Denim Fade Review
This fade review features —the Catechu Selvedge Jean from Naked & Famous Denim.
This Naked and Famous Jean is a 12oz Japanese Selvedge Denim dyed using a natural tree-based Catechu dye on the interior weft, creating warm and earthy undertones to the jeans.
What is Catechu?
Catechu is a natural dye and tannin extract derived from the Acacia tree. It is created by boiling the Acacia wood, evaporating the liquid, and collecting the remaining extract, which is then used for dyeing denim you see here.
Fade Evolution
These Naked and Famous Jeans started as deep indigo colour, but after two years of heavy wear, they have developed a unique fade, revealing the earthy hues underneath.
Wear Patterns
A defining characteristic of Naked & Famous jeans is the early wear that appears on the pocket bag. The front thighs start to develop pronounced whiskering that creates a distinctive contrast against the fading indigo.
The back pockets reveal an outline of the internal seam, a subtle yet striking effect unique to Naked & Famous denim.
Honeycombs form naturally behind the knees —a favourite among raw denim enthusiasts.
The suede leather patch on this pair has absorbed indigo and has begun to smooth out from constant friction with shirts. Eventually, it will wear down completely, becoming another testament to the denim’s well-worn history.
Wear & Care
This Naked and Famous jean was originally a very, very deep indigo colour. It has this beautiful green weft, which is dyed with acacia tree bark extracts.
So the Indigo does fade to white, as you would expect, but then there's this kind of earthy undertone to it, which really is beautiful in the denim.
These Catechu-dyed jeans have seen heavy wear for two years. In the first year, Adam wore them 2–3 times a week. Over 2.5 years, they’ve been washed only twice.
Hardware Aging
On this pair of Naked and Famous Denim, the silver metallic buttons and rivets start off matte, but over time, the brass edges begin to shine , developing a natural patina. The longer you wear them, the shinier and brassier they get, adding to the overall character of the jeans.
