Dry Denim Community

Washing denim after the dye process creates a few typical appearances such as “softening” “distressing” “creasing” “whiskering” “fading” etc.. Concurrently, washing denim after the dye process can also prevent some certain negative affects such shrinkage, although not usually to an ideal, as we all can attest I’m certain! While dry denim is definitely going to be more exclusive to you than a pair of pre-distressed jeans, they don’t necessarily get that way over night. So, be prepared to wear them, and wear them hard! Most Dry Denim enthusiasts will not wash their jeans for 6 months or even longer…!

I’VE HEARD OF SELVAGE DENIM… WHAT IS THAT? AND WHY IT IS UNCOMMON?

Selvage is from the term “self-edge” and has more to do with the inside roll or “edge” on a pair of jeans than the actual denim itself. However, you’re certainly most likely to find selvage in a pair of dry denim jeans…although they are mutually exclusive. A selvage edge, or roll, is usually done running along the edge of the denim’s outseam. Yet, it is only selvage when the seaming is done in a certain and very meticulous way.

Have you ever noticed that when some jeans are cuffed up, the seaming looks extremely finishes and clean—like the edge was made look visible? As if the seam could never come undone? Well, if you’ve seen that, then you were probably looking at selvage denim. This is an extremely high quality finish from an old school “shuttle loom”. Unfortunately though, not all of today’s denim is made on a shuttle loom—in fact, most is not. Using a shuttle loom to create denim in today’s world is a very costly (not to mention lengthy) process. And, although the finished result is a tighter and superior quality weave, most companies began to use a different method called the “projectile loom” back in the ‘50’s to save material and labor cost. Consequently, not too many selvage options at your local malls….

Here’s some pictures of Selvage…

Selvage Denim from Paul Smith,

Selvage Denim from Sugarcane

Citizens of Humanity Riley Selvage in Digger

OK, ENOUGH OF THE SELVAGE…I GET IT!  ONTO THE OTHER “S”…WHAT IS SANFORIZING ?????

That one’s pretty easy! Think of sanforizing as a dry denim maker’s way to preshrink your denim material without ever effecting the way it will be colored or faded. Pretty great. Not every pair of dry jeans is sanforized though…that’s where soaking comes into play…

YES…YOU DID MENTION SOAKING IN THE BEGINNING. AM I REALLY SUPPOSED TO SIT IN THE BATH IN MY JEANS?

Yes. And no. This is a pretty controversial method. Not everyone recommends it. And, in fact, some people are vehemently against it! Soaking denim while you are wearing the denim (ie in the tub) is usually recommended by jeans that have not been sanforized (remember—that means they haven’t shrunk yet). By doing this, the denim is going to shrink right to your body and yet, it will not shrink past your body. That’s why people recommend actually wearing them while you’re soaking. Use warm water, as this will allow the fabric fibers to really expand…and then…as they dry, contract, creating that shrink and fit that you’re looking for. The soaking process also helps to break jeans in a little more quickly and fade the denim fast. Please, just don’t forget, if your denim is sanforized, your purchase is true-to-size, and this process is not for you! You’ll definitely want to preserve that cut and might make the jeans too small!

If you’re not like my friend Kate and you’re not into running around in wet denim, your best bet is to fill your pants up with heavy wide items that you don’t mind ruining, like some big ol’ textbooks. Some people recommend inside out-ting your denim, others say no…as you may be gathering at this point, the soaking and washing practices have garnered more than a few opinions…Ahhh…sigh…fashion…

I HAVE MY JEANS PERFECT NOW! BUT THEY STINK! HOW DO I WASH THEM?

The standard dry denim wash recommendation is six months. Washing dry denim too soon won’t ruin your denim, however, it will ruin your faded pattern. It will take your jeans from whiskered and destroyed to a bit more evenly colored. This long-time-no-wash-standard is one of the reasons that dry denim is not for everyone.

Lorna’s note – What does count though is how much you wear these jeans, washing is not too important unless you have a brand like Nudie where the colour will fade extremely fast, you just have to make sure that you wear them as much as possible to ensure you are getting those creases and fades you desire. It is best to wait as long as possible before your first wash though as the starchiness to the denim will go away once it’s washed and then it does make it harder for the creases to set in. I own 2 raw jeans myself, Sling & Stones and Good Society and they are very hard to break in but it’s definitely worth it. I also put together a post where you can see other forum members raw denim after it’s been worn and washed. Click here to view it.

Regardless of when you wash however, the method is pretty much the same: Wash Alone, Wash Cold, Wash Inside Out, Wash Using Gentle Non-Bleach detergents, and Last, but not least, whether washing or soaking, make sure you line dry those puppies!

SO…ARE YOU READY TO DIVE INTO DRY…

SHOP NOW!