Huge Beginners Guide to Men's Style

Chaos

Chaos

Pelican
Gold Member
Maybe not right thread, but I didn't want to start a new thread.

How are you guys dealing with washing new jeans?

I bought a bunch last week, I wore one pair the other day together with a new pair of light brown boots.

Guess what. Now the upper part of my shoes are dark blue.
Is it possible to get rid of that colour or are my shoes destroyed?
I'm pissed because those shoes were not cheap.

Do you wash your new jeans? Or how can you prevent jeans from colouring off themselves on other clothes or shoes?

Solutions?
 
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Dalaran1991

Ostrich
My friends are denim addicts, but one of them is pretty damn stylish and knows his shit. Heres what he told me to do and works wonders:

When you buy nex jeans, dont wear them yet. Soak them in warm water overnight. The soaking will take off most of the coloring.

Wear them without drying them for half a day until they dry naturally. Obviously need a day off. Once dry it will conform to the shape of your body.

I always wonder how he got very form fitting jeans. The trick is to buy jeans just a bit tight for you, and do the above. They stretch.

Washing new jeans in the washer is a disaster.
 
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Deluge

Hummingbird
Gold Member
The first thing you should do with a new pair of jeans is to wash them inside out with cold water. Make sure to wash it alone so any dye released doesn't stain other clothes. Add a cup of white household vinegar to your cold water rinse too, it reduces bleeding. Don't do what Dalaran1991's friends recommend about soaking them in warm water unless you want your jeans to shrink.

Never put your jeans in the washing machine. Instead, throw them in your freezer overnight from time to time and air them out in the sun afterwards. Spot clean any marks as needed. If you must wash them traditionally, do so sparingly.
 
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HungWeiLo

Robin
What deluge said, but even truer for raw (selvedge or not, but usually selvedge) jeans that you don't want to prematurely fade. By wearing them without washing them for a good period of time, they'll form to you better and start whiskering and fading where you bend and have pressure. Making them truly your jeans.
 
Chaos

Chaos

Pelican
Gold Member
Thanks Deluge.
I'll wash them in cold water tomorrow.

Still one question,as we are solving problems.

My leather boots has now the colour from my blue jeans.
Any solutions for this? Or are my boots fucked forever?
 
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Deluge

Hummingbird
Gold Member
LemonDrink said:
RexImperator said:
I'm a bit confused by this. I just bought some Levi's. Should I soak them in cold water and vinegar before wearing them (wet)?
Click to expand...

Yes it is a shame you can't pay someone to do it like say a Taylor.
Click to expand...

:troll:

@Rex, I never had a problem with bleeding with my pair of Levi's I bought a while back before I knew about proper jean care. HungWeiLo is right this matters more for raw/selvedge denim. Wash them inside out and cold water if you wish. Vinegar won't be necessary at all if there's no bleeding. Don't wear them wet though haha, just let them air dry.

Chaos said:
Thanks Deluge.
I'll wash them in cold water tomorrow.

Still one question,as we are solving problems.

My leather boots has now the colour from my blue jeans.
Any solutions for this? Or are my boots fucked forever?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure. I'm assuming you've tried to scrub the dye out and that hasn't worked... Try taking them to a shoe expert and see what they think. You're lucky your boots are leather and not suede is all I can say.
 
K

Kieran

Pelican
Gold Member
If the jeans are unsanforized, then you should soak them pre-wear to get the desired fit (usually people buy a size up in unsanforized denim to allow for the shrinkage which could be 1-2 sizes). Sanforized denim on the other hand doesn't really shrink (maybe 1%), as it has been put through the sanforization process to stop it from shrinking. If the jeans are sanforized, which Levis most likely are unless they are called shrink to fit, then there is no need to soak them pre-wear, other than if you want to remove some dye because you're concerned about the indigo getting onto your shoes.

http://www.rawrdenim.com/2014/04/unsanforized-denim-worth/
 
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Deluge

Hummingbird
Gold Member
michelin said:
Great post. Only remark: the burgundy pants the guy wears on the last picture (1st post) is way too short.
Click to expand...

Once again the pics are not as an endorsement of a particular look, but what the item itself looks like, in this case the colour.
 
Teddykgb

Teddykgb

Pelican
Gold Member
I know it is quite common for all you guys into jeans to go a week or so without ever actually washing them.

Anyone like me and wash them after every 1 or 2 uses? I like to wear my same levis that I wear at home going out as I do at work since I'm in my work clothes usually after work when I go shopping and like to look somewhat on point.

Even after a week of light use of jeans going out I feel like they would smell too much. I also like the feel of a freshly dryed pair of jeans. I know this deteriorates the jeans faster by doing so but I'm just not sold on not washing them often.

I wear mostly levi 511 and 514s
 
D

Deluge

Hummingbird
Gold Member
Teddykgb said:
I know it is quite common for all you guys into jeans to go a week or so without ever actually washing them.

Anyone like me and wash them after every 1 or 2 uses? I like to wear my same levis that I wear at home going out as I do at work since I'm in my work clothes usually after work when I go shopping and like to look somewhat on point.

Even after a week of light use of jeans going out I feel like they would smell too much. I also like the feel of a freshly dryed pair of jeans. I know this deteriorates the jeans faster by doing so but I'm just not sold on not washing them often.

I wear mostly levi 511 and 514s
Click to expand...

I only wear one pair of denim jeans these days (I do wear other pairs of pants though...). I don't think I've washed them in a couple months of heavy wear in Autumn/Winter and they smell fine. They're black though so they don't look dirty easily. Washing your jeans every couple uses seems insane to me.
 
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Deluge

Hummingbird
Gold Member
I walked into a pricey boutique menswear store today to get my brogues shined. The store assistants were looking at this young cat like I was a unicorn and being rude as fuck.
 
M

monster

Pelican
the-dream said:
Can anyone give me some advice on how to shrink a new pair of jeans? I thought they fitted well when I tried them on but they're way too big.
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They will only shrink so much, and the only way to shrink them is to wash them in hot water and dry them on hot. Or return them and get a new size.
 
ball dont lie

ball dont lie

Kingfisher
Gold Member
the-dream said:
Can anyone give me some advice on how to shrink a new pair of jeans? I thought they fitted well when I tried them on but they're way too big.
Click to expand...

How big is too big? You should wear a 32 but you bought a 34 inch waist? Obvious answer is the washer in warm water followed by the dryer. If that doesnt do it, you're SOL. It will take some color out though. Have to decide what you want more: right color or right fit.
 
C

Carlos100

Kingfisher
Gold Member
ball dont lie said:
the-dream said:
Can anyone give me some advice on how to shrink a new pair of jeans? I thought they fitted well when I tried them on but they're way too big.
Click to expand...

How big is too big? You should wear a 32 but you bought a 34 inch waist? Obvious answer is the washer in warm water followed by the dryer. If that doesnt do it, you're SOL. It will take some color out though. Have to decide what you want more: right color or right fit.
Click to expand...

Yup. If you haven't washed them yet, then take them back with the original receipt, even if you clipped off the tag. Otherwise, you're SOL if you can't shrink them in hot water. You can try soaking them in scalding hot water, then putting them in a hot wash on heavy cycle in your clothes washer, because I understand that heavy agitation can help shrink cotton.
 
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