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Just got my 1st pair of raw denim jeans and I have a question...

post #1 of 28
3/10/09 at 3:20am
Thread Starter 
Hey everyone, I've spent the last hour reading all about the raw denim thing.

So here's the thing. I just bought a pair of Naked & Famous weirdguy jeans and so far I love them so much I want to go get another pair. But I honestly don't think I can go 2 weeks of wearing them every day for 14 hours a day, let alone the recommended 6 months, without washing them!

I totally respect that some people do this, but I know it's not for me. So, what should I expect when I carefully wash my new jeans in cold water with mild detergent every 2 weeks and let them hang dry? Will the indigo dye wash off and end up looking like bad 1980s bleached-out jeans? Will the fit change radically? What is the big downside to washing raw denim on a regular basis?

Cheers
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post #2 of 28
3/10/09 at 5:02am
If they smell, hang them somewhere breezy and the wind can take out most of the smell. Of course, if it's unbearable, just wash them. They're only jeans afterall.

You can try soaking them in your bathtub and hang them dry.
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post #3 of 28
3/10/09 at 12:26pm
Soaking doesn't do anything to clean the jeans, so if you want to wash them, then wash them.

Washing your jeans regularly will rinse the indigo out. It doesn't matter if your jeans are 300 dollars or 10 dollars. Of course certain jeans hold their dye better than others, and there are those who do wash their jeans regularly. TBH, I don't know too much about N&F, and I haven't seen any progress/ washed pictures of them, however they are regarded as solid jeans so I can't see them being utterly destroyed by simply touching water.

Besides the obvious: your jeans getting lighter, there are no downsides to washing your jeans, if anything it is better for the material as the grime, sweat, piss and such gets washed out. (:P).

If you plan on getting another, why not experiment . IMHO washing every two weeks is excessive. Keep yourself clean, keep your jeans clean and you can avoid the frequent washes.
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post #4 of 28
3/10/09 at 4:14pm
Thread Starter 
Hey, thanks for the advice. Sounds reasonable. I may get another pair, but before I do I want to try on a pair of APC New Cure. They look like they have a similar fit to the weirdguy.

Cheers
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post #5 of 28
3/10/09 at 4:28pm
Keep us posted on the N&F, I am also interested on how they work out. I was going to get a pair of them.
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post #6 of 28
3/10/09 at 5:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by anthony View Post
Soaking doesn't do anything to clean the jeans, so if you want to wash them, then wash them.
Huh. The water usually turns yellow with some tiny weird bubbles floating when I soak. Can anyone tell me what it is? lol.
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post #7 of 28
3/10/09 at 5:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by avanti View Post
Huh. The water usually turns yellow with some tiny weird bubbles floating when I soak. Can anyone tell me what it is? lol.
Maybe dehydrated pee?
Just kidding!
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post #8 of 28
3/10/09 at 5:30pm
^LuLz

I was thinking the same thing!
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post #9 of 28
3/10/09 at 5:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by avanti View Post
Huh. The water usually turns yellow with some tiny weird bubbles floating when I soak. Can anyone tell me what it is? lol.
It does clean it, albeit not as well as washing it would do. the color that comes out is all shit that has built up / indigo bleeding out.
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post #10 of 28
3/10/09 at 8:09pm
You dont need to avoid washing for 6 months. Totally unnecessary. Wash them when they're dirty, just don't go nuts. I usually wash my raw denim every 3-8 weeks depending on how dirty they get
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post #11 of 28
3/10/09 at 9:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by avanti View Post
Huh. The water usually turns yellow with some tiny weird bubbles floating when I soak. Can anyone tell me what it is? lol.
If it's the first wash then it's probably all the excess starch; otherwise I don't know - maybe they're just really dirty. Of course some stuff comes off from soaking though, it's just like soaking dishes in a sink - it cleans it a little, but if you want your dishes to be clean you have to do more than soaking. Same thing with washing your jeans, although you probably care a lot less about the cleanliness of your jeans than that of your dishes. Soaking them shouldn't make them lose much of their indigo though, so they shouldn't fade too fast - although every other week is quite often.
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post #12 of 28
3/10/09 at 9:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by avanti View Post
Huh. The water usually turns yellow with some tiny weird bubbles floating when I soak. Can anyone tell me what it is? lol.
OK I am a chemist now, but I used to work in merchandising/design. I wondered the same thing. I have actual textile books, but I looked around online and found this article that talks about indigo properties.

