Denims to keep us warm; Function against the elements; Ultimate function with comfort; Winter cottons that can also be winter warmers with new finishing techniques. Many new techniques of fabric finishing to render the simple denim garment functional.

Streetwear; workwear; sportswear; tough wear.

Survivalist denim takes attitude from the style, the brand, the function enhanced by the denim finish - brush backs; thermal fibres; Super strong denims; double layers and double faces.

Miyabe micro acrylic is an insulating warm fibre; Thermalite from Invista is a warm to touch synthetic fibre; wool denims are naturally more warm than cotton denims; Spun viscose and spun modal are warm cellulosic fibres commonly used as blends in denim.

Carrhart survival clothing demonstrates how cottons can be thermalised for winter wear. Their collection is a combination of padded denims; brushed cottons; brushed non denims and quilting. This is street clothing masquerading as performance wear. In doing so it does however fulfil the function demonstrating the we can still wear our denims in the depths of winter.

Back Country uses tough rugged, raw 15ozs denims from Cone White Oak woven with Dyneema to resist wear, wind and weather. Sprayed with water repellant it guards against wet elements as well. Designs are simple conventional with extra functional detailing.

The denims start raw so no prior finishing to create wear or to pollute the environment - they leave the wearing in to you. The jeans look better for it.

Lighter weights denims can also be hard wearing. Mountain Hardwear is offering light stretch denims with Dyneema suitable for athletic outdoor pursuits like Rock climbing.

Patagonia uses “Steel Forge denim” made from a Dyneema blend to make it super strong. Not for mountain climbing more for manual and rugged labour.

Whilst heavy 3x1 denims are hard wearing in themselves the strength claim today is not as true as it was when Levi first made blue jeans back in the 1800’s. So now we use fibres such as Cordura and Dyneema to ensure the strength needed for functionally tough jeans for real outdoor and work performance.

Saint Denim makes most of their outdoor pursuit jeans with Dyneema blended with cotton. Motor Cycle tested both on the cycle and off has proved that Dyneema really is currently the strongest and most durable fibre for the tough denim job.

Dyneema is super strong , super lightweight and super resistant to abrasion. It is the strongest fibre in the World being 15 times more abrasion resistant than steel; chemical resistant and slippery too. It is however very expensive therefore, unless we need the denim for a real branded function the jeans will be more than a high street retailer could bear.