennaert Nijgh, Benzak set out to build a European denim brand that could stand toe-to-toe with the Japanese heavyweights.
More than a decade later, the Amsterdam-based label has done exactly that—thanks in no small part to Lennaert’s extreme attention to detail, the brand’s versatile modern fits, and a knack for creating denims that fade beautifully.
Benzak offers jeans made in Japan and jeans made in Europe, and both ranges have proven themselves in the fade scene.
Lennaert’s used denim from Japan and Candiani—including some standout collaborations that have been among the most textured and fastest-fading fabrics we’ve seen out of Europe.
What sets Benzak jeans apart is the ability to blend comfort and character. Many of the midweight denims strike that rare balance: soft enough to wear daily, but packed with enough texture and slub to yield strong fades in less time.
If you’re looking for a pair that breaks in easily, fits cleanly, and still delivers eye-catching fades, Benzak has plenty of worthy options. The anniversary fabrics may be gone soon, but the brand’s core lineup is full of long-haul faders.
Benzak is available at: Benzak’s own site (NL), Division Road (US), Cultizm (DE), and Blue Beach Denim (TW).
Tellason – Raw Japanese Selvedge (12.5–16.5 oz.)
Tellason works exclusively with Kaihara to develop proprietary selvedge denims, all cut and sewn in San Francisco. Their three weights—12.5 oz., 14.75 oz., and 16.5 oz.—offer slightly different personalities when it comes to fading.
The 12.5 oz. is the liveliest of the bunch. It’s got a looser weave and a softer hand, which helps set creases quickly and encourages faster contrast. It’s the one to pick if you’re chasing fades and want to keep things comfortable.
The 14.75 oz. is more balanced—denser and more structured, with fades that emerge slowly but steadily.
The 16.5 oz. is a true heavyweight: deeply saturated and built for the long haul. Fades will come, but they’ll take patience.
All three are built to last, but if you want faster visual payoff, the 12.5 oz. is your best bet.
The Flat Head Pioneer 3XXX Denim (14.5 oz.)
One of the truly legendary denims to come out of the Japanese selvedge scene, The Flat Head’s Pioneer denim is a light middleweight selvedge that has, since its introduction, inspired nearly unparalleled levels of devotion from serious denimheads.
With its trademark vertical texture (a result of carefully engineered slub yarns), the orange-line selvedge has been behind some of the most incredible fades we’ve ever seen.
We don’t, though, see as much of it as we once did. Flat Head rarely ventures into heavyweight territory, seeming to prefer denims around the middle of the weight scale.
As faders have moved towards heavier and heavier denims, this has resulted in Flat Head pairs being a kind of rare bird in the scene. For us, this rarity only adds to their appeal, and the denim is as primed for serious fades as it has ever been.
With iron buttons, hidden rivets, and unmissable arcuates, there’s lots to get excited about here, and, at this weight, you can expect to bring the absolute best out of this pair inside of a year.
Best of all, thanks to the crispness of the denim, with steady wear and infrequent washing, you should be able to produce contrasts far more impressive than almost any other denim at this weight.
The Flat Head is available at: Redcast Heritage (ES) and Franklin & Poe (US)
Samurai Otokogi Selvedge (15 oz.)
Another brand that is best known for their heavy selvedge, Samurai fans line up around the block whenever the brand drops a new 25 oz. pair. Engineered to produce sharp contrast fades, their heavy denims are among our top recommendations for faders who want to turn heads with their combs and whiskers.
Don’t scroll past their lighter offerings, though. Samurai’s 15 oz. Otokogi selvedge is a remarkably crisp and rough middleweight denim.
It’s one of the most tightly woven selvedges around, and it’s been made using short-staple Texas cotton. This gives it its characteristic rough hand-feel, and it will also help generate sharp contrasts.
The denim is one of the best around for those who want to balance contrasts and comfort. Rough on the legs at first, it breaks in quickly, but it doesn’t give up the fight for ages.
