Jordan Craig Collins Smooth Criminal denim in jet black, worn front view

Reviewed: Jordan Craig Collins "Smooth Criminal" Denim — Jet Black

Coated denim is one of those things that either looks expensive or looks like a costume, and the difference is almost entirely in the wrinkling. This pair gets it right.

Jordan Craig Collins Smooth Criminal denim in jet black, worn front view
Jordan Craig Collins Smooth Criminal denim in jet black, worn front view

The coating

Jet black with a glossy resin coat over the top, and hand-formed 3D wrinkles set into the fabric rather than printed onto it. That is the part worth paying attention to. A printed crease is a flat photograph of a wrinkle and it dies the moment light hits it from an angle. A formed wrinkle has actual depth, so the highlight moves as you move.

The practical consequence: these hold their shape. Coated denim is structured by nature — it does not drape, it stands. That is a feature if you want the leg to keep its line, and a drawback if you want something that softens into you over a season.

Jet black with a coated sheen - it catches light like leather across the thigh and knee, and reads flat matte everywhere else.
Jet black with a coated sheen - it catches light like leather across the thigh and knee, and reads flat matte everywhere else.

The Collins fit

Straight leg, regular rise. Collins is Jordan Craig's most wearable cut — it is not the stacked fit, it is not skinny, and the straight leg means the coating reads as a clean vertical rather than clinging. Deep front pockets, which sounds like a small thing until you have owned jeans without them.

Worth knowing: Jordan Craig encodes the fit in the style prefix, and Collins is a genuinely different garment from the Martin or the Sean cuts even when the wash name is identical. If you have owned a Jordan Craig pair before and liked the leg, check which cut it was — same wash, different fit is a real and common mix-up.

The Collins cut through the leg: clean from hip to knee, then a slight taper. It breaks once over the shoe instead of stacking.
The Collins cut through the leg: clean from hip to knee, then a slight taper. It breaks once over the shoe instead of stacking.

What it goes with

The gloss is the loud element here, even though the colour is not. That is the trap with coated black: people treat it as a neutral because it is black, then pair it with a heavy graphic and end up with two pieces both demanding to be looked at.

Put something plain on top. A clean tee, a solid knit, a quiet cap. The jean is the hero and it does not need help. If you want to add anything, add it in hardware rather than print — the gloss picks up metal tone well.

Who it's for

Someone who wants a black jean that is not just a black jean, and who wants structure rather than softness. If your preference is broken-in and slouchy, this is the wrong pair — a washed non-coated denim will make you happier.

$104.99, straight fit, full size run.

Shop the Jordan Craig Collins "Smooth Criminal" Denim — Jet Black — free US shipping over $150.

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