stunting the fade

Joel_Cairo · Mar 17, 2007

I know this flies in the face of all things denimhead, but I'm looking to prevent fading on some jeans known for breaking in quickly. I'd really like to use the ES Fulton 53s I just got as my "dress jeans", so they need to stay nice & dark. Whats are the steps I need to take to lock in as much indigo as possible?

blackplatano · Mar 17, 2007

not wearing them

capnpyro · Mar 17, 2007

Cold soaking them a half a dozen times??

GoodHustle · Mar 17, 2007

Iron out (inside out, of course) the creases after every wear or after a couple of wears. When your jeans need a wash, opt for a dry clean (with press).

Arethusa · Mar 17, 2007

Originally Posted by blackplatano

not wearing them
He's finally managed to be right about something. Unless you have contacts at an industrial wash and can get them resin coated, the only way to keep them dark is to not wear them and avoid washing. Dry cleaning can prevent fading (in the sense that it will cause less fading than a water wash and certainly less than tumble drying), but that's about it.

Brian SD · Mar 17, 2007

Just don't wash them very often. They'll stay dark for a really long time. At least a year. Unless youre wearing them everyday, but if they're "dress jeans," they probably won't be filling that role.

Bona Drag · Mar 17, 2007

Two cents: I know rules are made to be broken etc. etc., but imo in any setting in which jeans are acceptable, it doesn't really matter if they're still a deep dark blue or have a nice fade (obviously, if they're full of holes and covered in oil stains, that's a diff story...), especially if it's a natural, worn-in fade. If you feel as though faded jeans won't cut it, I'd go trousers over darker jeans...

Tarmac · Mar 17, 2007

If you want to prevent fade, fold them neatly (like they arrive when new) and hang them in the closet, or store them flat. I have a couple pairs which I am slowing down fade and this makes a big difference.

Jeans which I am getting a lot of fade, I hang up without folding them.

whodini · Mar 17, 2007

Originally Posted by Tarmac

If you want to prevent fade, fold them neatly (like they arrive when new) and hang them in the closet, or store them flat. I have a couple pairs which I am slowing down fade and this makes a big difference.

Jeans which I am getting a lot of fade, I hang up without folding them.
What??? I hope to hell you're kidding.

Edward Appleby · Mar 18, 2007

Originally Posted by Bona Drag

Two cents: I know rules are made to be broken etc. etc., but imo in any setting in which jeans are acceptable, it doesn't really matter if they're still a deep dark blue or have a nice fade (obviously, if they're full of holes and covered in oil stains, that's a diff story...), especially if it's a natural, worn-in fade. If you feel as though faded jeans won't cut it, I'd go trousers over darker jeans...

No, I think there's a subtle but noticeable difference. Before there's any fading, raw jeans almost register more as dark pants than jeans. There are situations where jeans are acceptable, but just barely. In those settings, having dark, non-faded jeans is the only thing that keeps you from coming off as an AmJack asshole who doesn't feel comfortable in real trousers.

Bona Drag · Mar 18, 2007

Originally Posted by Edward Appleby

but just barely

This being the operative phrase; I know what you mean, and I think you're mostly right. I guess my point was that in those "just barely" situations, I go with trousers.

DNW · Mar 18, 2007

The only way to prevent fading is by not washing your jeans, e.g. with dry cleaning. However, there are jeans that will fade more slowly because of their dark indigo. Something like a pair of 45RPM will not fade for a long time just because it's been dipped so many times in indigo. So, ultimately you have two choices: dry clean, or buy really dark denim.

Arethusa · Mar 18, 2007

That and, perhaps more significantly, because natural indigo is significantly more colorfast than the synthetic stuff.

drizzt3117 · Mar 18, 2007

Originally Posted by Arethusa

That and, perhaps more significantly, because natural indigo is significantly more colorfast than the synthetic stuff.

That's true to some degree, but it seems that a lot of natural indigo jeans are lighter to start with, so you'll have to find one of the ones that isn't, if you want it to be stay darker longer.

Tarmac · Mar 23, 2007

Originally Posted by whodini

What??? I hope to hell you're kidding.

Huh? Im serious.

I have uniqlo dark which i fold up. there is zero fade on those. that's intentional.

jeans which I dont worry about and toss around end up forming permanent wrinkles.

like this.

stunting the fade

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