the myth of raw denim?

[chapital]

hey guys,

i've been wearing raw denim for about seven months now, just about to wash my first pair. I also just got a job at a jeans shop in melbourne that doesn't sell any raw denim.

Working there has kinda got me thinking about breaking in raw denim, and whether it really is necessary to have unwashed jeans for them to be broken in effectively. A lot of the jeans we stock are labelled as "designed to fade uniquely" and they're not raw.

I've witnessed normal denim being worn in myself as well. About a year ago I bought a mate of mine some real cheap generic dark indigo jeans because he didn't own any jeans at all. I caught up with him recently and to my surprise his jeans had some very well defined whiskers and an outline from his wallet. There wasn't a huge amount of wear but what was there was really well defined, almost as strong as the whiskers I've got on my dry ralphs I've been wearing for five months straight. And I'm pretty sure he would have washed his jeans at least once a week! (This is similar to an example I've seen brought up here a few times, about an old guy with levis that looked amazing but were probably washed hundreds of times).

So back to the normal, un-raw jeans. I have been wondering if you just bought a normal pair of indigo jeans and treated them the same as raw jeans (i.e. got them real dirty, and didn't wash for ages, and maybe starch them to make them stiff) whether they would wear in similarly to raw jeans. I've read here that breaking in one-wash jeans would be fine, as well as cold-soaking jeans before wearing to shrink. Would any pair of undistressed jeans be one-wash, and hence be fine for wearing in?

Anyways, apologies for the rambling post, just something I've been wondering about recently. Personally, I'm gunna keep just wearing raw jeans 'cause I like 'em, but it could be good to know for someone who wants unique jeans but isn't prepared to pay for jeans like nudies, apcs, etc.

Rock on y'all!

Edited by chapital on Dec 17, 2005 at 02:56 AM

[triniboy27]

I think any fabric that's been dyed, whether it's denim, cotton, etc would fade eventually with washing...which is why pre-distressed jeans, etc do end up fading eventually.

As a result, yes, 'normal denim' can be worn in technically, but obviously, the more indigo you have to work with, the better. 'One-wash' jeans still technically have a lot of indigo left since they've only been washed once to accommodate for shrinkage.

Pre-distressed jeans have gone through a number of washings and distressing methods to get them in that state and as a result, they'll more likely fade with more washings but I'm not sure about whiskering, etc.

That's my $0.02...ppl feel free to jump in and correct me if i'm wrong.

[jdavis]

Not only can single-wash denims be worn to fade beautifully, but as shown by an unfortunate homeless man in my area, so can acid-washed red tab 501s. I realized I was obsessed when I found myself pondering why he had better creases than I did, when I was in possession of denim with both 'superior' cotton and indigo.

[sarno]

that is the best denim post on this site i've ever read.

[andewhall]

One wash just takes the guess work out of sizing

http://photobucket.com/albums/y278/andewhall/

[chapital]

hmmmm.... i dig how one-wash denim will still fade, 'cause it's only been washed once.

but how do you discern a one-wash denim from a multi-wash denim? preminum brands like sugar cane etc will list their denim as one wash.

but how about other "normal" jeans that are just plain indigo but don't say one-wash. for example, would a pair of indigo Lees be one wash? or an indigo pair of non LVC levis???

and about the homeless dude's acidwash jeans, lol. it is a bit of a paradox: we spend so much money on jeans just to try and make 'em look as fucked up as possible. i dunno what's wierder, the fact that we put so much effort into wearing our jeans, or the fact that companies use sandblasting etc to make new jeans look worn.

I get why we do it with raw jeans, to get something unique. But why is everyone so obsessed with having shit look real old??

haha, i probably shouldn't be interogating this subject so much, sometimes I think too much, and they're just jeans after all

Edited by chapital on Dec 20, 2005 at 04:00 PM

[jdavis]

For a non-sanforized denim like the ‘47, washing causes leg twist from the denim shrinking along with the twill line. If you wore a denim like this with the intention to have it fade beautifully without washing, the moment it touched water your beautiful creases would shift to the sides of your legs, and not look so good at all. A one-wash does the job of desizing the jean without too much indigo loss, so the wearing can be left up to you. A multi-wash denim would not only desize, but it would drain the indigo unnecessarily.

My story about the homeless man by my work isn’t over either. I plan on getting him a pair of warm gloves and a hat sometime this week, and maybe even tell him that I like what he’s done with his jeans!

And as for you thinking too much – I wouldn’t worry about it at all, it just means you’re interested, like many of us here are – including myself

Edited by jdavis on Dec 20, 2005 at 06:40 PM

[levistrauss]

i agree that not washing your jeans for 6 months to a year is unnatural. the jeans that most posters here want to emulate (vintage jeans that were worn to death) were washed plenty of times. the thing is, they were just not washed as frequently as people wash their clothing today (wash your jeans when they're dirty -- once a month or so is fine). in a year or two, girls will rip your pants off to get IN your pants (or whatever you want; you get the idea).

personally, i think unwashed denim (for a year or so) is so exteme you end up with something that looks like these 'fake' washes we're seeing today. if you really wanna be different, practice some moderation and wear clean jeans -- they'll look sharp (legitimately worn-in) and the girls (or boys, depending on what you're after) will appreciate the fact that you, and your clothing, smells good. Nobody likes crotch rot.

take that one to the bank, posers.

[chapital]

yeah man, I think you may be onto something there. we all hate some of the fake whiskers and gaudy washes out there because they're imitation, unnatural, but not washing your jeans for six months is also a pretty unnatural circumstance

and most girls I know are not really into the raw denim thing. in fact, my girlfriend things it's pretty disgusting. i'm trying to bring her 'round to the idea tho

[nairb49]

^^a shame, with the tightness they wear their jeans, they could beautiful distressing marks if they wore raw...

i have to admit, i've been guilty of looking at a girl's jeans cause i was impressed by the whiskers and wear before even noticing the girl...

nairb49

[WhoGotMeIntoThis]

I must reply here. Ever since friends starting getting me into this denim trend, I wondered why it was necessary to make these alterations (wearing your jeans and what not till they've been beaten and tattered to acheive a certain "look") and as I sit and watch tv I notice the whiskers and such in my cheap Hollister denim. I've got a pair pf jeans from H&M and two pairs of dark indigo Edwins but must admit that I still like these Hollisters. The whiskers are appealing and so are the small nicks that are in them (these are by no means distroyed denim, they've gotten WAY over the top with paint splatters and what not). These are nice looking and nice fitting (Trestle Vintage Straight leg, I paid roughly $30 for them after my employee discount).

I think to myself "This is a good pair of jeans, this is the sort of look my other jeans will take on if done right". So much effort goes in to making these dry denim jeans appealing that I ask myself. Is it worth it? Surely, one can buy denim, and as long as it fits, can make it THEIRS. They can wear them as passionately as we do and treat them like normal clothing, washing them every few weeks.

Either way, I'll continue following the dry denim trend. I'll do it because I enjoy it, it's fun, and ultimately I think thats why all of us do it. These jeans aren't just jeans...they're "projects". So wonder why we do it all you want. It's still just denim. Button them and go.

Peace, love and Happy Holidays to all.

WhoGotMeIntoThis (that's what I'm really wondering)