A vintage pair of 501s is the best hand-me-down a girl could ask for. So, what’s the best way to make them last?
WORDS BY ALEXANDRA RHODES
Never wash them, wear them in the bath, freeze them; there are lot of urban myths going around about denim care. But, as self-confessed jeans addicts, we are here to help debunk them. Below, 6 tried and tested ways to care for your denim. Because when you find that perfect pair you’ll want them to last forever…
1. If you’re wondering ‘how often should I wash my jeans?’ first, you need to establish whether they are made from pre-washed or raw denim. Pre-washed jeans have a soft, love-worn look, whereas raw denim tends to be darker, more uniform in colour and stiffer in texture.
2. If your jeans are pre-washed – we’ve got good news for you: all you need to do is wash them infrequently, inside out, on a cold temperature and air dry. Simple.
3. However, if your jeans are raw, things get a little, shall we say...specialist. A preliminary word of caution: no matter how much you want to look like Kate Moss in a Calvin Klein ad, do not wear your brand new raw jeans with white - the dye will transfer.
4. Do not wash your raw denim jeans. Yes, it’s true. It breaks down the fibres and removes dye, so you should ideally wait at least 4-6 months (gross, we know) before putting them through the wash.
5. In the meantime, do whatever you can to keep your jeans acceptable for wearing in public. Spot clean them if they pick up any stains (dab, don’t rub). Air them outside, spray them with antibac or give them a blast in the freezer to destroy any bacteria.
6. And when those dark months are over, you can reward yourself with… a hand wash! Soak your jeans in tepid water with natural detergent and rinse after 30 mins (be careful not to ring them out as this will affect the appearance of the jeans) and then hang dry.
Now just to nail that double denim trend…
Shop the look: Nobody Denim Jeans, Marques'Almeida Jeans, R13 Jeans, A.P.C Jeans
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