This means that, even while you’re enjoying the comfort of a middleweight, you’ll still be getting those sharp combs and whiskers that Samurai are known for.
You can buy Samurai from these retailers: Franklin & Poe (US), Brooklyn Clothing (CA), Blue in Green (US), and Redcast Heritage (ES).
Warehouse Banner Denim (12.5 oz.)
The selvedge world is generally divided into two categories of enthusiasts. On one side are the lovers of high-contrast fades; on the other, the vintage fade enthusiasts.
If you’ve been drawn into this world by eye-catching contrast fades, but you’ve always wondered what the vintage purists are raving about, there’s no better way to see what all the fuss is about than to slide into a pair of Warehouse 1001XX.
Last year, we saw a pair of these in the Indigo Invitational, and they were passed over in the community voting round. We made sure that they went into the Top 20, giving them one of the last wild card slots.
Our experienced judges knew immediately that this pair was something special. They ended up earning a bronze medal, and they very nearly took the silver.
Trung really brought the best out of the denim with a combination of dedicated wear and regular washing. The denim is meant for this kind of treatment. It was specially developed by Kenichi and Kenji Shiotano, founders of Warehouse, who managed to track down a pristine Levi’s banner from the 1930s.
They dissected the banner and placed the fibres under a microscope, analysing how the cotton was harvested, dyed, and then woven.
The resulting recipe (a blend of three different American cottons) and an extremely carefully dialled in loom set-up (with just the right amount of chatter) produces what is widely regarded as the best reproduction vintage selvedge on the market.
If you’re keen to experiment with vintage fades, there’s no better starting point than this denim.
Warehouse is at Lost & Found (CA), Hinoya (JP), and Clutch Café (UK).
Big John Rare (15.5 oz.)
Those in the know will tell you. Big John’s Rare denim (the heaviest we’ll include on this list) is one of the best and fastest-moving fade foundations on the market.
With their long history, Big John are as close as you can get to a sure thing in the selvedge world. They were the first Japanese company to make jeans domestically, making their first pairs in the ‘60s from American selvedge.
Related post: In-depth review of the Big John Rare jeans
Then, with the help of legendary mill Kurabo, they debuted the first entirely made-in-Japan pair in 1973. In the ‘80s, they followed this up with their first Rare pairs—instant classics.
Crammed full of bells and whistles like deerskin-backed buttons and rivets, an indigo-dyed deerskin patch, some of the industry’s toughest pocket bags, and “wrench-proof” construction, which pre-twists the jeans to counteract leg twist, Big John’s Rares are as essential as they come.
They fade remarkably quickly, and (take our word for it) they will sail past more expensive pairs in your collection to the very top of your rotation.
Mister Freedom NOS Cone Denim (14 oz.)
If you’ve been around the block a time or two, you’re probably familiar with Cone Mills. In 1915, Cone Mills and Levi’s reached an historic agreement—still referred to as the “Golden Handshake.”
The mill produced all of the Levi’s selvedge during their most iconic years, and the bond between the mill and the king of workwear remained unbroken until the White Oak Cone Mills plant finally closed its doors in 2017.
Related post: The history of Cone Mills White Oak
Since then, the remaining rolls of Cone Mills selvedge have been hot commodities, with established denim brands doing everything in their power to secure some of the world’s most famous selvedge denim for themselves. It’s becoming increasingly rare to find out there as brands’ old stock is depleted.
Mister Freedom have stockpiled a few rolls of NOS (New Old Stock) Cone Mills denim. They release it in a trickle, using it to make pairs with a deep ‘60s vibe.
Founder Christophe Loiron cut his teeth in the Southern California rag trade, and he trained his eye to spot Cone Mills selvedge from across the room. He knows a good thing when he sees it, and so do we. These are flawless. Get a pair before they’re gone forever.
You can buy Mister Freedom at: Franklin & Poe (US), Blue Beach Denim (TW), Cultizm (DE), Clutch Café (UK), Hinoya (JP)
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