It is the nicest fabric I've known on a pair of jeans, and I've spent a LOT on jeans over the years. Once broken in it is incredibly soft. It also sheds colour beautifully, which is a blessing and a curse, because it will discolour upholstery.
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wash your jeans?
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b1lf
One of the Regulars
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I think the indigo bleed on standard 21oz Indigo (warp) x White (weft) is incredibly minor.
?!?
My sanforised 1955S in 21oz bled more than any raw denim I own, including raw denim from IH. If I brushed against a wall I'd leave blue streaks, and everywhere I sat at home I left a blue patch. A couple of times each day perhaps I sat down for a few seconds on my staircase to tie my laces- even there I left a blue patch!
Uh huh. But they still bled even after their first gentle wash.
dudewuttheheck
I'll Lock Up
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I'm sure this is unusual on this forum, but sanforized denims just bore me. Is anyone in the unsanforized only camp? There are plenty on other forums, but I'm curious if there are any like that here.
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Last edited:
Edward
Bartender
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Raw denim has a rfomantic appeal for sure, but I certainly am not one to complain about the convenience of having jeans that I know will stay the right size after washing, and where I don't have to guess what they'll fit like at tiem of purchase. Shrink to custom fit is cute and everything, but it's not a priority for me. I find denim can shrink in the wardrobe over time just fine by itself. 
Raw denim has a rfomantic appeal for sure, but I certainly am not one to complain about the convenience of having jeans that I know will stay the right size after washing, and where I don't have to guess what they'll fit like at tiem of purchase. Shrink to custom fit is cute and everything, but it's not a priority for me. I find denim can shrink in the wardrobe over time just fine by itself.
I totally agree - once jeans become a laborious applied technology, they cease to be the easy garments that makes them great to wear.
Mich486
One Too Many
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I do prefer unsanforized too although when trying out new brands I go for the one wash option if available. Once I get comfortable with sizing then I buy raw unsaforized no problem. I just prefer the way it feels/looks over sanforized denim. Like I prefer right-hand twill to left-hand.
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Mich486
One Too Many
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Raw denim has a rfomantic appeal for sure, but I certainly am not one to complain about the convenience of having jeans that I know will stay the right size after washing, and where I don't have to guess what they'll fit like at tiem of purchase. Shrink to custom fit is cute and everything, but it's not a priority for me. I find denim can shrink in the wardrobe over time just fine by itself.
Raw denim that it sanforized will shrink only minimally.
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Personally I can't see a downside to a sanforised denim like the IH 21oz compared to a raw denim? It won't shrink as much, but that's not a problem for me. It fades brilliantly and it's much more wearable... I went though the process of wearing 23oz IH jeans for 6 months after just a soak... brutal, and didn't offer any reward compared with the sanforised 21oz.
I like the matte hairy texture not too visible diagonal twill pattern on my unsanforized jeans, dunno if that is caused by the denim fabrics being unsanforized & unzinged, or just different in milling the fabrics or cotton used etc.
I don't really care for wild slub or any of those random knots or grainy character on the fabrics for pants, I probably like them better on jacket format.
but I hate leg twisting, so if somehow I can have a 21oz+ unsanforized broken twill with extra deep color or overdyed with tonal stitching then probably it would be my ideal choice, otherwise I will choose sanforized
I don't really care for wild slub or any of those random knots or grainy character on the fabrics for pants, I probably like them better on jacket format.
but I hate leg twisting, so if somehow I can have a 21oz+ unsanforized broken twill with extra deep color or overdyed with tonal stitching then probably it would be my ideal choice, otherwise I will choose sanforized
patrick_b
One of the Regulars
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What is it that you find boring about sanforized? I look for fit and how they age as the two most important factors. I haven’t found a big difference between the two after wearing raw and selvedge denim since 2010 or so.
Right now I’m in 3sixteen unsanforized which are a great fabric. It takes me years to fade jeans as I don’t wear them to work but after a year and 3-4 washes they are soft and look good but not significantly different than the sanforized versions from previous years.
Edward
Bartender
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Raw denim that it sanforized will shrink only minimally.
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Interesting, thanks - I hadn't realised sanfordising wasn't quite the same thing as pre-shrinking / pre-washing. Based on this information, I don't see any advantage of non-sanfordised over sanfordised raw denim?
b1lf
One of the Regulars
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- Long Beach, CA
Raw denim has a rfomantic appeal for sure, but I certainly am not one to complain about the convenience of having jeans that I know will stay the right size after washing, and where I don't have to guess what they'll fit like at tiem of purchase. Shrink to custom fit is cute and everything, but it's not a priority for me. I find denim can shrink in the wardrobe over time just fine by itself.
Lol
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b1lf
One of the Regulars
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What other raw denim have you owned? I guess I've tried quite a bit and something like a double indigo or and indigo (warp) x black (weft) is one that will really bleed.
I also don't have a bunch of light colored fabric furniture in my house and my car seats are black leather.
