Keeping indigo jeans dark

[Benny Holiday]

Well guys and gals, I just laid out a princely sum on a new pair of jeans. My old faithful 501s are on their last (and very faded) legs, and as I really wanted my next pair to be very vintage-looking, I lashed out on a pair of 1937 model Levi 501XX jeans from Aero Leather Clothing. They arrived today, and they look great.

The thing is, I'd like to keep them looking that groovy dark indigo colour as long as possible. With my dark or coloured shirts, when they've been washed and put through the rinse and spin cycle, I tend to hang them up to dry in the shower rather than hang them on the clothesline out in the harsh Aussie sun. That way, they keep their colour much longer. But would the same work for jeans? Is it the washing that takes the colour out (I know it does to some extent) or is it the sun that does the most damage?

What think ye, O fonts of wisdom? I await your advice with great interest.

 

[Sefton]

I have the same 1937 type that I bought almost 2 years ago while in Japan. I washed them initially in cold water,no soap at all and hung them up to dry indoors. Since then I only spot clean with a damp cloth and hang them up (still inside) if they need to air out. They are still about as dark as when new and they don't smell bad (important for coexistance!). If they really get soiled I'll dry clean them. This is the advice that I've read here many times.

 

[mike]

I've heard absolutely never wash them and if you need to de-crud them in any way, put them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer for awhile (!)

no joke lol

 

[dr greg]

Can't be done

As far as I know it's not possible, besides, isn't half the fun wearing them in so the fading is individual? I'd say buy a new pair of 501's every year and sell the old ones ( as some do with their cars), and you'll always have that look!

 

[Rufus]

Hi Benny, as Mike mentions above, the 'serious' denim afficianados I know swear by NOT washing them, but merely swabbing any serious mess off them , and the freezer trick.

They are a work clothes item after all!

Of course if you plan to wear them everyday this may not prove entirely practical, but I think people wash a lot of gear far too often... usually a good airing will do the trick.

Enjoy your new denim!

Ruf

 

[BellyTank]

Two Pairs-

You need 2 pairs- one for keeping dark and one for wearing-out.

It's all true- don't wash them if you want them to stay dark.

B
T

 

[Babydoll]

My mom taught me a laundry trick that might help you out with this. I've used it and it works.

White vinegar. (This site talks a bit more about it.) Put about 1 cup of it in the washer with just your jeans and run it through a cold water wash cycle - no detergent. The vinegar will help to set the dye in the jeans to prevent fading. After you've set the dye, do a normal wash in cold water with detergent to help get rid of the vinegar smell.

Here in the US we also have special laundry detergents that are meant to be used with dark clothing to keep it from fading. The brand that I use is Woolite.

I've had a pair of cuffed jeans for about 5 years that I used this technique on when I first got them, and they haven't faded very much. I've worn them so much that the seat is wearing out, but the color is still dark.

Oh, and I agree with the whole air them out, don't wash EVERY time you wear them.

Best of luck!

 

[robb]

A girl I know gave me an excellent suggestion once.... DRY CLEAN!!

It can get pricey - but you can wear them a few times and then have them dry cleaned when they need it. And they come back all nice and pressed with no wrinkles

If you must wash them, again, wear them a few times before doing it. Do it when you really have to... and use the gentle cycle on the most gentle cycle you can, COLD water, as quick of a wash as possible.

Don't use the dryer... it beats your clothes up and ruins them. That "lint" in the screen? Those are fibers from your clothes!

 

[Sefton]

Also try using a good stiff quality clothes brush to get dust and dirt out of the fibers of the denim. The English brush maker Kent has some very good clothes brushes. A bit expensive, but your jeans probably are too.

 

[BellyTank]

Don't Wash!

It's not just about the colour.
You wanna keep that hard finish on the denim, doncha?
No matter what product you use in the washing machine,
using the washing machine is wrong.

I really don't believe that using Vinegar as a mordant, after the fact will help
with keeping the colour in an indigo dyed denim.
Indigo's not like a normal fabric dye.

But the washing will make the denim start to get nappy and lame.

One wash- and you can plainly see they've had one wash.
Nothing wrong with that but they're not the same as they were before...


