The Swedish brand Nudie Jeans has been with us since 1999, and all this time they’ve been incorporating a circular way of thinking into the entire product life cycle of the jeans they make. Nudie Jeans are sold online as well as in stores, going through a lengthy process after purchase: from the break-in to the recycling.

Break-in: the pants are indigo dyed (giving them their typical color) with no subsequent processing, washing or grinding. After the jeans are sold, they are worn without being washed. When after a long time they do get their much-deserved bath, washing them will bring out a unique color-fading design, accentuating those spots that are more worn. Nudies’ name for these kinds of jeans is “Dry Denim”, referring to the fact that the pants are not prewashed.

Repair: repairing the jeans comes in various options. First, customers can visit a Nudie Jeans store to have their pair fixed for free. Second, they can also repair the jeans themselves. In the latter case, Nudie Jeans sends them a lifesaver, completely free of charge: the Jeans Repair Kit, which contains thread, patches and a few other things that might come in handy.

Reuse: Nudie encourages their clients to reuse jeans that are no longer wearable for repairing other pairs. Customers who do want to part with their old pants can also hand them in at one of the Nudie stores in return for a coupon. Nudie washes and repairs each pair and puts them back in the shop as second-hand articles.

Recycle: when Nudie reaches the point where jeans are really beyond repair, they cut and mill them to make new yarn that can be turned into jeans or other items like rugs or sofas.