Washing Unsanforized Jeans

[tropicalbob]

I recently received a pair of the Palmer Three Pines unsanforized jeans from Tweedydon. They fit me perfectly, and I have no plans on washing them for some time, as it's too hot to wear them outside the house just now in Miami. I know that unsanforized denim will shrink, but is there any way to control the shrinkage of the waist? I'd hate to screw these things up, as I really like them. Any opinions or advice?

 

[ButteMT61]

I have a pair I don't wash, but I place them on a hammock out back and gently spray them lightly damp and let them dry in the sun.
So far, so good. My wife also makes a 50/50 spray bottle of H2O and cheap Vodka, spiked with some different water-soluble scents like Rosemary. Spray that on things and let them dry. Takes out odors and wrinkles well.

 

[Grayland]

Maybe check out the directions for the STF Levi's 501 that are online? Aren't they unsanforized?

BTW - are you digging those jeans? My size is back up for sale and I'm giving thought. Just haven't been able to do much research on them.

 

[58panheadfan]

... but is there any way to control the shrinkage of the waist? ...

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

One of most useful thing I got...

 

[tropicalbob]

Maybe check out the directions for the STF Levi's 501 that are online? Aren't they unsanforized?

BTW - are you digging those jeans? My size is back up for sale and I'm giving thought. Just haven't been able to do much research on them.

Absolutely. I regretted missing out on the SJC offerings some time ago and the nicest ones I've had so far have been the Gustins, so, quality-wise, these are really fine. Stiff as a board, though. I'd say go for them if they're still available: jeans of this quality at this price are really unusual.

 

[tropicalbob]

I have a pair I don't wash, but I place them on a hammock out back and gently spray them lightly damp and let them dry in the sun.
So far, so good. My wife also makes a 50/50 spray bottle of H2O and cheap Vodka, spiked with some different water-soluble scents like Rosemary. Spray that on things and let them dry. Takes out odors and wrinkles well.

Thanks, but I'd be afraid that here in Miami in the summer I might be in danger of creating new life forms if I tried that and left them outside.Maybe when the weather lets up a little. Thanks.

 

[tropicalbob]

View attachment 81585

https://www.amazon.com/INCH-MASTER-...8-113-spons&keywords=waistband+extender&psc=1
Thanks very much! I just got a couple of hat-stretchers that work on the same principle, but I didn't know such things were made for trousers. I'll order one. This could be the answer to the problem.

 

[ButteMT61]

Ah, Florida. Yeah, sorry. You don't want to hear how a newly washed pair of 21 oz denim dries here in about 45 mins outside

 

[Benj]

I would recommend washing them, keeping them if they fit, and selling them if they don't...

They're a pair of jeans... I'm assuming that at some point, you'll want to wash them, especially if you live in Florida!

There have been so many people with unsanforized denim that have liked the fit unsoaked, worn them for months until they couldn't take it anymore, and finally wash them only to find those jeans never really fit in the first place. They just hadn't gotten all the shrink out!

At that point, you'll have spent months wearing them, started some decent fading, and end up with a pair of jeans that doesn't fit and is worth much less on the market than one that was washed and unworn.

Also, if you're looking for more natural looking fades instead of artificial, hyper contrast, that would necessitate "frequent" washing anyway.

 

[ButteMT61]

^ that's true. I buy big enough that the dryer is always an option. Unwashed jeans for more than a couple weeks are a no-go.

 

[Sloan1874]

I would just wash em and be done with it. I had a pair of Levis 1890 things that came unsanforized and were huge. I'd bought the right size, all it required was that I stick them in very hot water and like Shrinky-Dinks, they'd come right. Wrong! I soaked them several times and they never got more than a third of the way to the right dimensions. After that, I threw them in the washer on a hot wash, purely because I doubted they would get anywhere near the right size so whatever it came out, that would be as good as it got. After that, I stuck them on eBay with the final sizes and took what I could get for them.
Now, that said, I got a pair of Lee Archives which were unsanforised. Again, they didn't really shrink down very much but they were quite as voluminous as the Levis, but wearable. I just kept wearing and washing them and they came down gradually until they got close to the 30" waist.

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Soaking in cold water will cause a lot less shrinkage than doing an actual wash in warm water.

That said, you will have to wash eventually which is why raw denim is shrink to fit. It should not fit you when raw.

 

[tropicalbob]

Thanks, everyone. As they fit perfectly in the waist but are way too long and voluminous right now, I'm going to take 58panheadfan's suggestion and get the stretcher. It seems to be the most practical way of approaching the problem if I want to wash and eventually get to wear 'em. I've never been able to stand the idea of wearing a pair of pants more than a few times without washing them: besides, I want them to soften-up. It all seems kind of silly, but I knew what I was getting into when I signed on to the Lounge.

 

[Sloan1874]

Thanks, everyone. As they fit perfectly in the waist but are way too long and voluminous right now, I'm going to take 58panheadfan's suggestion and get the stretcher. It seems to be the most practical way of approaching the problem if I want to wash and eventually get to wear 'em. I've never been able to stand the idea of wearing a pair of pants more than a few times without washing them: besides, I want them to soften-up. It all seems kind of silly, but I knew what I was getting into when I signed on to the Lounge.

Wish I'd known. I might have saved myself a wedge of cash!

 

[dudewuttheheck]

Thanks, everyone. As they fit perfectly in the waist but are way too long and voluminous right now, I'm going to take 58panheadfan's suggestion and get the stretcher. It seems to be the most practical way of approaching the problem if I want to wash and eventually get to wear 'em. I've never been able to stand the idea of wearing a pair of pants more than a few times without washing them: besides, I want them to soften-up. It all seems kind of silly, but I knew what I was getting into when I signed on to the Lounge.

I've stretched jeans right after soaking before and it does help a good amount. I'd say this is the best option right now.

 

[tropicalbob]

I feel as though I just ordered some kind of weird prosthetic device. Watch, now I'll start getting all sorts of emails for "chubbies".

 

[Woodyear]

If you don't have too large of a waist size, jamming a wooden clothes hanger into the waist band of the jeans while wet and letting them dry with the hanger in there will stretch them out. I'm a 32 waist and got a pair of selvedge Levi's to stretch from a 30 to about a 34 with this method. I actually need them to shrink back up a slight bit.

 

[Graemsay]

Unsanforized jeans will generally shrink an inch or two in the waist when they're soaked or washed. However, they'll stretch out again with wear.

This is what Iron Heart say about one of their raw styles:

Raw, so you will get an inch or so shrinkage in the waist and approx two inches in the inseam. The waist will stretch back out to pre-shrink size.

Soak the jeans, and if they don't stretch out after a day or two, sell them and buy the next size up.

 

[tropicalbob]

Unsanforized jeans will generally shrink an inch or two in the waist when they're soaked or washed. However, they'll stretch out again with wear.

This is what Iron Heart say about one of their raw styles:

Raw, so you will get an inch or so shrinkage in the waist and approx two inches in the inseam. The waist will stretch back out to pre-shrink size.

Soak the jeans, and if they don't stretch out after a day or two, sell them and buy the next size up.

Problem is that they're extremely rare. I'll just keep breathlessly awaiting my "Inch-Master" and wash the jeans in Woolite and cold water with it in the waist. Afterwards, I'll hang 'em high with the device still in them and see what happens. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Is "raw" the same as unsanforized?

 

[nick123]

I don't understand denim either. The information is out there, but boy is it confusing.