Washing Unsanforized Jeans

[navetsea]

isn't unsanforized jeans is the ones who will twist on one of the leg after several washing?

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Which would I be looking for, then? Some heavy stuff, durable and tough. My job is such that I work with my hands, on my feet so all of my jeans get tears pretty quickly.

Yeah you would want something a bit heavier and more durable. Iron Heart makes quite durable jeans. They are originally made for motorcyclists so the fabric is thick, the stitching is polycotton for durability, and they have other specific details made for durability's sake such as tucking the belt loops into the waistband so they don't break off. On the downside, their stuff isn't cheap at all.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

isn't unsanforized jeans is the ones who will twist on one of the leg after several washing?

After they are soaked the first time, actually. If you hot soak them, they will leg twist. It is considered very desirable by some.

@EmergencyIan you can still do that. It's actually more in-vogue to do that now. I don't, because I hate washed out jeans, but it's not like it's illegal for Japanese jeans to be washed often lol.

 

[navetsea]

thanks Dudewth, if the jeans soaked or washed cold will the twist appears as well over time, or is it something only a hotsoak will do... is there anyway to counter this, if you dry it flat or put some clothespins along the inseam while drying, can we avoid this ?

 

[01flhr]

If i put this much thought into washing my jeans i wouldnt be able to get anything else done. I personally plan on any pair of jeans shrinking when i wash so i just size up appropriately. If i cant wash it i dont want it.

 

[nick123]

I have been wearing 32x34 store-bought Levi's for years...recent weight gain so I'm pondering 33s, esp if they'll shrink an inch or so. But guys, I just measured my waist, several times and I get 35.5, and 35 when I squint! Wth!

 

[dudewuttheheck]

thanks Dudewth, if the jeans soaked or washed cold will the twist appears as well over time, or is it something only a hotsoak will do... is there anyway to counter this, if you dry it flat or put some clothespins along the inseam while drying, can we avoid this ?

I'm not sure. I think it is mostly unavoidable. It's desirable for a lot of people and most others are indifferent so there is not a lot of information out there about how to avoid it, sorry.

@nick123 Levis, like most jeans are vanity sized.

 

[jonesy86]

Last few posts make me laugh. Think about it - what would a nOOb say coming in here and reading all the threads about leather jackets? Zippers? Pockets? Lining? Hides? You get my point. Once you enjoy something and get sucked in, the learnin' happens by itself!

OK, nOOb here. Got through all the jacket stuff, although i'm watching at least 6 different brands on ebay, to see what the resale used market is like. Studying other makers, and looking at lots of pics on the What Jacket Are You Wearing Today thread. Really liked davyjones' Teamster. Thought about buying that at one point, plus like his name.
Now, I am obsessively studying the raw selvedge denim world. Cuz, got the jacket, now I can't wear dad jeans anymore. Seriously, $600 Japanese blue jeans? Tubes, whiskers, wearing jeans and never washing them, 25 oz denim that stands up on their own. Oy vey its mir! But thats what I said about buying a $1K custom jacket.
When I was a kid had a few Levi 501s. Kinda figured out the shrink to fit. Just let them fade any way they wanted to in the washer and dryer. Then switched to 505s because didn't have to worry about getting the shrinkage just right, and liked zippers. Have mostly been wearing them for almost 50 years. But, as they say, they don't make em the way they used to. Don't think I can pull off trying to look like a young hip guy. I think I could once, but I don't remember much. The regular straight cut on most brands look like skinny jeans to me. Was looking at Gustins because they are relatively reasonable, but they look pretty low cut for an old guy. Thinking of buying some Wranglers because the modern mall bought 505s just don't cut it anymore. I'm definitely not a cowboy, but I like the boots.

 

[nick123]

Ordered TWO pairs of Sugar Cane '47s yesterday from HPA. Wish me luck.

 

[ButteMT61]

Ordered TWO pairs of Sugar Cane '47s yesterday from HPA. Wish me luck.

