Quote:
Originally Posted by
2011Six 
Is it just that the denim stays darker and for fading purposes? Also, after the denim shrinks from the hot soak, is there anything else to take into account before hemming? Thanks again for the knowledge.
No, the denim won't stay darker. Essentially you have people that have bought excessively into "dare-I-say-hipster" marketing tools used by modern clothing companies attempting to appeal to that inner desire for simplicity and "the old ways" to somehow suggest that their denim is different from cotton that's been used for over 140 years to make the same pants. Wear them at your leisure, wash them when they're dirty.
The amount of indigo lost (if any) on a preliminary soak is completely negligible and won't affect teh sikk fadez at all. It will tighten up the denim, sort out sizing (be it sanforized or not, either way), and will start you off with a pair of jeans in which you'll be able to tell
immediately whether they fit you or not. There is no con here.
After soaking once, they should be good to hem. Enjoy your jeans.
Not soaking is believed to lead to "better" wear, usually meaning higher contrast fades in the lifetime of the denim. This is usually caused by the higher amount of starch in the garment coming straight out of the factory. Through wear (and washing) this starch is lost, making the jeans softer and more pliable. Essentially, they fit better, but that contrasty look
can be diminished through excessive washing, where you essentially beat down the denim until they're Costco-wear.
However, keeping the starch in the jeans can be destructive to the fabric. The many cases on the board of crotch blowouts often results from 1) overly tight jeans 2) being worn without washing the fabric. The stiffness provided by the starch works both ways; as they fade and wear more, they literally fade and wear more, often prematurely dying because of the friction in the fabric. When washing your denim, the cotton gets stronger, and can hold up longer. Starched denim will eventually (in very broad terms), wear itself to death.
If you research the boards, there is no real noticeable difference between fades on washed denim or those who follow "don't wash for (insert time-period here)" advice. It depends more on you and your lifestyle what your denim will end up looking like.
Wash your jeans. You don't need to throw them in the washer every day after work, but if they smell, soak them. If you spill stuff, try to spot clean, or wash. Don't stress it.
Hope this helps at all. Basic principles: wash your jeans, but not too much. Less washings over the life of the denim are usually favorable for higher contrast wear. One exposure to water here or there, especially at the outset so as to nail down the fit, is negligible. Have fun - enjoy your denim.
