501xx Shrink to Fit?

[brooklyn]

I just bought a pair today and I am not sure what to do next
I have been reading different post on this. Do I wash them in the washing machine to shrink them? Do I put them in a tub of cold or hot water? Inside out?

 

[Brian SD]

Soak em in the washer on warm for about 30 minutes, inside out. No detergent/powder. Hang dry them inside out as well. This should be enough to shrink them down to your size. If you are worried about them shrinking too much, hang em up for about two hours outside, then put them on and let them dry on you. They dont have to be SOAKING wet, but if you let them dry on you, you can insure that the fit will be just right.

 

[Brian SD]

Also, run another wash cycle with your other jeans right after, so that your roommates/family don't end up with blue socks.

 

[ringring]

Brian's way is great.

Here's another way (it's the method some of my japanese denim nerd friends do it). Soak them, inside out, in a container of cold water for 3 hours. Change the water a few times.

Spin in a machine to get rid of most of the water. (just spin, no heat).

When they come out they should be just damp. Then put them on and let them dry on the body.

 

[brooklyn]

I soaked them in water this morning for about 1hour.  There was a lot of dye that came off the jeans.  I then took them outside and took the garden hose to them.  Probaly not the best idea but I wanted to take some more od the dye off of the jeans.  Since it was a decent day outside I let them dry outside for a few hours and brought them inside to finish.  I havent tried them on yet but they seem as stiff as a board. I hope they will be worth it?

Wish me luck.

 

[Brian SD]

I soaked them in water this morning for about 1hour. There was a lot of dye that came off the jeans. I then took them outside and took the garden hose to them. Probaly not the best idea but I wanted to take some more od the dye off of the jeans. Since it was a decent day outside I let them dry outside for a few hours and brought them inside to finish. I havent tried them on yet but they seem as stiff as a board. I hope they will be worth it? Wish me luck.

Sounds about right. THey will soften up. After 4-5 wears, they should be just as easy to wear as other Levi's. AFter 10-15 wears, they'll be like Paper Denims

 

[brooklyn]

It may take some time to do since I only wear my jeans on the weekend. I will probably wear them around the house whenever I can. Will the dye wear off on stuff? chairs? carpet? sofa?

 

[T4phage]

What I do is wait for a warm day, put the jeans on and soak in the tub for about 10 to 20 minutes. Then I try to squeeze as much of the water out, and then let the jeans dry on me. Warning.... YOU WILL BE DRIPPING BLUE.. so have rags on the floor and over the chairs. And your lower half will look like you are an honourary member of the "Blue Man Group".

 

[mkk]

(T4Phage) What I do is wait for a warm day, put the jeans on and soak in the tub for about 10 to 20 minutes. Then I try to squeeze as much of the water out, and then let the jeans dry on me. Warning.... YOU WILL BE DRIPPING BLUE.. so have rags on the floor and over the chairs. And your lower half will look like you are an honourary member of the "Blue Man Group".

May I ask what Mrs. T4Phage thinks of all this?

 

[T4phage]

Quote:

(T4Phage) What I do is wait for a warm day, put the jeans on and soak in the tub for about 10 to 20 minutes. Â Then I try to squeeze as much of the water out, and then let the jeans dry on me. Â Warning.... YOU WILL BE DRIPPING BLUE.. so have rags on the floor and over the chairs. Â And your lower half will look like you are an honourary member of the "Blue Man Group".
May I ask what Mrs. T4Phage thinks of all this? Â

She threatened to take a photo and get it digitalized and then to email it to all my friends...

I have to scrub the bathtub to get rid of the blue ring... and woe betide me if I drip on the carpet.

 

[brooklyn]

Thanks for the tips. Does this mean if it rains I wil turn Blue?

 

[Brian SD]

Yea, probably

 

[brooklyn]

Wish me luck.

Sounds about right. THey will soften up. After 4-5 wears, they should be just as easy to wear as other Levi's. AFter 10-15 wears, they'll be like Paper Denims

[/quote] I hope your right? I tried them on today and they are almost unwearable. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process without damaging the denim?

 

[j]

If we are talking about the plain regular Levi's 501s, then you should use one of the "dry on you" methods. The reason they feel so stiff is that you let them drip dry or whatever. You need to move around in them while they're a little damp. Personally, I bought 517s (though not shrink-to-fit, IIRC) a short while back, and I wore them straight from the store for a while and then put them in the wash and the dryer inside-out. I don't suggest drying them all the way in the dryer, because they always seem to develop random vertical creases in the legs when I do that. I took them out of the dryer still a little damp and steam ironed them flat, then wore them. You'll need to wear and wash them a LOT before they really break in. I've worn mine probably 30 times since I bought them and they are still pretty stiff, but I like them that way.

 

[j]

Oh yeah, it also helps to sleep in them, work on cars, rustle cows, do the wino crawl through gutters, get in barfights, etc.

I have done all but the cows and the barfights in mine so far.