Love/hate relationship with unwashed denim smell

[retronotmetro]

I understand that one of the traditional indigo dye methods was to dissolve the indigo plants in urine.

 

[faustian bargain]

now we're getting somewhere.

but for real - fabrics used to be made with a formaldehyde treatment. (possibly among other things,) it gave the fabric a sheen that you don't get nowadays. i think the EPA put the kibbosh on that. damn EPA. maybe the urine thing is the equivalent of formaldehyde. (...'urea formaldehyde'...) i wonder how many people would start washing their jeans if they thought they might be urine-soaked... LOL /andrew

 

[T4phage]

now we're getting somewhere.

but for real - fabrics used to be made with a formaldehyde treatment. (possibly among other things,) it gave the fabric a sheen that you don't get nowadays. i think the EPA put the kibbosh on that. damn EPA. maybe the urine thing is the equivalent of formaldehyde. (...'urea formaldehyde'...) i wonder how many people would start washing their jeans if they thought they might be urine-soaked... LOL /andrew

THe "sheen" you see on some raw denim like Nudie's RR and some Evisus is because the fabric has been sanforized to minimise shrinkage. Others like Denime and Levis Vintage clothing do not have such a finish on the fabric and as a result have far far greater shrinkage.

 

[Brian SD]

Really now. I had no idea that the shininess was due to sanforization, but after thinking it over, it does make sense to me. All of the jeans that I've seen that weren't shiny, were not coincidentally also not sanforized.

 

[Logo]

When you guys say you wear your jeans hard(This kinda sounds wrong talking about Denim-lovers, doesn't it?

) does that mean you just are very physically activite while wearing them? Say ... if I ran and worked out 3 hours a day in the same pair of jeans, for 60 days without washing, they woud look really good?(And smell really bad..?)

 

[LA Guy]

When you guys say you wear your jeans hard(This kinda sounds wrong talking about Denim-lovers, doesn't it? Â

) does that mean you just are very physically activite while wearing them? Say ... if I ran and worked out 3 hours a day in the same pair of jeans, for 60 days without washing, they woud look really good?(And smell really bad..?)

Oi. Can't speak for the others, but I don't wear my jeans to workout in. On the other hand, I'll wear them while fixing/riding my bike, during impromptu sporting competitions, running errands and jumping fences, etc... i.e. not just for going out for a nice dinner in. And I'll wipe my hands on them after washing. Who needs paper towels?

 

[hermes]

i have a pair of raw denim helmut lang jeans that i bought in 1999 that i've never washed

i have taken the advice from the label that says 'do not wash or will shrink one whole size' so given they're the right size, i haven't wanted to ever risk it

i have had them dry cleaned a few times but what i mostly do is either steam them twith a garment steamer (rowenta professional floor model) to make them smell fresh about once a month, depending on number of times worn, and run them through the dryer with dryel to clean them about once every three months or so ....

and they don't smell is the bottom line

 

[Geowu]

hi hermes, - does dry-cleaning them affects the color? the fact that they don't smell sounds really nice, after several years of use. They don't have many wear marks right? I wonder howcome...

 

[hermes]

hey geowu

i have not found either the dry cleaning or using at home dry cleaning (dryel) to have any significant effect on the colour - they're still a very dark indigo blue

i think after the first dry cleaning, there was some minimal colour difference but nothing significant

there are mainly just whiskers around the crotch and on the back of the knees and some wear marks on the cuff but that's about it ...... i guess i've treated them too well

 

[Brian SD]

Quote:

(Logo @ May 18 2005,10:49) When you guys say you wear your jeans hard(This kinda sounds wrong talking about Denim-lovers, doesn't it? Â

) does that mean you just are very physically activite while wearing them? Say ... if I ran and worked out 3 hours a day in the same pair of jeans, for 60 days without washing, they woud look really good?(And smell really bad..?)
Oi. Can't speak for the others, but I don't wear my jeans to workout in. Â On the other hand, I'll wear them while fixing/riding my bike, during impromptu sporting competitions, running errands and jumping fences, etc... i.e. not just for going out for a nice dinner in. Â And I'll wipe my hands on them after washing. Â Who needs paper towels?
Same for me. I wear my jeans to everything, when I'm dancing, bikeriding, walking around school, and I may sleep in them on tile floors if the party is good enough.

 

[Charles Rogers]

Ugh, my first time getting my jeans wet.

They smell like a wet dog.