A lot of 'denim heads' tend to lean towards your side of the camp... I feel strongly against the 'only unsanforized mentality' as the best denim material (period) that I have experienced has been sanforized. I like the initial crispy feel of a pair like Momotaro's flagship 15.7oz Zimbabwe cotton material. It's sanforized and I ensure to order it raw/un-washed as opposed to the one-wash variants that are out there. After some wear, I really like how it feels.
Raw denim that it sanforized will shrink only minimally.
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^Good post.
It's worth noting that "raw" does not mean selvedge. And vice versa.
It's also more common to see a selvedge, raw denim pair that is sanforized rather than unsanforized.
If you're in the mentality of Edward's (which is fine) and you don't want to fuss with it, purchase a pair of sanforized or sanforized one-wash from somewhere like Blue Owl (US) or Rivet & Hide (UK) or Denimio (Japan) - all offer free shipping and exchanges when buying a pair of jeans.
Chuck them in a cold delicate wash in the machine with Woolite dark, hang dry.
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Tip!!:
Loungers, if you play with the thought of buying a new jeans-(Cargo)Bermuda, try to get a Bermuda with 55% linen/45% cotton, instead of Denim!
I bought one (olive) with drawstring, last year and I love it more than ever! Just came back from supermarket, minutes ago. It's just so strong, "non-fluttery" and versatile, although I never use the leg-pockets! My briefcase sat in the right hip-pocket, my keys in the left, all was fine.
Loungers, if you play with the thought of buying a new jeans-(Cargo)Bermuda, try to get a Bermuda with 55% linen/45% cotton, instead of Denim!
I bought one (olive) with drawstring, last year and I love it more than ever! Just came back from supermarket, minutes ago. It's just so strong, "non-fluttery" and versatile, although I never use the leg-pockets!
My briefcase sat in the right hip-pocket, my keys in the left, all was fine.i don't have many experience in denim but from what little that I have, and by jumping straight to 21oz unsanforized and 24oz sanforized both down sized, I must say at the end they fit almost the same,
2size downsize (sz28) on 21oz hightension unsanforized initially I have to sit down buttoning them after the first soak, and I got ball crushed feeling when I sit on my car for a month, but after that it fit fine, it shrank again after first wash very difficult to pull pass my hip bone, sitting down buttoning again for the first day after washing and now it fit fine again, apart from the ever increasing leg twisting. lengthwise it doesn't shrink much. started raw with 36" inseam shrank to 33,5" my perfect length for jeans.
then the 24oz sanforized 1size down (sz29), I wore it straight as raw thinking from the internet every article say it won't shrink or very minimal it came with 33" inseam already 4" shorter than spec but still fine for me I can 2x small cuff it for different look when with boots ( thinking it wont shrink much), after about a month I soaked it and it lost 3" on the leg, and some on the rise, width wise not so much and it doesn't twist. and 2 weeks ago I hand washed it also with half an hour soak it lost yet again maybe 1cm. now only 30" inseam when I yank it straight to measure, but with set in creases it is too short for anything but boots on me now.
both are worn wet to dry on me after washing, and after they dry both fit exactly the same, I dunno about shrink to fit, but in my case stretch to fit works afterall they are just cotton fabrics, inseam loss though... it is very unfortunate, and I now don't trust unsanforized shrink more than sanforized rule, maybe I believe one wash much more, or if the manufacturer would give post soak measurement instead of raw measurement chart (they should at least have one prototype soaked and washed for each size and each fabrics (with tag price they list these pants compared to mall price they should have done that)
sorry for ranting
2size downsize (sz28) on 21oz hightension unsanforized initially I have to sit down buttoning them after the first soak, and I got ball crushed feeling when I sit on my car for a month, but after that it fit fine, it shrank again after first wash very difficult to pull pass my hip bone, sitting down buttoning again for the first day after washing and now it fit fine again, apart from the ever increasing leg twisting. lengthwise it doesn't shrink much. started raw with 36" inseam shrank to 33,5" my perfect length for jeans.
then the 24oz sanforized 1size down (sz29), I wore it straight as raw thinking from the internet every article say it won't shrink or very minimal it came with 33" inseam already 4" shorter than spec but still fine for me I can 2x small cuff it for different look when with boots ( thinking it wont shrink much), after about a month I soaked it and it lost 3" on the leg, and some on the rise, width wise not so much and it doesn't twist. and 2 weeks ago I hand washed it also with half an hour soak it lost yet again maybe 1cm. now only 30" inseam when I yank it straight to measure, but with set in creases it is too short for anything but boots on me now.
both are worn wet to dry on me after washing, and after they dry both fit exactly the same, I dunno about shrink to fit, but in my case stretch to fit works afterall they are just cotton fabrics, inseam loss though... it is very unfortunate, and I now don't trust unsanforized shrink more than sanforized rule, maybe I believe one wash much more, or if the manufacturer would give post soak measurement instead of raw measurement chart (they should at least have one prototype soaked and washed for each size and each fabrics (with tag price they list these pants compared to mall price they should have done that)
sorry for ranting
dudewuttheheck
I'll Lock Up
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- 4,424
The downside is that the fabric is not as textured, variable, etc. Truly raw denim has more character than sanforized denim due to the sanforization process.