Exciting! I know!
Read #2 if you dare....Resil Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.
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post #13 of 28
3/10/09 at 9:53pm
^Bee,

You Lost Me At Hello...
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post #14 of 28
3/11/09 at 8:31pm
Quote:
Huh. The water usually turns yellow with some tiny weird bubbles floating when I soak. Can anyone tell me what it is? lol.
Say you had lunch at your favorite food place, let us pretend it was a pasta dish, and let us again pretend that you were not given utensils. So you proceeded to eat with your hands covering your fingers, finger nails, and all the crevices you never knew about on your fingers, arms, and forearms, hell there might be some garnish stick between your elbows. Now, oh fucking fuck you have to go to the washroom. You head to the door bumbling like a fatty chasing after a damn good cake through a sea of small children. Finally you get to the washroom and somehow manage to unbutton your size 36 wearing size 26 jeans and spin around to plant your butt cheek on the seat. Nearing the point of no return you bowels release and oh gawd a rush of shit and piss flows free (like a zombie horde). But shizz all of a second you remember that you left your N(n) solid gold butt plug in... (sorry I mean zero offence but I cant think of another reason to reach inside a torrential pour of waste).

A little water will take that all off right?
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post #15 of 28
3/11/09 at 8:34pm
What I meant to say was: washing will get some of the accumulated dirt and stuffs off your jeans, but it hardly matters. If you feel that your jeans are dirty, give them a wash, no harm done. It just makes no sense to soak and dry your jeans only to have them as dirty as they were prior to the soak.
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post #16 of 28
3/11/09 at 8:54pm
^ Oh for sure. I'm not disagreeing or anything.
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post #17 of 28
3/17/09 at 9:11am
I've been selling raw and dry jeans for nearly 12 years now and the biggest reason most of the denim companies reccomend you don't wash them for 6 months is so that the indigo sets properly. Most guys/gals buying raw/dry denim want them to look the same as the day they bought them, so hence the recommendation, the less you eash the less they fade.

As long as you wash them in cold with a mild detergent and hang dry them, they'll be just fine.They will probably fade faster than if you let them set for 6 months. We sell N&F denim and i personally have a pair and i can tell you the fade is pretty good, and so far they're holding up well!

Enjoy!
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post #18 of 28
3/23/09 at 6:26pm
Thread Starter 
So here's a pic of the naked and famous weirdguy indigo after 10 days of wear. They've stretched out a lot. This pic makes me realize I need to wear a belt now; or I need to shrink 'em. When I sit down, there's about 3" of spare room in the back.








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post #19 of 28
3/23/09 at 6:31pm
Thread Starter 
Hmm. I click on the insert photo icon and link to a flicker url and nothing happens...
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post #20 of 28
3/23/09 at 6:34pm
Thread Starter 
OK, well I'm being lame or the forum software is...anyway here's the link
nf 10 days wear fit.jpg on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
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post #21 of 28
3/23/09 at 6:36pm
The fit looks really really really off. There is no sense in shrinking them because in a wear they will again stretch out to their maximum. If sizing is an issue, it might be best to sell and buy a size down.
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post #22 of 28
3/23/09 at 6:38pm
or two.
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post #23 of 28
3/23/09 at 7:15pm
Thread Starter 
Hmm. yeah, I fear you may be right.
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post #24 of 28
3/23/09 at 8:01pm
Its a shitty and annoying process getting stuff to fit right, especially with not as main stream labels because of the lack of information, but its completely worth it when you do find the pair. If you aren't entirely happy with it right now, flip them, you will be better off in the long run .
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post #25 of 28
3/23/09 at 9:21pm
Thread Starter 
So you think if I put them in the dryer on hot they'll just end up stretching out too big?
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