Did some of these people find that they could actually surpass the quality of Levi’s jeans?

Andrew: Absolutely. With the exception of Sugar Cane jeans, which makes cuts that are identical to famous Levis cuts, all these brands may have started with Levi’s as their inspiration and then kept progressing and moving on. Three years ago, Levi’s filed a lawsuit against Self Edge because they had Levi’s-styled arcuates, patches, and a red tab. These were all copywritten trademarks, so Levi’s issued a cease and desist and told us to cut off all red tabs and destitch all arcuates off the jean pockets. So, after the lawsuit, the companies offered to make jeans without arcuates, and Kiya said no. He went to them and asked them to redevelop the arcuates. They complied, which showed us that they were interested in growing. The reason we do have the arcuates is because they tell a story. A while back, Levi’s, Wrangler, and Lee all had a sort of branding that a customer could get behind. A customer would support that brand and learn about that company’s models, and usually that person became an aficionado about one brand or another. Modern customers are again getting into the idea of following a brand.

What are some differences between New York and San Francisco?

Andrew: Weather. We base our buys and adjust them in the New York store because we have four seasons, whereas the San Francisco store has more consistent weather year-round.

People seem to have thousands of recommendations as to how to properly care for denim. What do you recommend to wearers of raw selvedge denim as far as the care of the jeans?

Andrew: We get all kinds of questions regarding this topic. When it comes to the care of jeans, I have learned a lot as a customer and shop owner, and I encourage customers to do whatever they are most comfortable with. If they want to wear them for a year straight — I say do it! I’ve done it myself. On the other hand, I have jeans now that I wash every two months. There is no single way to care for jeans.

Is there any care advice that is consistent?

Andrew: Yes, certain jeans, unsanforized ones, need to be soaked. That’s a requirement. They need one soak before you wear them to remove shrinkage.

Is there a future for American selvedge denim?

Andrew: Can you make selvedge denim in the US? Yes, there is one mill in North Carolina—Cone. To my knowledge, no one else is able to do it in the US.