2009 Edition - Iron Heart & Triple Works edition WAYWT
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What tfar said…and since your coming from 501s...they're going to feel stiff for quite some time...raw, thick denim takes awhile to get used to
And in my experience...Haraki's advice is to machine wash them with no soap when they're new to get some of the shrinking out of the way...I did that and got some really weird fading from the machine so I don't recommend that. Just hot soak a couple times
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Machinewash with some vinaigre!.. No washing detergents though. Gets most of the shrinking out of the way, and it takes less time to dry. Put them on while they're damp though, to stretch a bit. Otherwise you'll have a hard time getting back into them. Might as well give 'm to your sis…
This weather is also perfect for some airing time during the night... Nothing like freezing weather to kill some bacterias (and thus clean your jeans)!..
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Hey Tfar, DougNG and Seul,
Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'll chronicle the progress in pics as I go along. Still can't decide if I should soak with them. Not 10 hours of course. But I'm thinking if I do several soaks in warm/hot water with them on - say 1 hour at a time, several times - and then wear them till they dry each time I may get something I'm looking for - the perfect fit. Am I being absolutely stupid? I can't friggin' wait till they arrive. Happy holidays everyone. Glad I found you all and IH.
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The jeans hold A LOT of water…they're going to be super heavy, and even hanging to dry by my boiler...it takes over 12 hours to dry...
I've done the same thing with almost all my jeans, hot soak for an hour, hang dry by the boiler (outside in the summer) and then wear...usually works out well for me
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Hey Doug, hadn't thought of that! I guess I'll just have to hang them to dry. Thanks.
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But I'm thinking if I do several soaks in warm/hot water with them on - say 1 hour at a time, several times - and then wear them till they dry each time I may get something I'm looking for - the perfect fit. Am I being absolutely stupid?
That is way over the top! DougNg is right on. I do pretty much the same thing give or take a few details depending on location. I don't think that soaking them while wearing them is a bad idea, but 10 times for an hour at a time is overkill. Not to mention, who has that type of time? I know you are just excited and I totally understand, but take the advice from Doug as it will take you where you want to go with the jeans! Also, definitely document the whole process with flicks so we can see.
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Yeah, I want to see you in the tub with your IH!
By the way, you don't need to wear them for one hour in the tub. 30 minutes was easily enough for my 501STF. But seriously, you don't want the 634SR to dry on your body. It would take 12 hours at least! You'd get kidney and urinary tract problems. Forget about it. let them dry while hanging. Get one of those stretchy spring loaded hangers for the waist. Or wear them for an hour while still damp. What I do with jeans that are known to be a little tight in the waist after washing is that I stretch the waist by hand. I apply quite a bit of force and it works. Do not do that while they are buttoned. The button may pop.
Doug, I get some indigo wear off on my desert boots even with the cuff.
Till
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wearing them while damp/ wet is ok but might cause 'knee pyramids'… You can iron your knees or walk over the knees whilst the jeans are damp to lessen the effect
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stretching the waist manually by applying force whilst they're still wet is what I do if I know it's necessary
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why do you guys all swear by hangdrying?.. I only do flatdrying
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machinewashing them at 30-40 C° is best if you want them to dry faster (without exposing them to any heat source like a boiler or whatever, which may cause them to shrink more than you wanted to). Also: after about 2-3 machinewashes (depending on what oz. the jeans are, in this case, I'd go with 3), all the shrinking should be done. Then just wear them for as long as you can
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I always put my jeans on damp after first soak…only because I am like a big kid and can't wait to get 'em on !
Stewart, I'm just a big kid too! I love sitting in the tub with them on and then walking around with them hanging heavy on my hips, knowing they're gonna mold to my body as they dry. I know everybody thinks I'm crazy (and maybe I am), but I'm gonna try it anyway.
Thanks, everybody. I promise to do flicks of the whole process. I would love to come up with a "How To" guide that incorporated all the excellent advice already dished up here. Augment it with pix of the process from start to…, well not "finish" as I plan on having these puppies for EVER! But I think a guide/diary would be way cool.
So neat to know there are other guys out there with the same over the top passion that I have for the jeans.
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I hang dry because it's faster. I tried flat drying and it took longer than I cared for. More surface area means faster drying
I hang by the boiler or whatever heat source I can find to dry them because I want ALL the shrinking out of the way. I don't like to deal with guesswork later
Last thing I need is to get caught in a summer rain six months after I get my jeans and the things skew and shrink in some sort of weird way.
If you think that doesn't happen, take a look at a pair of 634SR after the first couple of initial washes and then after a few months of wear. The left leg twists more and more and the roping on the hems are more defined
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So I got my 634SR today (thanks again Giles) and let me tell you that there are no words to describe the feeling I got when I first tried putting it on. It is like putting on an armor ready for some serious action. The denim is out of control heavy and the selvedge lining is beefy. It took me about 3 hours for the whole process (pre-soak fit…. quick 35minutes soak, 20 minutes in tumble dry low...then some post-soak fits/measurements while still damp). Even had a visit from the Invisible Denim man...
Pre:
Post:
…and the Invisible Denim Man:
I never thought that I would see a denim stand on its own!