Look forward to your review, @nick123. Been pondering a new pair, but G-Unit seems to work for me so post up once you get 'em.

 

[Macbeth]

I just got into some better jeans
and find they DO look good on older gents if they fit right.
Some brands I've bought that I like are:

BRAVESTAR: the heavy 21oz fit me well.
UNBRANDED: surprisingly cheap but look great in black
GUSTIN: well worth the money. Check eBay for ready made ones.
RALPH LAUREN RRL RAW SELVEDGE: a favorite. Will probably be what I wear most. Has a nice RISE! Rise is important for older dudes. LOW RISE does not work for me except in rare cases.

Check the number: 11-13 inch fine. 10" is iffy. You can find RRL on eBay for just over $100

JACK KNIFE jeans. Found on eBay. Nice back atory and ordered my second pair yesterday. Absolutely the BEST HAND CRAFTED jeans I've seen. Will wear with my cowboy boots

 

[Sloan1874]

Unless you live a very warm-all-year-round place, I would aim for somewhere north of 12oz - most of Gustin are this weight - but avoid anything above 21oz at this stage. Really, if you're not used to the heavy stuff, buttoning and just living with it is a pain. Best work up to the serious stuff: I can't believe I almost started off with a pair of 28oz brutes that stood up by themselves and required a special instrument to button the fly with!

 

[Bamaboots]

RALPH LAUREN RRL RAW SELVEDGE: a favorite. Will probably be what I wear most. Has a nice RISE! Rise is important for older dudes.

These are my favorites. All straight legs with around a 12" rise and made large large enough to allow for shrinkage.

 

[Macbeth]

Sloan, I agree with heavier than 12 oz. seem a tad flimsy to me. My average is 14.5oz

Oh, and I forgot my latest find (a steal!)

JAY KOS Japanese shuttle loomed jeans. Usually run $595

BUT I bought 2 pair recently (NEW) off the bay for $80 a pair after some haggling.
They are excellent jeans, perhaps better than the RRL and Jack Knife.

As you may have discerned, I have been slowly morphing in the dreaded DENIMHEAD fanatic.

Ive always thought jeans in my youth were beneath my consideration, but that's because I never ventured into CUSTOM CRAFTED jeans.

I have actually gotten extremely nice comments from the females.

I just got a pair of Japanese EVISU JEANS which are a HOOT to wear. More compliments than ever on those. But you have to have cajones to pull these off!!

 

[Fanch]

View attachment 81585

https://www.amazon.com/INCH-MASTER-...8-113-spons&keywords=waistband+extender&psc=1

One of most useful thing I got...

I just got this contraption in the mail Friday and can certify it works like a charm to stretch a tight waist after washing. The critical factors are making sure the expander is centered on the waist seam and the waist seam is wet, not dry. I also concur with what others have said about an adequate front rise, 12.5" to even 13" being optimal for me. Nick, please report back your experience with the Sugar Cane 1947 jeans on arrival. BTW what size did you order?

 

[ButteMT61]

I just got this contraption in the mail Friday and can certify it works like a charm to stretch a tight waist after washing. The critical factors are making sure the expander is centered on the waist seam and the waist seam is wet, not dry. I also concur with what others have said about an adequate front rise, 12.5" to even 13" being optimal for me. Nick, please report back your experience with the Sugar Cane 1947 jeans on arrival. BTW what size did you order?

Would be interested in numbers on the before/after if possible sometime...

 

[Benj]

@navetsea If you absolutely hate leg twist, there's nothing you can do about it... if you buy unsanforized jeans, they're either going to have leg twist or you will have not shrunk hem enough. That'll be problematic when you finally want to wash them, or you want to hem them, etc... if you want quality jeans without leg twist just go for sanforized denim.

