Learning moments in my denim journey
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My biggest learnings are around fit and wear.
- 777 not for me. Where do my thighs go?
- 888 not for me. Where does all this rise go?
(and btw ^those 2 I couldn’t have figured out from charts or even trying on in the store really, bc they do go on my body fine and they don’t necessarily look bad, it’s just a comfort thing, had to live in em for a couple months and compare to life in 633/634 to truly understand) - Even though I like the snaps, westerns don’t fit me as well as work. If I “have” to have it, size up and fold the sleeves back.
- Sizing chart > “well I usually wear X” …and don’t overthink it ….“well they designed this one to fit X bc that’s the style of this piece” no just get the one that fits you best
- To me, the best times in any jeans life is A) newish, when they give you a polished look fit for dates/business, or
very worn, when they give you a 
radlook. Since I bought 5 pair (not counting other brands or ones I’ve sold or non-denim pairs 
) in a 3 year span and rotated, all my pair are in in-between land. Don’t get me wrong I still love them and think they look great. But if I had it to do over I’d buy more strategically and aim to minimize the awkward stage. IH is partially to blame for releasing so much good shit. But as I write this I’m remembering how much less I enjoyed focusing on 1 pair for the indigo invitational vs being able to wear whichever pair strikes my fancy that morning so maybe I’ll just shut up now - Oh wait one more, why do my friends and family not want to buy this stuff and discuss it with me? I’ve tried…
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Good to know it happens to everybody :-).
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@Oaktavia I like em! The marbling would bother me personally though. Not sure why that triggers me in my jeans but it could go back to a learning moment: a pair of raws I washed, tumbled, and pulled to outside-out while still wet and they came away really marbled to the extent that I never wore them again. In this case with the paint I think it works pretty well though.
I was really concerned about this risk upon reversing the inside out after doing my initial soapless wash of my 777 XHS since they are so stiff and narrow but was able to “pull it out.”
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@seawolf one thing that could help with unwanted pocket fades is having a hanky or bandanna. I think lined pockets probably helps too. But I carry a bandanna in my back pocket and sometimes stash my phone behind that, which seems like it could soften any edges that could produce unwanted fades. That’s not why I carey a bandanna but the thought occurs to me.
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@goosehd was this in Arthur at the Toronto School of Parachuting?
My buddy and I did the same back in the late 80’s. The first fella to jump landed and broke his leg. The very next day, sadly, someone died. I believe the chute was packed incorrectly…
There was a half day of “training” and they basically let anyone who had a pulse jump. Looking back it was a stupid thing to do, but when you’re much younger ….
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As far as my denim in journey goes.
I’m very new to the world of selvedge denim and the like. I’d say for me, my mistake (if you can call it that) was to buy too much all at once instead of going a bit more slowly and enjoying each piece for what it is.
I have a bunch, and I mean a bunch of stuff I’ve barely even worn (some still have the tags on). I’m not sure why this is….
I think I need to learn how to find that happy medium between want and need. Inevitably, my right brain tells me I “need” everything lol.
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@pechelman I have a fresh, unworn pair of the same denim ready to fade for high contrast fades this fall. Had I not purchased a new pair, no way would I have done this lol.
@68degreesorless much of the color loss was from relentless and deliberate washing and drying. They looked different every time I pulled them out like a shriveled old banana peel.
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@Brandrea I set myself a denim budget for the whole year, that allows me to purchase only a well-considered selection of items - which can be quite tough since ... IH ... . But I do actually enjoy the part of the hobby that I can only wear a smaller selection of items. Last year I have heavily committed to wearing my 526L-od. It's nice that one can have as much enjoyment out of this hobby on a smaller budget as someone who has greater financial freedom :).
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@RobeOfTheMagi I definitely spent a little more than I could really afford to in my first couple of years frequenting this forum (two year anniversary tomorrow, woo) but now I've established a solid wardrobe, I can take things a little easier, and be more conscientious about the exact pieces I purchase.
I find it most difficult to resist bargains on the secondary market ...
Happy to allow myself one or two full price items a year though!
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@RobeOfTheMagi @Brandrea @T4920 I’m not saying I haven’t over purchased (I most certainly have) but I’ve learned that my initial reaction to a product announcement may change. There are definitely items that I can relegate to “really cool but not for me” and other stealth releases that lurk in the background until they suddenly become “must haves”. I don’t have a budget as such, but I try to ask myself questions like: does this fill a gap in my wardrobe? Do I know how I’ll wear this? What would this be competing with for wear time that I already have? This may mean I pass on some things, but others camp out in my head and haunt my dreams until I buy them
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Learning to trust measurements over tag sizes was something that shouldn’t have taken me as long as it did. Slow learner, eventually beaten into submission….
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Even after I knew this, I would sometimes find I was trying to convince myself I could make something work. Strange.
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@ARNC I’d very much like to adopt this line of thinking going forward.
I have to admit, that when I first discovered this forum, I had a feeling of missing out on certain items when they are launched. I mean, I like the majority of new releases so it’s difficult to narrow it down. Especially when you’re new to this whole thing. Combine that with not having bought new cloths in literally a couple, of decades and it’s a recipe for over consumption lol.
What tends to happen is that I hover over my size and see the stock dwindling before me very eyes and I say fu*% it, and I’d hit the buy button.
I need to adopt a more thoughtful approach because I just end up with 3 of a certain item in different colors, (not that there’s anything wrong with that I guess).
