Skip to main content

Perfectly Washed: Tortoise Jeans

One doesn’t need to be a denim expert to know that the last several years have been cruel to the denim industry. An oversupply of skinny fits, colored denim, an aging population and surging demand for heritage-looking menswear sent many a brand packing and tailored sportswear into the black.

Recommended Videos

Now help is on the way in the form of one California brand, whose obsession with sustainable laundering is showing how blue denim might be poised for a major comeback. Debuting this fall, Tortoise Jeans just might have the best washes and finishes of all its peers, but the brand isn’t stopping there. It’s aiming to create the industry standard of the future, with the most sustainable denim laundry in the US (dubbed ECO-PRK) and the company’s proprietary Wiser Wash methodology to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.

Included, for example, is a patent-pending application of ozone, designed to bleach yet cut out toxic chemicals in doing so; a locally sourced ingredient that eliminates stonewashing and the need for materials such as pumice stone that produce sludge; and a robust water treatment system that uses 80% less water and recycles it in a 1:1 ratio.

“You can achieve a very cool fashion-forward look or authentic look without drawing on harmful processes traditionally associated with washing jeans,” insists Tortoise Jeans co-founder Lukus Eichmann, whose background includes designing and developing denim for companies such as Opening Ceremony, Haute Hippie and Rogan Jeans. (Business partner Kevin Youn is equally the veteran, having spent 12 years at Koos Manufacturing.)

Indeed washes like the vintage-looking 1015, made with ozone; the 1005, made without any kind of traditional stonewashing techniques; the painterly-looking 1009, colored by hand so as to produce richer color variations; and the marbled-looking 1012 are all stunning, incredibly lightweight and soft. For those in search of something even more handcrafted, there’s the Cheyls fit and Kinixys jacket, made with camo jacquard patches coated with an Italian wax additive designed to wear over time to a rugged, natural-looking indigo.

The items come at a price: jeans average $365 while jackets come in at $425. Eichmann puts it all into perspective, however, when he explains that unlike most brands, Tortoise Jeans uses locally sourced materials—that is, dead stock, ends of rolls or discarded quantities from bigger factories. In doing so, it cuts out the demand for custom-ordered fabrics that often requires water-intensive and other not so ecologically friendly processes. In turn, each limited batch might use the same wash process or formula, but it is unlikely that the consumer will ever see the same garment again because of the limited quantity Tortoise Jeans has to begin with. Each pair then has a different wash, rip and color variation and everything is cut, sewn and washed in Los Angeles.

Eichmann hopes ECO-PRK might one day become the kind of model facility where people can go to learn more about sustainability. For now, though, slow and steady, like the tortoise that inspires the brand’s slow philosophy, suits the brand fine. Asked whether the capsule line will expand for spring, Eichmann explains, “It will, when it’s the right time for the company. But at the moment, our strength is in producing the best denim in terms of how we wash it and the materials that we use. We don’t want to lose sight of that.”

Available at Ron Herman, Atrium, Machus and, for holiday, American Rag.

Tim Yap
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Contributing writer Tim Yap was born in Kuala Lumpur and lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, Vancouver and Toronto prior to moving…
Wax London believes polos shouldn’t be boring
Get creative with your polos with Wax London
Wax London polo black floral

The men's polo is one of the staple shirts every man needs. It is something that has endured since the days of LaCoste wearing them on the tennis courts. Nowadays, it is the paramount piece for any man looking to wear a basic business casual wardrobe. Of course, that doesn't mean it has to be basic. Most men tend to opt for a solid golf polo and a pair of basic chinos, paired with a hybrid dress shoe. While that has led the polo down a path to gaining a dad shirt image, that doesn't mean it needs to stay there. Wax London is one of the leaders in making everyone, from celebrities to dads, look stylish, and they don't think a polo needs to be boring or basic. Instead, Wax London polos this season emphasize patterns, standing out, and being seen as a celebrity, even if you're just a dad.

Wearing the polo like a celebrity

Read more
Now is the perfect time to layer with UNTUCKit spring pieces
The spring collection for UNTUCKit is stocked with seasonal pieces
UNTUCKit quarter-zip

As the April showers come to a close, the May flowers will be in full bloom. While that sounds like a great time of year (unless, of course, you struggle with allergies), there is one thing that stubbornly sticks around this time of year, especially if you are north of the Mason-Dixon Line, and that is the cold snaps. The unpredictability of the spring means you are bound to have those days where you are a bit chilly in the morning and a little warm in the afternoon. The best way to combat this little problem is with the subtle art of layering. UNTUCKit is known for creating some of the most comfortable shirts of the last decade and a half, and they have released a spring collection that makes layering the simplest it's ever been.

Layering made simple

Read more
Hockerty uses AI models to showcase SS25 collection
Different models of different backgrounds creates a collection inclusive for all
Hockerty SS25 men on a car

We're living in a world of ever-evolving technology. While we look at trends from the past and see that we're pulling from yesterday to curate a stylish aesthetic, there's no doubt that technology propels us forward. Now, we were promised flying cars by 2015 in the movie Back to the Future, and we fell short of that. However, artificial intelligence is still surging forward and changing the way nearly every industry does business. Hockerty took the path of utilizing AI models to showcase their new spring and summer collection with diverse LLM models from different ages and backgrounds, ensuring it works for everyone. The Hockerty SS25 Collection is redefining classics with fabrics of the future and putting linen front and center.

Using linen to create timeless sophistication

Read more