Do jeans (selvedge or otherwise) keep shrinking with time/washes...?

[multiccy-csa]

I've been hunting for some US made 501s, or something similar with a high(ish) rise and a mid/light wash, and keep seeing 70s/80s jeans labelled 32 waist and see the listing states they've shrunk to 28/29. This is serious shrinkage!
Thinking back, i've often wondered whether jeans i've owned for years have tended to slowly continually shrink or whether my girth was increasing....i think i concluded it was both.
So - do jeans continue to shrink over the years rather than just the once after the maiden wash as makers tend to advise...?
Would be very interested in views.

 

[zippyh]

I've been hunting for some US made 501s, or something similar with a high(ish) rise and a mid/light wash, and keep seeing 70s/80s jeans labelled 32 waist and see the listing states they've shrunk to 28/29. This is serious shrinkage!
Thinking back, i've often wondered whether jeans i've owned for years have tended to slowly continually shrink or whether my girth was increasing....i think i concluded it was both.
So - do jeans continue to shrink over the years rather than just the once after the maiden wash as makers tend to advise...?
Would be very interested in views.

Those were probably non sanforized shrink to fit Jeans for that level of shrinkage. Even sanforized jeans have a tendency to tighten up a bit after washing but they stretch back out with wear.

 

[aristoi bcn]

In my experience, yes. And the effect is even more extreme with my Levi’s Vintage Clothing than with my japanese made ones.

 

[somatoform]

As Zippy said, you're probably looking at Levis standard XX jeans. I think the code is 0000. Often you might find an older pair of 0115 which was also shrinkable, though in the past few decades 0115 is what we would just call standard Levis rinsed.

At any rate, though some might claim some denim to be unpredictable and continue to shrink even past designated max shrinkage, it has been most people's experience that near max shrinkage can be obtained with a soak and wash or after the first few washes. Can they shrink to 14.5" across (29")? Sure, but I don't see why that has to happen through the lifetime of the jean versus getting the shrink out from the get go. To answer the question more specifically, no, one and done max shrinkage may not happen but certainly twice or thrice and done should do the trick, but your probably going to wash your jeans 2 or 3 times within the first several months, so I can't see shrinkage being an over the years thing.

 

[symphvaria]

Shrinkage is minimal on modern sanforized jeans, which includes anything with a zip fly (shrinkage would render the zipper unusable). On older button fly jeans like vintage or LVC 501s or Japanese selvedge manufacturers that deliberately go out of their way to do so, the denim is unsanforized, so it shrinks about 10% in the wash.

Denim in general will stretch out over multiple wearings without washing, but a wash will immediately shrink them back to their original size. Amount of stretch depends very much on the construction of the denim.

 

[benjamin831]

There is no noticeable amount of shrinkage after a certain amount of washes. That number is larger than people think, but the primary vertical and horizontal shrinkage does plateau off.

However, the fit continues to change over time through wear. The jeans will stretch out with wear, and shrink back with wash throughout its lifetime.

 

[billscoresby]

I've been hunting for some US made 501s, or something similar with a high(ish) rise and a mid/light wash, and keep seeing 70s/80s jeans labelled 32 waist and see the listing states they've shrunk to 28/29. This is serious shrinkage!
Thinking back, i've often wondered whether jeans i've owned for years have tended to slowly continually shrink or whether my girth was increasing....i think i concluded it was both.
So - do jeans continue to shrink over the years rather than just the once after the maiden wash as makers tend to advise...?
Would be very interested in views.

Are they 501s or 501xxs? I have a pair labeled 501xx from the 80's, tagged size 34 and they fit me, a 32, perfectly after one wash. Believe the xx indicates shrink-to fit jeans.

 

[multiccy-csa]

Are they 501s or 501xxs? I have a pair labeled 501xx from the 80's, tagged size 34 and they fit me, a 32, perfectly after one wash. Believe the xx indicates shrink-to fit jeans.

Was more a general question as I've observed this with many examples. Think you're right on xx being shrink-to-fit. Does that equate with 'unsanforized'? Is it the general view that this is the best long-term way to go? If so, which makers use unsanforized denim these days? Think Blackhorse Lane (for example) are all sanforized.

 

[billscoresby]

Shrink-to-fit and unsanforized are synonymous, yes. In my experience they only shrink after the first wash and stretch minimally as you wear them, then shrink back to the post-first-wash size with each subsequent wash but your mileage may vary. Unsanforized will sometimes be called non-wash and sanforized or pre-shrunk will be labeled one wash.

I don't think one is better than another per se, it comes down to preference. Lately I've wanted jeans to sit above my waist without a belt and have leaned towards shrink-to-fit. There are plenty of brands which produce quality unsanforized jeans. A few examples with good reviews:

Denim 133 Jeans Unsanforized | Bryceland's & Co.

13.5oz. unsanforized denim - High Rise - Straight Leg - Button fly with single-button closure - Made in Japan Size Chart * Kenji is 182cm/6ft with 31.5”/ 80cm waist and wears size 31* Ethan is 181cm/5.94ft with 41.25”/105cm waist and wears size 38

www.brycelandsco.com

C.T.L SLIM STRAIGHT DENIM PANTS-BENGARA(INDIAN RED) / SOLID RIGID(NON

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