Thomas Stege Bojer, the founder of the men’s wear and denim blog, Denimhunters, is putting his denim knowledge to the ultimate test with his own brand of jeans.
In April, the Denmark-based denim consultant and author launched Weirloom, an online-first brand specializing in small batch, made in Europe jeans. The jeans are available through pre-order on Weirloom’s website and retail for 200 euros in Europe, or $200 outside of the EU (before duties).
“The mission is simple: fewer, better jeans. Made from the best materials I can find, sewn in Europe, and priced with purpose,” he said.
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Work for the brand began in two years ago, though the idea had been in the back of Stege Bojer’s mind for much longer. He was just waiting for the right time to make the leap.
“For more than a decade, I’ve been helping people find the right jeans through Denimhunters and by working as a consultant with other denim brands behind the scenes. Starting Weirloom was about taking all of that experience and putting it into products of my own that I could truly stand behind. I didn’t want to create another niche denim brand,” he said.
Stege Bojer’s goal is to build lasting jeans that could one day be worth passing on. “That’s where the name comes from: Weirloom, pronounced ‘wearloom.’ The idea is to make wearable heirlooms,” he said.
Having worked in the denim industry for more than a decade, Stege Bojer had a who’s-who list of dream suppliers in mind, including Italian mill Candiani Denim for fabric, pocketing from Copen in Bulgaria, and hardware from YKK in Turkey. Labels are sourced locally in Portugal, where the jeans are cut and sewn by C.M. Borges.
Weirloom launched with a single product—a straight-leg jeans that Stege Bojer likens to a “classic 501 with few tweaks.”
The men’s jean is made with 14.25 oz. selvedge denim. The fabric was woven with regenerative cotton from Spain and dyed with Candiani’s Indigo Juice technology, which keeps the dye superficial on yarns, decreasing the energy, water, and chemicals consumption. The fabric is also finished with the mill’s patented Kitotex sizing technology based on chitosan, a biodegradable, and non-toxic material, that replaces PVA.
Tucked belt loops, chain-stitched hems and “all of the other details you’d expect from top-shelf selvedge jeans” are part of the jean’s construction. It is available raw or with a single wash.
Since the launch, Stege Bojer also released a small-run of organic cotton T-shirts. Additional fits will roll out this fall through pre-orders.
Stege Bojer’s consulting work has given him a front-row seat to both small, niche labels and some of the biggest names in the industry. “It taught me what goes into making jeans at different scales—how fabric choices, supplier relationships, and production planning all come together,” he said.
But as he’s quickly learned, consulting and developing a brand are two different things.
“With Weirloom, I’m experiencing firsthand how much detail is involved, from ordering materials on time to meeting delivery deadlines. The upside is that I know what to look for and what to priorities. It’s helped me make clear decisions about fabric, suppliers, and construction details right from the start,” he said.
Though Stege Bojer admits having one foot in the door help in his pursuit to secure suppliers and low minimums. “My suppliers have been incredibly supportive, which allowed me to produce in small batches of just 100 pairs of jeans—something that’s definitely not the norm in this industry,” he said.
Stege Bojer is taking a focused yet flexible approach to Weirloom’s future.
“At this stage, even planning three to five weeks ahead can feel unpredictable. I’m taking it one day and one week at a time—launching, learning, and building the brand step by step,” he said. “That said, I do have a clear direction.”
Within three to five years, he would like Weirloom to be his full-time focus. “I don’t expect to pay myself a salary in the first year or two, but beyond that, the brand has to support me. By then, I also want to have a broader range of products—more fits, more fabrics, and eventually women’s jeans as well,” he said.
While selvedge and heritage are not two words commonly associated with the women’s denim category, Stege Bojer would like to change that.
“I don’t see Weirloom as just a niche men’s raw denim label. There’s a real opportunity for women’s jeans with the same approach: classic, minimal, with a Scandinavian touch, and rooted in original jeanswear,” he said. “So, while plans will change, the goal stays the same—to grow Weirloom into a sustainable, founder-led brand.”
