Just got my first pair of Pure Blue Japans, need help w/soaking

[fosho78]

Hey I keep finding different threads that say different things. I just got my first ever pair of PBJs (xx-005 from BiG's website). It says that they are unwashed, but when I put them on the waist fits pretty snug, despite the fact that their website says they should be 2 inches big pre-soak.

That said, how exactly do I soak them? Specifically, should I turn them inside-out, hot/cold water, how long do I soak them for, and I'm assuming I should wear them while they dry if the waist is pretty snug as is? How many times should I soak them also?

 

[erbs]

If they fit snug pre-soak you should just do a quick cold soak, but bear in mind they will shrink further if you ever warm/hot wash them.

You might want to return them for a larger size and give them a hot-wash, or just get a one-wash pair.

 

[shade449]

If you want to get all the shrinkage out of them early, you'll have to soak/dry them around 3 times but otherwise 1 cold soak for 1.5-2 hours is fine. It's still gonna shrink though so it may be too tight at first. Just where them around the house until they stretch back out.

 

[fosho78]

Yeah they're just a little big all over right now (not just the waist).

How long should I wear them while they dry?

 

[stickonatree]

Originally Posted by fosho78

Yeah they're just a little big all over right now (not just the waist). How long should I wear them while they dry?

Originally Posted by shade449

If you want to get all the shrinkage out of them early, you'll have to soak/dry them around 3 times but otherwise 1 cold soak for 1.5-2 hours is fine. It's still gonna shrink though so it may be too tight at first. Just wear them around the house until they stretch back out.
you're welcome.

 

[jkennett]

Originally Posted by stickonatree

you're welcome.
wow... a bit harsh?

 

[stickonatree]

how is that harsh? i just pointed out the poster right above him had the answer...???

 

[jkennett]

Eh... I just read it the way I'd typically have said "you're welcome" in that context.

I'm curious though... It seems the OP thinks that he should put those jeans on after they've soaked and wear them around the house when they're still wet (until they're dry as he states)... I'm not sure if Shade meant this or not, as he said to wear them around the house until they've stretched out to a comfortable fit. It seems this could be done after they've dried.

Some clarity would be appreciated as I am a dry denim novice myself.

I guess "You're welcome" didn't answer that. Also, I apparently am just hyper-sensitive or have really mean family and friends that don't say "you're welcome" unless it's mean or sarcastic (note to self: find new family and friends). My bad.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by stickonatree

how is that harsh? i just pointed out the poster right above him had the answer...???

Ha, I was wondering the same thing. I just assumed I was missing the point of a cutting remark because I don't speak the hip lingo you young whippersnappers use these days.

 

[stickonatree]

Originally Posted by jkennett

Eh... I just read it the way I'd typically have said "you're welcome" in that context.

I'm curious though... It seems the OP thinks that he should put those jeans on after they've soaked and wear them around the house when they're still wet (until they're dry as he states)... I'm not sure if Shade meant this or not, as he said to wear them around the house until they've stretched out to a comfortable fit. It seems this could be done after they've dried.

Some clarity would be appreciated as I am a dry denim novice myself.

I guess "You're welcome" didn't quite cut it in answering that.

you'll need to wear them until they're comfortable. if you wear them and they're dried, and they're STILL uncomfortable, then you'll need to either size up. the jeans after they're dried on your legs won't expand that much more, but still will expand (especially if it's a brand like apc). the jeans, if comfortable and still wet, should be taken off, unless you want to have them stretch even more. and again they'll stretch once they're dried, but not as much/fast as when they're wet.

 

[zhouyu]

Originally Posted by fosho78

Hey I keep finding different threads that say different things. I just got my first ever pair of PBJs (xx-005 from BiG's website). It says that they are unwashed, but when I put them on the waist fits pretty snug, despite the fact that their website says they should be 2 inches big pre-soak.

That said, how exactly do I soak them? Specifically, should I turn them inside-out, hot/cold water, how long do I soak them for, and I'm assuming I should wear them while they dry if the waist is pretty snug as is? How many times should I soak them also?

Originally Posted by fosho78

Yeah they're just a little big all over right now (not just the waist).

How long should I wear them while they dry?


which is it? snug or little big?

if its snug, maybe u should go for a size up, since these shrink about 2 inches or soon the waist...

it its a little big, just soak in hot water for a couple of hrs, put them on wet... if its a snug, its ok... take it off and hang dry

 

[the etruscan]

Originally Posted by zhouyu

which is it? snug or little big? if its snug, maybe u should go for a size up, since these shrink about 2 inches or soon the waist... it its a little big, just soak in hot water for a couple of hrs, put them on wet... if its a snug, its ok... take it off and hang dry
Waist stretches back out over time. Legs don't really. I'm fairly sure my size 36 PBJ 007s are currently 37 in the waist. They fall down without a belt. Right after their first hot soak, I could just barely button the top button even after I'd softened/stretched the button hole. Be warned, if they're tight, when they're still new and stiff, you will hurt yourself buttoning them.

 

[fosho78]

My mistake, I should have been more specific: stickonatree - I meant how long should I wear them immediately after soaking. Not sure if that's what the original poster was referring to. I didn't know if I was supposed to actually wear them until they dry or just for an hour or so to get some wear in them, my fault. zhouyu - Pre-soak they were snug when I wore them a little lower (as they are a low-rise jean), but there was a little bit of room when I wore them up at the waist. For what it's worth, here's what I did: Turned the jeans inside out and: 1) Cold soak for an hour and a half 2) Change water, warm-soak for 30 minutes (figured they would shrink up more in warmer water plus I wanted to lose some dye). 3) Hung them for 10-15 minutes and let all the excess water drip out. 4) Folded them neatly and lined the washing machine with them and put it on the delicate spin cycle (no water, no heat), this way I could get them to being damp faster. 5) Wore them for a couple hours (until relatively dry) doing squats and what not to keep the waist from getting tight. I really like the way they turned out. In my opinion they fit me perfectly now. My first pair of Japanese jeans and I gotta say the denim is much stiffer than any other dry denim I've ever had. Great quality and I'm really happy with how they came out.

 

[stickonatree]

really, getting so specific about it is like asking about the million ways that you can walk from your house to your neighbor's front door. any combination of steps will do it, only a few general guidelines are needed to really get the wanted results.

Originally Posted by fosho78

I really like the way they turned out. In my opinion they fit me perfectly now.

so there you have it.

 

[fosho78]

Originally Posted by stickonatree

really, getting so specific about it is like asking about the million ways that you can walk from your house to your neighbor's front door. any combination of steps will do it, only a few general guidelines are needed to really get the wanted results.

Yeah I realize that now, I was just worried about ruining my first pair of really nice jeans so I was being extra careful.