Soaking
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It should be done before you wear them.
The main reasons is to minimize thread stress and embedding the threads into the fabric what will result in a longer lasting. And to get rid of starch that might been left in the fabric from the production.
Also you get shrinkage out of the fabric what comes in factor if you need to hem your jeans.
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Doesn't need to be a mystery! Unsanforised denim needs to be soaked before wearing as it has had little to no post production stabilising techniques done on it. The soak will help the constructional stitching bed in and become stronger. Depending on water temperature and the amount of agitation, you will also cause the denim to shrink to it's intended dimensions.
If your denim is sanforised you simply don't need to soak it as the sanforisation process has removed most/all the shrinkage and the denim and construction is relatively stable. That being said, some soak sanforised anyway, just in case. In my experience it has no meaningful benefits.
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Over to you now @neph93
That was one of them:D
Here's the IH specific advice:
http://www.ironheart.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2215.0This doesn't suck either:
https://www.ropedye.com/2014/11/shrinking-jeans-unsanforized-denim/3/Generally, Rope Dye (used to be denimhunters) isn't a terrible place for info although quality varies somewhat.
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I just soak them cause i like the blue ring in the bathtub and it pisses my wife off.
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I just soak them cause i like the blue ring in the bathtub and it pisses my wife off.
Legend [emoji23]
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@W1N:
Thanks!
This helps makes sense.
How to read measurements on denim what will shrink to measurements? Are they actually bigger when you buy them and with soaking they will shrink to to the size indicated?
Published measurements are as they come. Finished measurements are something of a crapshoot as it depends on a shitload of variables. Reputable retailers will be able to offer good advice (none better than IHUK) but temperature, type of machine, amount of agitation or spin will all play a role. As I understand one end of a roll of denim might behave differently to the other end. Go figure.
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Soaking a few of my newer Iron Heart items. You can see my grandmother's heirloom hatchet handle stir stick for laundry in the photo. It's older than my mom. But we don't know how old it really is. This is great because you can agitate your clothes in scalding hot water and not burn your hands.
Did you know that you can shrink stuff more by soaking, letting dry and soaking again? This is the 3rd soak/dry/soak for the double ducks.
