Raw Indigo Ltd Men's Jeans

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We want to get out in front of this by washing away a few of the misconceptions surrounding washing or not washing raw denim: 1) Most raw denim isn’t truly ‘raw’ McDonald suggests holding off washing raw denim, ideally, for a couple of months. “At the end of the day, part of denim’s magic is its versatility, durability, and its ability to withstand whatever you throw at them,” she says. “Jeans should fit effortlessly into your life and be an item of clothing that you reach for again and again. By finding these pieces that last for years, one [can] build a truly unique and long-lasting wardrobe.” The Indigo Invitational started as a small group of enthusiasts who wanted an excuse to buy a new pair of denim and to see how far they could push themselves and each other. In the video above—which is part of the Denim Encyclopedia—Thomas shows you how to hand wash your raw denim jeans.

There’s a significant advantage to raw denim jeans apart from the structured fit and individual character that develops over time. “One of the most exciting benefits of raw denim is that its carbon footprint is much less than that of a washed pair,” McDonald says. “Because there’s only the cut and sew portion of the process, you take out much of the resource utilizing aspects of denim production.” What precautions should someone take with raw denim? The break-in period should be a bit of a struggle, but it shouldn’t be torture. If you can’t button your jeans, or if they’re extremely uncomfortable to wear, it is highly unlikely that they’ll stretch enough to become comfortable. Care for your jeans could, in other words, become a full-time job. Even repairs are an issue. Denim should be repaired only with a patch of the same kind (dry with dry, pre-washed with pre-washed), so as to avoid a crinkling effect when you next wash them. As for darning: you should – and, naturally, you already knew this – use a cross-weaving of not one but two shades of blue thread that together match as closely as possible the blue of your denims.At the same time, never washing your jeans can actually weaken the denim. “All of the sweat, oils and dirt that build up on one’s jeans effectively act as sandpaper, wearing down the cotton,” explains Giusti. “We recommend washing one’s jeans as little as you need to, but if they smell bad, you probably need to give them a wash.” However, if you want those coveted high-contrast fades, you should wear them for a minimum of six months before they go anywhere near a wash. This will allow time for creases to form and dye to fade, meaning that when you do finally clean them, they’ll have lost colour in all the right places. This article and its companion piece cover some of the more common questions that denim experts encounter, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Please note that we advise that ALL returned goods should be sent by recorded delivery and the relevant insurance cover undertaken to cover yourselves against non-delivery by your chosen courier. You can go to town on your denim with a scouring pad, sandpaper, or chemical agents. The result might be a pair that looks the part, but you’ve missed the point in a big way.

But there is the matter of hygiene to consider. Again, there are sprays available to kill the bacteria. Others suggest hanging your jeans out on the line for a few days in bright sunlight – sunshine being the best disinfectant, as the saying goes, as well as helping to age your jeans faster, if that’s what you want. Others still recommend wearing them for a dip in the sea, the salts having a similar effect. But these methods are only really of use during the warmer months, and they’re all only putting off the inevitable. How To Wash Your Raw Denim Jeans When it comes to the rise, you want the jeans to fit snuggly on your body, rather than hanging loosely off your hips. Parisian style is hardly known for its ruggedness or machismo – two qualities so often attributed to raw jeans – which is why it comes as quite a surprise that French label A.P.C. actually makes some of the best entry-level raw denim around. Pre-soaking and regular washing are now standard practice (and we advocate both), but this will, we know, produce howls of outrage from the minority. Unless your jeans are Sanforised – a process developed in 1930 by one Sanford Cluett, which reduces jeans shrinkage to almost negligible levels – dry denim will shrink by up to two inches in the waist and three in the leg once washed. Hence the shop staff’s advice to buy big. Shrinkage will continue in unsanforised denim for the first few washes too.Aside from the leg style of the jeans, raw denim will come in different rises as well. If you want the jeans to sit lower on your hips, you may spring for a pair of low rise raw denim jeans. Alternatively, if you’d prefer a more retro look and feel, opt for a pair of more high waisted jeans. So why are you paying several times the price for something that has required less work? The answer is you’re not. Raw denim jeans are often made in small batches, by experienced hands, in high-cost labour countries like Japan and America. On top of that, they’re built to withstand a battering, using premium materials that far surpass the quality of their mass-market equivalents.