Investment Denim with G-Star RAW

Photography: Luke Kuisis | Styling: Akim Jardine

Whether you need a pair of jeans to work in or something for dressier occasions, the first question you must ask yourself is: will this work with my lifestyle?

For Uriah Van Zyl the answer is the same thing silver screen tough guys like Steve McQueen wore: timeless and traditional straight cut denim that’s tailored without being too tight and versatile enough to work and play in.

When The Way of Us meet Uriah at the Anvl Kraft Workshop he’s fabricating a replica DC3 Dakota airplane wing that will be used as a bar counter. When he’s not here shaping, welding or riveting metal he’s on site running his construction company and then any downtime is spent working on his 1951 BSA motorcycle.

It’s refreshing to meet a man like Uriah, who’s a throwback to simpler times when men got their hands dirty doing the type of work you just can’t do in a pair of trousers. So we put him in a few pairs of our newest G-Star RAW denim and asked him to see how they stood up to his work. 

“Denim is a very hardy material, and that’s obviously why we wear it because if you’re working on your bike, especially with the grinder, you’re going to get dirty. The material is non-flammable, grease and dirt doesn’t show on darker denim, and if you do happen to come off the bike then you’re a lot better off in the thickest denim you can afford.”

“I’m a simple, laidback guy and for years I’ve worn the same thing. Sneakers, a T-shirt and good jeans. I’m not one of these dress-up guys. Nothing too loud, nothing too tight and nothing with too many holes in.”

“Premium denim is worth the extra money because of how it's cut and manufactured. They’re strong enough to work in and such quality they look better as you wear them in. There’s a lot of character and over time you'll see creasing behind the knees, whiskering where my knife sits on the right pocket and just general wear because I’m quite active.”