Noble Denim

On Thursday morning, I set off to Milledgeville, TN where Noble Denim (a small-batch jean company I’ve admired from afar), happily calls home along with a location in Cincinnati.

Tucked away off a windy dirt road lies a large and unassuming building within a charming town consisting of roughly 330 in population. Inside the facility, lines of classic sewing machines, thread, and denim fill out every nook and cranny of this factory that’s been in business for 25 years. I arrived around 12pm, and after a few minutes talking with Chris Sutton (original jean maker and Noble founder), a vintage bell went off in a flurry that instantly reminded me of middle school and that classic ring I grew up abiding to — it was time to gather for a family-style lunch. Needless to say, this little factory and its kind employees already had me smitten within the first few minutes I was there.

What impresses me the most about Noble, is their commitment to crafting beautiful jeans and other small-batch products that are assembled in the US and constructed with American products. The denim comes from North Carolina, their organic cotton is grown in California, and the brass hardware and leather is sourced from Kentucky.

Despite the “fast fashion” times we’ve grown accustomed to, Chris has injected life back into this TN factory that has seen its fair share of flux due to the recession. He’s trumped the fast fashion standard by partnering with a talented crew of sewers who have stayed with the factory through all the ups and downs every step of the way. They’re passionate and skilled at what they do, and aren’t taking any short cuts. From the supplies to the handcrafted care, Noble is determined to keep quality at the forefront, and cheap labor practices aren’t an option.

Relentless curiosity, drive, and sheer creativity may have spearheaded Chris’ independent design journey from that start, but with the help of his skilled and passionate partners that boast the same vision, Sutton’s dream has become a collaborative-reality backed by the truest intentions poised with longevity.