Question on washing and breaking in?

[JFLOYD]

I love this thread. I mean..... Im a noob to this site but not to the denim world...... and some of the things I am reading are funny. COMMON SENSE but at the same time I understand that people are here to learn. Just like me. To just learn more and more

[salaami]

with time the denim will mold to your body (depending on fit) somewhat anyway,. wet thick denim in the winter is a no-go:eek: i tried that shit when i initially soaked my sams. i didn't let them dry completely, and i rocked them outside in brooklyn in february:o. no cool, but cold.

[coleslawyum]

I used to just soak my jeans and then wear them. But then I realised that the soak never takes off all of the starch. So now I just put new jeans into the washer on a gentle cycle and cold water. Then I put them in the dryer to get all the shrinking out. Sometimes I re-soak them to make them more rigid.

Starchy jeans on the legs just feel terrible and sucks for the cotton fibers. So now I just follow these 2 basic rules.

- Wash them to get all the starch and shrinkage out.

- Wear the shit out of them. The end.

[gonegonegone]

well i just let dry them over night and then wore them. they didn't shrink a lot even though i hot soaked them (in VERY hot water) for like 1,5 hours. but i'm glad most of the starch is gone now.

[martin.s]

im washing my apcs for the first time and i wanna know if i should wash them hot or cold in the washer?

what is the difference?

[LoganL]

yeah, im in a similar situation. Its time for my 1st wash for my APCs after nearly 8months of wear. I've cold soaked one, and hot soaked once so far only. How shall i wash it? Im thinking about just throwing it in the washer, using normal detergent for clothes and maybe softener. What shall i do?

[Opie]

With water

[toruokada]

nm 10 chars

[orangetang]

everyone wants to get 'authentic wear'....

Pretty sure coal miners / farm workers in the 1900s would have just washed them as with whatever detergent was to hand?

Well, they also put a lot more wear into them before washing. Thus, more contrast.

Not that coal miners/farm workers probably cared all that much about fading back in the 1900s.

[cool_hand]

Some guy on Mr Porter is saying wait 6 months before washing your jeans myth:

 

http://www.mrporter.com/journal/the-tutorial/how-to-look-after-your-jeans/250?cm_sp=homepage-_-jeansv2-_-12-03-1

[Cucoo]

I think the greatest myth in that video is that any jeans go with dress shoes ^^

[Broark]

Ugh, that video was cringe inducing.

I'm going to go wash my jeans in the washing machine now.

[UkeNo]

Apparently Washing "Breaks Down the Fibres..."

 

And there was me thinking that washing or soaking my jeans actually helped strengthen the fabric and prolong the life of my jeans.

Man I have a lot to learn! 

 

Thanks for rescuing me A Continuous Lean!

Edited March 14, 2015 by UkeNo

[mpukas]

So glad I watched that video. Now I know how to keep the zipper on the fly up using that ingenious key-ring-around-the-waist-button trick. 

 

So much great information that dispels many myths about caring for raw denim. Thanks Mr. A Continuous Lean! 

[cool_hand]

The good people of Mr. Porter came to me a while back and asked if I had any thoughts on the best way to take care of one’s jeans. And as it turns out, I have indeed done some thinking the subject over the years. So we spent some time together coming up with a simple and authoritative video guide that lays out exactly how to ensure your denim always looks its best.

 

In the early days of ACL (way back in 2008) I wrote a little something to clarify my thoughts on how to best go about washing your jeans. Lately it seems to me that a lot of people have really gone crazy trying to over complicate the process of taking care of your denim. I’ve never been a believer in washing my clothes in the ocean, or doing my laundry in my freezer. I’d rather just find a simple way to make my jeans look nice, smell good and age as perfectly as possible without taking up too much time or energy. Because anyone who likes denim can tell you that there’s something really amazing about taking a pair of raw denim, having it mold to your body and creating something which is completely one of a kind. That’s what makes denim maintenance so impactful. Though it’s not so important you need to rolling around the surf in your special new 14oz White Oaks.

 

A Continuous Lean serves as a discovery agent for those with an appreciation of quality, style and provenance. Founded in 2007, ACL is the product of Michael Williams, a native son of Cleveland, Ohio. Currently, Michael lives in New York City and works on the factory floor at Paul + Williams.

[Coolguyzack]

Breaks down the fibers lol you know because raw denim is made from toilet paper