Tellason

If you read Michael Williams’ (of ACL) guide to denim this past summer in Men’s Journal, you’ll recall Michael’s recommendation of Tellason jeans. I had come across the brand before, but never really did any homework on them. So I did some digging.

+Made in the USA? Check. San Fran, CA.
+Quality selvedge denim? Check, none other than Cone Mills.
+The right fit? Check, slim straight.
+Details? Check, Tanner goods leather patch.

The denim got high praises from the denim-heads across the blog world so I figured I had to give them a try. The fine gents at UNIONMADE GOODS were able to help with sizing and I had them in my hands in no time.

The first thing that struck me about these jeans is the extreme attention to detail. The chain stitched hem was so masterfully done that I didn’t dare shorten these jeans. The detailing on the back pockets and the extra reinforcement there was superb. The back pockets even have some stitching done with genuine indigo thread.


The fit was just as described. The only thing that concerned me was the rise. This was the lowest rise jean I had ever owned, so it took some getting used to.

The jeans were quite tight in the crotch area at first, so I emailed the folks at Tellason. I got a quick response from Tony Patella , one of the brand’s owners. Tony informed me that the fabric, 12.25 oz. sanforized Cone selvage denim, will stretch where needed, but won't overstretch like lesser-quality selvage. The fabric stretches where it needs to and will mold to your body.

Within a few weeks the jeans did indeed stretch out in the right places and the fit was just as I’d hoped.

I gave these jeans some good wear time over the last 3 months and they’ve become really soft. The rise still bothered me a little, but not enough to cause any discomfort.

Fast forward to this past week and I learned that Tellason would be one of the vendors at MW’s Pop Up Flea. I stopped at the Flea on Friday and had the pleasure of meeting Tony and Pete, the men behind the brand.

I spied some dudes trying on Tellason jeans and noticed something different from the jeans I had:


Tony explained that this was a new cut, designed in collaboration with ACL: A straighter cut, slightly looser in the top block and leg, with a higher rise. Long story short, 20 minutes later I owned my second pair of Tellason jeans, this time with a fit a bit more akin to what I was used to.


Looking forward to seeing what my Tellason look like next year this time. If you’re in the market for some new denim, the real-deal made in the USA authentic type, do yourself a favor and put Tellason on your short list.