B
T

 

[Sefton]

...One wash- and you can plainly see they've had one wash.
Nothing wrong with that but they're not the same as they were before...


B
T

Yes, that's exactly my experience. I put mine through the wash;cold water,no soap,drip dry. Just to get them to shrink a bit. They still look good,but that special sheen and stiffness is-mostly-gone. The next pair I'll buy in my actual size and they won't get near a washing machine!

 

[BellyTank]

It's the agitation and abrasion.
How irritating.

I think you can maybe rinse them and drip dry them without affecting them too much. Cold water- should still shrink.


B
T

 

[BakingInPearls]

If you must wash them to help aid in keeping the color turn them inside out, sounds funky but it has helped keep my jeans from fading so fast. Again as stated above very cold water and it's best to do a load of just jeans and not mix them up with everything and a good air drying in the shower sounds wonderful!

 

[Benny Holiday]

This is great info! Thanks for all the advice everyone. I have had to rinse and drip dry them for the shrinkage, but I will stick to the spot-cleaning from here on in and hand wash them only when they really, really, really need it, with a product like the one Babydoll suggests.

I'm imagining a scene of my wife looking to pull a steak out of the freezer for dinner and retrieving my jeans in a plastic bag instead!

 

[Lady Day]

So youre looking to hold on to that newness look of purchase? It cant be done. Thats the wax on the apple, so to speak, once is put into use, that appeal to 'buy it' look fades.

There is no way of keeping them day new. Stuff gets used. Id suggest a hand washing once every 10-15 wears (with an airing out in between) and a hang dry. Use a soap made for dark fabrics. Other than that I think it might get pretty silly being do dainty over an item thats mean to have wear and tear.

But thats just me

LD

 

[BellyTank]

Ah!- they don't understand...


B
T

 

[Benny Holiday]

Well, it's like this Lady Day: I acquired a Levis repro 1936 denim jacket last year whilst in Melbourne. I did a gig at the Route 66 clothing store and the owner, a mellow cat named Guy, sold me the jacket for a quarter of the going price. The jacket is dark indigo and will not see a lot of wear, and certainly hardly any washing.

I tried the jacket on once with ym old faded 501s and it just didn't look right (to me, anyway). That's why I hope to maintain the dark colour as best I can, so they look good with the jacket. other than that, I could care less - I've always beaten, thrashed, worn and washed the daylights out of my jeans.

The repro styles are so expensive now, I don't want to have to be buying a new pair every year!

 

[Sefton]

Let's see a picture of you in the whole outfit,it sounds like a great look. As for myself; I wear my jeans the same way. They aren't treated kind at all and I know that they'll fade. I just want to make them fade v e r y s l o w l y. I want what they call "whiskers" to develop-those faded lines at all of the wrinkle points. When I wash jeans I can't get that. I am obssessed...

 

[BellyTank]

Yes, Sefton- the "desired" fading/wrinkling patterns, with be better with infrequent washing. You end up with a strong contrast between the indigo and the fade. Regular/frequent washing will give you bla/blech results- the Mall look.

Edwin jeans, the vintage/selvedge models fade and wear beautifully and they're much cheaper than the Big Ls- if you can find them. Edwins are excellent, especially if you don't need L, or L branding. Superb denim.


B
T

 

[Burnsie]

This is great info! Thanks for all the advice everyone. I have had to rinse and drip dry them for the shrinkage, but I will stick to the spot-cleaning from here on in and hand wash them only when they really, really, really need it

Through the 90's I bought and sold vintage denim to the Japanese (through Farley ent. - anyone remember them? The had a great guide out at the time called "Wanted In Japan") and in my experience you already did the RIGHT thing there! Part of the beauty of vintage denim is shrinking them to fit for a personalized look - for miners and cowboys this meant wearing them in the creek, later on it was the bathtub (my choice, no creek nearby). I've sold off all but 1/2 dozen of my originals and have been wearing nothing but repro Levi's and Lee's since around '98...and they've all been soaked to shrink the first time, spot washed in cold and hung to dry since then.
Enjoy your '37's!!!!!!!!!