Ryan Jacobs . Org

Because I’ve done nothing here recently but talk about threads.

I have one more thing to add to that post a couple weeks back about jeans and washing them. There’s something called raw denim that you should probably know about. APC is probably the most widely recognized brand, though there are plenty of others. Raw denim is expensive, because the fabric itself is carefully made (often by Japanese craftsmen) using really big machines that are hard to find (often vintage). Raw jeans hit the store totally unwashed, and need special care. These jeans really shouldn’t be washed, like for 6 months or so, because the whole point of getting denim of this quality is that they fade based on how you wear them with lots of detail, but only until you wash them. Also, they need to fit very snug when you buy them, because raw denim stretches. However, as soon as you wash them, they will shrink. But remember, you can’t wash them for a long time, so sizing can be a bit of a crapshoot. Also remember though, denim stretches so you don’t need to worry too much.

I’ve seen a lot of San Francisco stores talking up raw denim. But there is an alternative you should know about, and that’s one-wash denim. As you might imagine, it’s been washed once. This eliminates all the sizing issues, but it still retains a lot of indigo, so if you’re willing to not wash them yourself for awhile, you can get a similar effect. Guess where I got my most recent pair of jeans? Gap. One-wash. For about $70.

I want to emphasize that the most recent pair of jeans I bought was from Gap, the same store that hit rock-bottom with “Everybody in Vests.” The denim is good quality, really better than I would have expected at that price point. They’ve already started to fade nicely; they’ll definitely turn your white sneakers blue. What really surprised me was the cut. It’s a new cut for Gap - the “Low Rise Straight Fit.” The rise isn’t really all that low (which I think is a good thing), and the cut is flattering without being noticably trendy. Is this the same Gap that was going bankrupt?

I’m not saying raw jeans are a total waste of money; if you’re into the process, that’s cool and you’ll look good. After all, I pretty much live in my jeans. But I don’t really want the headache of caring for them, so I’m willing to put up with my jeans taking longer to fade for the savings I get. And by the way, if you haven’t been to Gap in awhile, now might be the time.

This is one of those “useful” posts that I throw up here every once in awhile to keep you coming back for more. As you may or may not be aware, I have lots of jeans - so many, in fact, that the rack in my room that was holding them fell over last night and I had to rebuild it, which is my qualification for disseminating the following information.

I have a pair of Crate jeans. Inside is written some of the most brilliant copy I’ve ever seen from a clothing manufacturer, which reads:

Take care of these. You aren’t supposed to wash jeans. If you want to anyway turn these things inside out and wash with luke warm water and your favorite shampoo. If you want to be that pretentious jean guy, only rinse these in the ocean. This works best away from runoffs especially after a rainstorm. Washing jeans is bad. Not as bad however as your girlfriend not making out with you because your jeans smell. Your call.

Wow, there’s a lot of info there so let’s parse it a bit:

• Washing jeans, in general, is bad, because the indigo runs into the water. Indigo good! Washing bad! But, there are some things you can do to mitigate this effect. The two most effective, in my opinion, are also the easiest: turn your jeans inside-out when you wash them, and wash them in cool water. This is how I wash my jeans. If your machine has a gentle spin cycle, use it. Or just don’t spin at all. And be gentle with the dryer - no high heat.
• The first wash of jeans is of particular importance, and basically you have two options: wash them right away (I do mine in hot water if I go this route), or wait as long as you can possibly hold out (until your girlfriend won’t make out with you, as Crate says) and then wash. The obvious advantage to the latter is that this gives you a long time to break in your jeans, giving them beautiful fading that conforms to your body and the unique way you rock your pants. But the former has some advantages as well: for one thing, it washes all the starch off your new jeans, so the denim doesn’t abrade. Also, it shrinks the denim right away, so if you need to get your jeans hemmed (I invariably do), it makes your life a lot easier as you don’t have to worry about them shrinking down the road. This having been said, denim is stretchy, so you generally don’t need to be concerned about your jeans shrinking too much - if worse comes to worse, just step on the butt and pull the legs upward.
• Shampoo is unnecessary. There is such a thing as denim detergent. Dr. Bronner’s is actually great for this purpose. Basically, it’s pH neutral and this is a good thing. Actually, I just use cheer. This is bad, but I don’t wash my jeans all that often so whatever.
• Running in the ocean is really unnecessary. If you want the same effect, you can just add epsom salt to the wash cycle. But I think this is silly, because it sets the indigo and I think some fading is good.

In case you’re wondering what I do with my jeans, I usually do the first wash right away and do a warm wash, then take them to the tailor, and then don’t wash them again for maybe 20 wears. After that, I wash them every 10 wears or so. 80% of teenagers with too much disposable income think I wash my jeans too fast and too often. But like Crate says, it’s your call.