Ten best jeans

I am not a Levi's fanatic, but there are a few on superforums.com (of future cities). Search the site. I think that this has been discussed ad naseum there.

Not to be argumentative, but my waist is really 34. 34" Levi's will shrink to be too tight, but they easily stretch back to 34 in the waist, and the seat and thighs don't stretch back out because I don't stretch them there. And, for what it's worth, Helmut Lang does have a slim sillhoette but they don't run true to size, at least in the raw denim plain bootcut. My 33 is actually about a 34 after a few washes and, like all denim, it stretches a bit from there.

All jeans are sized quite differently. My Denime's are 36, and so are my 1947 Levi's repros. I'm curious to know if the APC runs true to size. If the unwashed 34 is a true 34, that will be perfect. It will shrink a bit, but will stretch back with wear. And I don't need any extra room in the seat or legs.

Buy the 33 Anglaise. I am a true 33, and they fit me fine, but loose - i,e, I need to wear them with a belt. If you want a snugger jean, and are a true 34, buy the 33, which is about 35 in true waist (actually, hip) size. The one inch extra inch prevents you from looking like Kevin Costner. Which is a good thing.

So, how do you pronounce Da'mage? Like 'damage,' or do you rhyme it w/ 'garage'? The latter would be quite hilarious if it were correct.

So, how do you pronounce Da'mage? Like 'damage,' or do you rhyme it w/ 'garage'? The latter would be quite hilarious if it were correct.

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I have no idea.

Thanks for the tip, Mr. Guy.

I was curious about the Da'mage pronunciation as well. It's easy to talk about them on the forum, more difficult in person.

Shopping report: went to Nordstrom Rack in Towson, MD they have a range of JP Da'mage (Insurance, a few others) for $70. I wasn't impressed. The cut was alright, a little loose in the legs, and the whiskering/finishing was very artificial looking. I did not buy, I think I'll put my jeans budget towards the APC Anglaise or new standard: the RL McCallum of jeans for the forum.
NR also had a pair of ancient Diesel jeans with the legs tapered down to like a 7" leg opening.

Loehmann's in Towson has some cool stuff - Levi's "Red" jeans (?) and sanforized, finished cotton trousers as well as some badass levi's premium tshirts, all pretty cheap. The "Red" jeans must be a bit old, they're very odd. Messy stitching, plastic button fly and plastic suspender buttons on the outside. Wide legs. The denim might have been a blend.

James Perse t's as well, a good amount of Fred Perry junk, and a lot of nice zegna ties for $40. Granted, all of it is at least a few seasons old, but nifty stuff.

they have a range of JP Da'mage (Insurance, a few others) for $70. I wasn't impressed. The cut was alright, a little loose in the legs, and the whiskering/finishing was very artificial looking.

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I like the Rekko Da'mage jeans, and to a lesser extent, the Ice, which has a distinctive look.  The Rode hard also has a nice wash, and is more natural looking, but the 8.5 ounce denim puts me off - way too light.  Of their other jeans, the City wash intrigued me, but I already had a pair of Paper Denim Visions (btw, the most inconsistent wash in any jean, ever.  I think that the treatment is very difficult to get correct - i.e. streaky, but not over the top) and didn't need another mapri of streaky jeans.  But neither the City nor the Ice washes are supposed to look "natural".  

I personally like the wider cut at the thighs and the slight bootcut.  If you don't like them even this wide, though, you will probably want the New Standard rather than the Anglaise, which is looser throughout than the Da'mage jeans.

The "Red" jeans must be a bit old, they're very odd. Messy stitching, plastic button fly and plastic suspender buttons on the outside. Wide legs. The denim might have been a blend.

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Those actual sound quite recent, I would say either F/W 2003/2004, and no earlier than 2002, based on the collections I've seen.

This is a somewhat unrelated question, but when first washing unwashed denim should you keep them separate from other jeans because of the indigo that may be lost? Or, would it be fine to wash them with all your other jeans?

This is a somewhat unrelated question, but when first washing unwashed denim should you keep them separate from other jeans because of the indigo that may be lost? Or, would it be fine to wash them with all your other jeans?

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First rinse in vinegar. Then, hand wash with very mild detergent, separately, inside out. Do not wring the jeans. And hang dry, of course. Except for the first step, always wash the jeans this way to keep their look. This is, of course, for denim "purists", everyone else should feel free to break at least one of these rules. I always do.

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This is a somewhat unrelated question, but when first washing unwashed denim should you keep them separate from other jeans because of the indigo that may be lost? Or, would it be fine to wash them with all your other jeans?
First rinse in vinegar. Then, hand wash with very mild detergent, separately, inside out. Do not wring the jeans. And hang dry, of course. Except for the first step, always wash the jeans this way to keep their look. This is, of course, for denim "purists", everyone else should feel free to break at least one of these rules. I always do.
This method also depends on what you want your jeans to look like afterwards. If you are trying to keep the dark denim as dark as possible, then this is the best method. If you want your jeans to look older and more faded, I would recommend simply hand washing them with a little detergent and hang drying them. No vinegar for that one. Washing them in the machine is going to take ever so slightly more dye out. I only add this because I prefer to take more dye out, I'm really into the super-faded look, especially if I super-faded them myself. Oh, and when you are finished washing them, make sure to shake them out and get them as flat as you can so they are not wrinkly when they are dry.

If I've washed my jeans once in regular water, can I rinse them in vinegar the second time to stop the fading?

If I've washed my jeans once in regular water, can I rinse them in vinegar the second time to stop the fading?

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Never did this, but logic would have the answer being in the affirmative.

LA Guy or Brian SD (or anyone else) -

How does dry cleaning affect the fading process for dry denim? I've been wearing my dry nudies for a few weeks now, and I'd like to go the full six months before washing but I'm looking into strategies to control the coming smell. Will the chemicals used in dry cleaning do something wierd to the indigo, or will it just take out the smell? Thanks