Some time ago we wrote about a fresh, yet promising Norwegian brand, Livid Jeans. Livid has since taken a few steps forward and among several achieved milestones, they’ve gone on to create a retail line. However, there were still two items to accomplish on their to-do-list: launch a new website, including a fully operational web-shop; and create their flagship product, a pair of jeans from the Handmade Line, for worldwide purchase.
In order to gain a better understanding of their Handmade Line, Livid delivered us a pair for a closer inspection and full review.
Details
- Name: Livid Jeans Handmade Line
- Weight: 14 Oz.
- Model: Edvard Skinny
- Size: W33/L34
- Denim: 100% Cotton. From the Cone Mills’ white oak plant in North Carolina, USA
- Other Details:
- Red line selvedge along button fly and coin pocket
- Beltloops tucked under waistband
- 8 Oz. ecru colored canvas pocket lining
- Extra reinforced pockets
- 2mm thick natural leather patch
- Handwritten and numbered leather patch
- Available at: Livid Jeans for $376.00
Denim
The denim for these jeans is from the well-known Cone Mills ‘White Oak Plant’ in North Carolina, weighs in at mid-range 14 Oz., and is finished with a red selvedge line. The denim feels soft rather than rigid and has such a smooth surface that upon first wear it seems to be less than a 14oz denim.
Due to such as a soft texture as well, I found that creases just wouldn’t set in after the first few days of wear. That said, having given them their initial soak, which Livid Jeans is a supporter of, the denim underwent a near metamorphosis. It became rigid, crisp and tougher and creases set immediately.
Fit
The Livid Jeans handmade line has three different fits – the Roald (tapered), Edvard (skinny), and Jakob (slim straight). All of the hardware, construction, and material details remain the same on each cut, and you’re able to conveniently choose the inseam lengths (30″ to 36″). The jean I selected for review was the Edvard Skinny in a W33/L34.
The third model developed by Livid Jeans, the Edvard is slim in the top block and has a medium rise. A taper from the knee down to the leg gives it a slim silhouette and although it is deemed a skinny fit, it definitely errs on the looser side. If you are the type who typically favours this cut, I would advise going true-to-size for a well-fitted result.
Hardware
In terms of the hardware, Livid Jeans uses 100% brass sheet metal with a matte finish for the doughnut buttons and rivets. They have a vintage, dirty, and oily aesthetic and, apart from the rivets which are emblazoned with “WT”, both are completely bare of any insignia. Some may be indifferent towards this detail but in my opinion it seems like a missed opportunity and impersonal.
Like this? Read these:
2mm Vegetable Tanned Leather Patch
As for the leather patch, Livid opted to utilize a 2 mm thick vegetable tanned leather patch. The name of the company ‘’Livid Jeans’’ is burnt into the patch alongside the number of the jeans (‘’20/50’’ in our case). This is a lovely feature which feels like the signature on a painting.
Construction
Single Needle Lockstitch Finishing
Overall, the Handmade Line denim feels very well built and constructed to withstand a serious amount of tension. While we found the entire garment to be neatly finished with no loose stitching whatsoever, you may detect some irregular stitching as the denim is made with non-automated machinery. However, abnormalities can often be a positive, rather than negative, characteristic given how it can enhance the long-term jean’s charm, character, and aesthetic progress.
The denim itself is sewn together almost entirely with a single needle lockstitch as well, except on the waistband where a chainstitch is used. This leaves us with the question at to why the hem isn’t also chain stitched. Looking to the opposed end of the denim, the belt loops are neatly tucked under the waistband and reinforced. I felt they are noticeably smaller and thinner than usual and thus limiting you to belts that are less than 45mm wide.
Following our introduction to Livid Jeans as well, we learned that some members were skeptical about the back pockets. Contrary to the general feedback, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the back pockets. They are seemingly longer than any other pair of denim, but according to my measurements this is not the case. For instance, they are 0.6’’ longer than a pair of Naked & Famous Left Hand Twill and 0.25’’ shorter than a pair of Railcar Fine Goods Spikes X009.
The stitching on the back pockets is designed in simple fashion as well – four straight lines and a diagonal bartack at both ends of the four lines. Practically speaking this makes sense as the back pockets are composed of two pieces of denim and the four stitched lines meld both pieces together.
While the retail price for a pair of Livid Jeans Handmade Line denim is on the higher side and there are some areas of improvement, there is unique value in the product’s artisanal construction and conscious design.