High quality denim was my first passion and I got interested in it in around 2011.... since then I've learned a couple things

1. Unsanforized denim SHRINKS! Don't soak in the bath tub and wear them when they're wet to stretch them out, you'll just be kidding yourself. When you first try them on, they shouldn't fit perfectly, they should be too big. Wash it in the washer on hot and let it air dry. If it's sanforized, perfect fitting or even slightly tight is ok.
2. Don't believe the crap about how you can't wash your jeans... it was invented by companies with crappy denim that would be completely light blue without any character if they were washed with any regularity. quality denim will look particularly great if you wash them like a normal person would.
3. It will be cheaper in the long run to buy from a store with a good exchange policy...
4. If you're buying from Japan, the highest of the highest quality will cost you $200-300. The same jeans bought from an American store will cost $300-400, but again you get the good exchange policy. No jeans should be above $500, in fact I would bet money that they are worse than the ones I've talked about before. UNLESS they are really special, not just "Japanese shuttle-loom woven" but something like hank-dyed denim is really all I can think of that could put the price up there reasonably.

Here are my Flat Head 3005's when they were new.

Here they are at about 2.5 years, washed every 2-4 weeks

If that doesn't intrigue you, or you don't really think that my faded jeans look all that different than the ones you normally buy at the store, I wouldn't worry about raw denim and I'd save that money for some more leather!

 

[nick123]

I'm really just tired of THIS, with regular Levi's. Hopefully I can toss these soon. Admittedly I do too much gardening.

I forgot I had a pair of Nudie jeans a while back that were pretty good, but not exactly the look I wanted. Still wore them to death.

 

[jonesy86]

OK, now I'm obsessed about jeans. Where does it stop? Studying the heck out of it online. But, unlike when I bought my HBD Vicenza dark seal, having never even seen a high end leather jacket, decided not to push my luck, and found a little store in Oakland, CA. and actually tried on a few pairs of jeans.

The Real McCoys 14.3 oz. lot 4, sanforized, $325. They sized me down from my usual mall jeans size of 36" waist to a 34". Felt good. Not too tight around the waist, plenty of room in the leg and thigh, but a little lower rise than I am used to. Very nice however. Pretty straight cut. They said they were based on a 1955-501. Not too much taper in the leg. fit over my boots very well. I suppose I could get used to them sitting so low on my waist, as long as nothing is showing when I bend over, and my shirt remains tucked in.

Then he gave me a higher waisted pair called Indigofera Buck, 14 oz. #9 sanforized, $299. A Swedish company using Japanese denim, made in Portugal. They said that these were based on a 1954, 501. Much higher rise and higher waisted. He put me downsized into a 35" waist, which was a bit tight, but lots of more room in the hips, rear end, and thighs, with a more tapered leg. Still managed to get them over my boots with a little pushing.

He was sizing me to fit. Read all about the waist shrinkage after washing, then stretching out with wear, or by using that bizarre looking waistband stretcher on Amazon. Wow, we are really into some strange stuff.

Anybody have an opinion, and/or know anything about Indigofera?

I noticed that there is a Gustin The Zimbabwe $139 campaign 88% funded with 4 days left. Think I should go this way on my first high end jeans. Even their Straight Fit size looks like a pretty low rise and sits pretty low on the waist. Or, maybe I just have to get used to the new styles, and fashion. Sure is a lot less money!!

Any, and all advice and comments appreciated.

 

[jonesy86]

I just got into some better jeans
and find they DO look good on older gents if they fit right.
Some brands I've bought that I like are:

BRAVESTAR: the heavy 21oz fit me well.
UNBRANDED: surprisingly cheap but look great in black
GUSTIN: well worth the money. Check eBay for ready made ones.
RALPH LAUREN RRL RAW SELVEDGE: a favorite. Will probably be what I wear most. Has a nice RISE! Rise is important for older dudes. LOW RISE does not work for me except in rare cases.

Check the number: 11-13 inch fine. 10" is iffy. You can find RRL on eBay for just over $100

JACK KNIFE jeans. Found on eBay. Nice back atory and ordered my second pair yesterday. Absolutely the BEST HAND CRAFTED jeans I've seen. Will wear with my cowboy boots

Hey