Have you ever noticed how people who share one common interest invariably share more common interests? Like guys who are into team sports usually have a more than healthy interest in beer, or people into hiking tend to enjoy another outdoor activity such as fishing or climbing, and so it goes with denim. The ridiculous amount of time I spend as a voyeur into other people lives via social media and forums has made me mentally associate certain interests with folks in the denim scene, these are the top 5.
1) Motorcycles – Although denim may originally have been the casual wear of the cowboy in the 1940’s it was passed over to the biker, and there it has remained ever since. From Japan to the USA to Finland you will find cool bikes wherever you find quality denim in abundance, and the two compliment each other really well.
2) Automobiles – Just like bikes, denim heads also love their cars. They like them classic and loud mainly with American muscle cars being a prominent choice but with classically styled European cars also being surprisingly popular. Jeans have always been greaser wear, and that remains true to this day.
3) Travel – We denim heads are a nomadic bunch and any brief study of social media or forums will very quickly yield a plethora of pictures of denim clad folks cropping up in all corners of the globe. I have personally travelled great distances in the name of denim, and I have not been alone in these treks.
4) Facial hair – Mainly for the male denim heads, we do seem to have a thing about facial hair though. Maybe it’s the masculinity of jeans and facial hair, combined with fast things on wheels….. who knows, but a lot of men in denim also have beards, me included. Discussions rage about clippers and beard oil, the maintenance of the beard becomes all consuming and it’s girth a sign of virility.
5) Beer! – Just as we obsess over the details of our denim, so we also consume ourselves with the details of our beer. Is it Belgian or American, trappiste, lambic, pale ale, stout? Are the casks used for port or bourbon? Is it a fruit beer? A super strong brew? Limited edition? The questions go on and on…..
Honourable mentions should be given to music and coffee, but music is far too broad of a subject and coffee is simply a tool to keep me awake so I do not fathom those who obsess.
No vintage watches?
They would be number 6……maybe 7 😉
What about leather goods? We’re nearly as obsessed with it as we are with denim! Well done for including beer!
I count leather and denim as virtually the same thing. Evolving materials with an ephemeral joy at each stage of their development.