One the subject of wearing and thus fading jeans I would like to put in my tuppence worth.
There are many rules and equally many misconceptions to wearing - and washing - your raw denim the right way. Just thinking about doing something the right way, rubs me the wrong way. By that I mean, that no one should tell you, how you wear your jeans.
If you feel uncomfortable wearing your for six months straight without washing them, then that is not the right thing for you. If you on the other hand enjoy doing so, and every now and then go a couple of years without washing your jeans, then I salute you too.
I know this may sound a bit incoherent, and it is. I know. But while I was doing what little research I have done for "One Month of Denim", I came across a lot of people, who were telling other people, how they were supposed to wear their jeans. That is just wrong to me. So now I'm telling you how to wear your jeans: The way that suits you. Be that washing your jeans 7 times a week, then that is your way, and your jeans will fade according to your lifestyle.
That brings me to, why I find jeans so damn incredible. They become a screening of your way of living. They become a reflection of your daily life. They become second skin.
Besides these hollistic bogus statements I just came up with, I would like to address some things or rather make some suggestions to wearing raw denim. As always in no particular order.
1. Always wash your denim inside out in order to avoid weird vertical white lines
2. If you are wearing shrink-to-fit denim, then wash/soak your jeans once or twice before wearing them
3. If you are wearing sanforized denim you may also want to soak your jeans before wearing them in order to remove some starch
4. In the summer it is fun to wash your jeans in the ocean and letting them dry in the sand and sun - experiment with your jeans
5. Mineworkers and cowboys didn't wait six months before they washed their jeans. They washed them, when they could or when they needed washing
6. Wearing your jeans daily for at least 6 months before washing, will give you high contrast fades, that Superfuture members will give you plus rep for
7. Wearing you jeans daily and washing them regularly will give you more vintage-like fades
8. If you don't remove the starch from the rigid fabric by rinsing, washing or soaking, your jeans will be more prone to crotch blows, due to abrasion of the rigid cotton fibres
9. Do what you feel like, they are your jeans
10. Do what feels right. If not they won't be your jeans.
Sorry no pics in this days post.
I know this may sound a bit incoherent, and it is. I know. But while I was doing what little research I have done for "One Month of Denim", I came across a lot of people, who were telling other people, how they were supposed to wear their jeans. That is just wrong to me. So now I'm telling you how to wear your jeans: The way that suits you. Be that washing your jeans 7 times a week, then that is your way, and your jeans will fade according to your lifestyle.
That brings me to, why I find jeans so damn incredible. They become a screening of your way of living. They become a reflection of your daily life. They become second skin.
Besides these hollistic bogus statements I just came up with, I would like to address some things or rather make some suggestions to wearing raw denim. As always in no particular order.
1. Always wash your denim inside out in order to avoid weird vertical white lines
2. If you are wearing shrink-to-fit denim, then wash/soak your jeans once or twice before wearing them
3. If you are wearing sanforized denim you may also want to soak your jeans before wearing them in order to remove some starch
4. In the summer it is fun to wash your jeans in the ocean and letting them dry in the sand and sun - experiment with your jeans
5. Mineworkers and cowboys didn't wait six months before they washed their jeans. They washed them, when they could or when they needed washing
6. Wearing your jeans daily for at least 6 months before washing, will give you high contrast fades, that Superfuture members will give you plus rep for
7. Wearing you jeans daily and washing them regularly will give you more vintage-like fades
8. If you don't remove the starch from the rigid fabric by rinsing, washing or soaking, your jeans will be more prone to crotch blows, due to abrasion of the rigid cotton fibres
9. Do what you feel like, they are your jeans
10. Do what feels right. If not they won't be your jeans.
Sorry no pics in this days post.
Hi, I just wanted to comment and say that I enjoy these posts. They are very entertaining and informative, I have learned a lot about denim and now have a desire to buy raw denim and see how long I can wear them before I have to wash them, and I have a feeling they will be my new favorite pair to wear. Thank you and keep up the goodwork
ReplyDelete-Jacob
Hi Jacob, I can't tell you how pleased I am about this comment. I hope that I have turned another guy onto raw denim, that would really make my day.
ReplyDeleteYou'll never look back once you go indigo blue.
Remember you mostly get a little more, once you invest your money in a good pair of jeans. So maybe look a bit further than the New Standard from APC for instance. If you want any help finding the right pair of jeans for you, let me know, what your thoughts are, and I'll gladly do my best to help!
Have a great day
//Simon
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI am just wondering if your first rule ("1. Always wash your denim inside out in order to avoid weird vertical white lines") apply for hand-washing of the denim, or does it only apply to machine wash?
Love your blog.
Felix
Hi Felix, thank you very much. I'm glad you like it.
ReplyDeleteThat rule applies to both hand washing and machine washing, I would say. But mostly machine washing of course, as it is more uncontrolable, but I would also recommend it to hand washing. Just to be on the safe side at least.