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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Soaking and Stretching Denim

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    • SimonS
      Simon
      Joined:

      Personally I pre soak everything before wearing the first time. It may not be necessary but at least removes most of the starch and other chemicals used in production.

      I had a nasty experience with some LVC's a few years back when at the start of the raw denim learning curve. Put a year in to them before washing, you can guess the rest; great fades but no chance of ever fitting me again!

      Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities - Frank Lloyd Wright

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      • deadendproD
        deadendpro
        啓蒙家
        Joined:

        The kiya way works best for me:

        Anything more than 45 mins won't do anything to the denim.

        Soak hot or cold, either way the shrinkage will occur (though it will happen a lot faster with warmer water)

        Air dry or dry in the sun.

        –---------------------------

        Maybe it is just me but I find soaking to be the most difficult thing in regards to denim. Not that I don't know how to do it, but because the only thing left to do is wash or wear. Soaking is the only even remotely "complicated" process. Still totally fuckin easy, but it can be intimidating to those who haven't done it very much if at all before.

        Currently Wearing:
        SExSx3s 27-01
        15.4oz 3sixteen Type 3
        25oz Samurai Type 1

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        • GilesG
          Giles
          IHUK Crew
          Joined:

          My method.  Measure.  Chuck in sink of hot water.  Leave in there until I remember that they're there.  Dry (for max shrinkage in the hottest place I can find, for min shrinkage coolest place I can find). Re-measure…G

          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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          • L
            LandoCal126 0
            Banned
            Joined:

            Just soaked my new TW HR01 the G way in the Denim Dungeon Shrink Sink. Just like G said, I left them in the sink until I remembered and then they hung outside. Measured before and after. The less you worry, the better they will turn out…

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            • T
              that_was_easy
              Joined:

              Sometimes I hate having an off-white tub.  Makes the water brownish instead of that lovely pale blue.

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • GilesG
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                Possibly, but you get a load of starch out on the first soak, that certainly contributes to the browniness of the water….

                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                • T
                  that_was_easy
                  Joined:

                  Most definitely the brown is startch and when I've soaked other pairs w/ month's of wear, there's only a faint hint of green amidst dirty brown.  The water itself is probably similar in color to Lando's flick, but with the yellowish tub, shit just looks filthy. shrugs  Maybe I'm the filthy one.  😃

                  My KMW 1980HD released crazy starch into the fifth warm soak before wearing, but I used the (white)laundry sink for those, where I do most initial soaks because starch is more noticable.  I'm partial to more colorfast denim, but starting to think about maybe picking something up that'll bleed a ton w/ or w/o abuse.  Samurai or Skull, probably, like I need another pair.  ::) 😃

                  That's about the extent of my (underdeveloped??)process though.  Temperature of the water and choice of sinks/tubs and that's about it.  No initial soak for the S-B though.

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • J Cosmo AspJ
                    J Cosmo Asp
                    Joined:

                    I just let them soak in a rain shower, hung over a patio chair–sometimes for a day of two if it's really rainy.  I leave them indigo-side out and then dry on a wooden rack.  With all of mine made with a 42" inseam, I never worry about measuring after I start--anything from 40-42 inches makes me happy and don't require rolling up out of the way. Never had the luxury of 42s until the Original Spin 501s were available starting in the late 90s, so I'm neutral about the habit rolling them up to see the selvedge--it's just not a part of my experience.

                    Ni!

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                    • STANS
                      STAN
                      Joined:

                      Don't soak with too hot water overnight, mine end up like this.

                      EVERYDAY DENIM

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                      • T
                        that_was_easy
                        Joined:

                        That patch has warped like crazy!  I guess I to will admit to soaking my 9634Z until the patch became deformed, but no where near that!  Who knows, maybe Giles uses extra patches to even out legs of the coffee table…

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                        • BeatleB
                          Beatle
                          Joined:

                          scorched patch

                          We can do anything

                          http://bybeatle.com

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                          • S
                            stever
                            Joined:

                            thanks for all the replues everyone! next time i invest in some denim i might give it a quick soak…. i just didn;t know if i was missing out on something major!

                            cheers

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                            • maltessM
                              maltess
                              Joined:

                              Hello to everyone

                              Does the IH634s actually shirnks a little? do you guys think is going to stretch almost 2 inhes like some menbers said?

                              I am fine with a 32 waist, 10.5 rise and 11.5 tight, all that after the stretching , so I guess my size is 31, but if the stretching is going to be 2 inches in the waist, maybe I should get a 30.

                              Thanks a lot and best regards

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                              • BeatleB
                                Beatle
                                Joined:

                                it doesn't shrink a lot.

                                And it only stretches 2 inches if it has to - in other words - if your jeans are not super tight to begin with, they will only stretch the average amount. Judging by thigh measurements I would say go for the 31.

                                We can do anything

                                http://bybeatle.com

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                                • SimonS
                                  Simon
                                  Joined:

                                  My 634S 34 tagged have stretched out from their original 870mm to 910mm. They are just perfect now  😃 . The sizing chat is accurate but in most cases I think they will stretch out a little, if your a true 32 then the 31's should end up perfect.

                                  Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities - Frank Lloyd Wright

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                                  • SeulS
                                    Seul
                                    Joined:

                                    True 32 - been wearing my size 31 634s'es… Stretching out SLOWLY...

                                    DON'T go with a size 30 - trust me...

                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • maltessM
                                      maltess
                                      Joined:

                                      @Beatle:

                                      it doesn't shrink a lot.

                                      And it only stretches 2 inches if it has to - in other words - if your jeans are not super tight to begin with, they will only stretch the average amount. Judging by thigh measurements I would say go for the 31.

                                      Thanks a lot, do you mean is going to stretch more than two inches?

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • GilesG
                                        Giles
                                        IHUK Crew
                                        Joined:

                                        No, what Beatle means is that under normal conditions, you will get one inch of stretch.  If you start off with them super tight, you can actually force them to stretch two inches of stretch.

                                        Go with a 31.

                                        G

                                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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                                        • T
                                          thpcgr
                                          Joined:

                                          Another noob question.
                                          I currently wear APC Rescues in a size 31 and am looking at getting the correct sizing for IH-634SR.  Here are the current measurement for my APC and 634SR measurements I got off the website.

                                          APC 31" IH-634SR
                                          Inches 31 32
                                          Waist 33 32.6
                                          Inseam 31 37
                                          Front Rise 11 10.3
                                          Rear Rise 14.5 15.1
                                          Knee 9 9.5
                                          Cuff 8.5 9
                                          Thigh 12.5 13.1

                                          Would the 634SR in a size 32" shrink then stretch enough in the waist?  And what length should I hem them too?  Wishing the front rise was a little longer, any fits in a 21oz. that is close to the APC?  Thanks!

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                                          • GilesG
                                            Giles
                                            IHUK Crew
                                            Joined:

                                            32 is fine.  add 2 - 2.5" on for hemming…G

                                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

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