Ateliers de Nîmes: Denim Woven in Nîmes, DN.20 or DN.30 and Size Guide

Ateliers de Nîmes is a jeans brand founded in 2014 in Nîmes, the city that gave denim its name. What sets it apart: it weaves its own cloth, in its workshop on rue Montaury, before having its jeans made up in Portugal. This guide covers the brand's story, how its denim is made, the differences between the DN.20 and DN.30 fits, the Un Lavage and 3 Ans washes, and how to choose your size using the brand's charts. The full selection is in the Ateliers de Nîmes collection.

Denim, a Nîmes story

The word denim comes from "serge de Nîmes". The Oxford English Dictionary records its first appearance in English in 1695, as "serge denims". The original serge de Nîmes was a wool and silk cloth, and historians still debate whether the version sold in England was actually woven in Nîmes or whether the name was mainly a mark of quality. The cotton denim we know today came later.

Ateliers de Nîmes: bringing weaving back to Nîmes

Guillaume Sagot, a historian by training, left a job in digital in Paris to return to his home town and revive denim there. He founded the brand in 2014 with Anthony Dubos, later joined by Clément Payen. The first jeans were cut from Italian cloth. The brand then bought old looms and learned the trade from two retired textile workers, Alain and Lucien. Since 2020, according to the brand, the cloth for its jeans has been woven in its own workshop on rue Montaury.

Ateliers de Nîmes chose to control weaving because, in its view, it is the stage that uses the most water. Its yarn is not sized, which avoids desizing with solvents, and the cloth receives only one finishing step: mechanical sanforisation, carried out in the Rhône area, which stabilises it against shrinkage.

How an Ateliers de Nîmes pair of jeans is made

An Ateliers de Nîmes pair of jeans is therefore made from denim woven in Nîmes and made up in Portugal: the brand does not present it as "made in France", and neither do we. The finishes follow the classic jean: engraved rivets and buttons, a brown leather patch, cotton twill pocket bags.

DN.20 or DN.30: which fit should you choose?

The DN.20 is the brand's straight fit: five pockets, mid rise, a straight leg from hip to ankle, button fly. It is the most versatile pair, in Bleu Un Lavage or Bleu 3 Ans.

The DN.30 is a slim straight fit: the same mid rise and room through the thigh, then a leg that tapers from the knee and a narrower hem. It also comes in Bleu Un Lavage and Bleu 3 Ans.

Measurements published by Ateliers de Nîmes. In the same size, the DN.30 has 3.5 cm less at the hip and almost 2 cm less at the leg opening, measured flat. Choose the DN.20 for a straight, even line, and the DN.30 if you want a leg that narrows towards the ankle.

Bleu Un Lavage or Bleu 3 Ans?

Both washes start from the same blue cloth woven in Nîmes. Bleu Un Lavage is rinsed once: it keeps the deep blue of raw denim, but it is prewashed to prevent shrinkage and blue transfer onto your hands, and it is softer than raw denim from day one. Bleu 3 Ans looks like a pair that has already been worn and faded. It is achieved with ozone, a technique the brand presents as water-saving and solvent-free.

How does Ateliers de Nîmes fit?

The jeans are sold by waist size only, in inches (W), with no leg length: the brand deliberately makes them long to suit every height. The brand's charts give the garment's flat measurements:

Flat measurements published by Ateliers de Nîmes; the garment waist is the flat waist doubled. The brand gives no rule such as "size up": it advises measuring a pair of jeans that fits you well and comparing. On its product pages, its 184 cm model wears a 31 or a 32. The cloth is sanforised and Bleu Un Lavage is prewashed, which limits shrinkage; the jeans are 100% cotton, with no elastane.

Caring for Ateliers de Nîmes jeans

The brand's first piece of advice: wash your jeans as little as possible, so they develop a patina slowly. When needed, wash them inside out at 30°C, without fabric softener, spin or tumble dryer, and dry them flat in the open air. For this, the brand offers the Jeans Expert detergent, a gentle detergent with organic lavender and orange essential oils, in a 500 ml bottle for around 15 washes.

For another European pair of jeans with a generous cut, see how mfpen fits. For French workwear, see our Le Laboureur guide.

Ateliers de Nîmes: the details

Brand: Ateliers de Nîmes, founded in 2014 in Nîmes by Guillaume Sagot and Anthony Dubos, later joined by Clément Payen.

Cloth: 13 oz denim in two-ply organic cotton yarn, woven on rue Montaury in Nîmes, sanforised in the Rhône area.

Made up in: Barcelos, Portugal.

Fits: DN.20 (straight) and DN.30 (slim straight), mid rise.

Sizes: in inches, waist only; one long leg length.

Discover Ateliers de Nîmes at AURA

Ateliers de Nîmes jeans are available in our Rennes store, at 2 rue Châteaurenault, and online with delivery across France and Europe.

Shop the full Ateliers de Nîmes selection →

Ateliers de Nîmes: frequently asked questions

Are Ateliers de Nîmes jeans made in France?

The cloth is woven in Nîmes and sanforised in the Rhône area; the jeans are made up in Barcelos, Portugal. The organic cotton comes from Turkey.

What is the difference between the DN.20 and the DN.30?

The DN.20 is straight from hip to ankle. The DN.30 is a slim straight fit: narrower at the hip and tapered from the knee. In a size 32, it has 3.5 cm less at the hip, measured flat.

What Ateliers de Nîmes jeans size should I choose?

Measure the waistband of a pair of jeans that fits you well, laid flat, and compare it with the chart: a 30 measures 41 cm flat, a 32 measures 43. The jeans are sold without a leg length and are deliberately long.

What does "Bleu 3 Ans" mean?

It is the brand's faded wash, which gives the look of a pair that has already been worn. It is achieved with ozone. Bleu Un Lavage, by contrast, is rinsed only once and keeps a deep blue.

Where can I buy Ateliers de Nîmes in Brittany?

At AURA in Rennes, in store at 2 rue Châteaurenault and online at aura-estore.com, with delivery across France and Europe.