Guide On How To Break In Raw And Nonraw Jawns

Godmother provides more helpful info here.

Question: I did not soak my G-Star (yeah I know, the only brand I coulf find near me in a brick-and-mortar store. Also cheap) 'Reese Classic' (I think that's the style) jeans, now I have been wearing them for a few months. Basically, is the world going to end because of this? Also, wut about mah fadez?

[EDIT] Thanks heaps, datasupa, this guide is a great help.

Good post, cheers

Im 3 months into a pair of nudies at the moment,, im getting weak though and am tempted to wash them.

Ill probably kill hundreds of previously underdiscovered bacteria by washing them..

Originally Posted by Mushroom77

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Question: I did not soak my G-Star (yeah I know, the only brand I coulf find near me in a brick-and-mortar store. Also cheap) 'Reese Classic' (I think that's the style) jeans, now I have been wearing them for a few months. Basically, is the world going to end because of this? Also, wut about mah fadez? [EDIT] Thanks heaps, datasupa, this guide is a great help.
Things Data should add for V2.0 of this thread: 1) Some/most of the cheaper dark/raw jeans you can find at the mall just aren't going to fade the same way the more expensive stuff will so it won't really matter what you do to them. Notible exceptions include Uniqlo selvage, Gap selvage (even then, hard to break), and Good Society/Academi. 2) Soaking: Do I need to soak my jeans? You need to ask yourself: A) are they Shrink-To-Fit/no-wash/unsanforized (look up the terms if you're unfamiliar), B) are they a brand respected here on SF, and C) are they normally found at a mall. If you answered A, you either have a pair of Levi's STF or quite possibly a pair of jeans purchased from BlueInGreen, SelfEdge, or via Japanese proxy. Not EVERY jean these stores sell fall into this category but it's more likely that you should be paying attention to whether or not your jeans have touched water before arriving at your doorstep. If these are your jeans then YES, you should soak (please search for soaking methods). Not doing so initially might left you later with jeans that no longer fit or fades that don't presently match up to your body. If you answered B but not A (or are unsure), then the pair you have is most likely one-wash or sanforized. There are two schools of thought in this scenario. One says that since most shrinkage has been minimized that you should just wear them however long you want to but when you do a first wash you could expect to see some shrinkage (1-2%, most of which will be lost once worn). The other thought is to soak them initially to FURTHER shrink the jeans to that 2% loss so that there are no surprises on the first wash. Either route is fine and there is plenty of indigo to do either. If your pair happens to be a Japanese repro brand and are still unsure whether your pair is no-wash or one-wash, then feel free to post pics and ask questions BEFORE you soak. If you answered C, they're 99% likely to be one-wash or sanforized in which case it really doesn't matter what you do with your jeans. You can treat them as if you had answered B but any shrinkage will be minimal, they will be hard to fade, they will not fade like A/B jeans, etc. The best suggestion would be to simply wear them; if you're that insisitent on fades, don't let them touch water. You'll probably lose a lot of contrast if you do.

Originally Posted by Mushroom77

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Question: I did not soak my G-Star (yeah I know, the only brand I coulf find near me in a brick-and-mortar store. Also cheap) 'Reese Classic' (I think that's the style) jeans, now I have been wearing them for a few months. Basically, is the world going to end because of this? Also, wut about mah fadez? [EDIT] Thanks heaps, datasupa, this guide is a great help.
No, those are sanforized too. No shrinking necessary Chances are, if you didn't order them from Japan and they are not LVC (or Levis Shrink-to-fit) then you don't need to worry about soaking them. Oops, I was beat by a much more thorough whodini

Originally Posted by PG2G

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Oops, I was beat by a much more thorough whodini

Seems to be the theme, no?

*Thumbs up* Good addition Who, now denim noobs like myself can't screw it up

Originally Posted by whodini

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Whacked's just getting 12 different kinds of pwn3d tonight...

Dude stop following me around. Don't you have many-a-Lakers'-fan-mourning drinks to go through?

Originally Posted by whacked

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Dude stop following me around. Don't you have many-a-Lakers'-fan-morning drinks to go through?

Fixed (yes, I do!) and I can't help it if your mistakes follow you around like **** on a shoe.

great post. should probably be stickied/pinned

Awesome thread.

Yes, it does put the emphasis on Japanese denim but the information is useful and well written. Every new member here interested in denim should give it a read. The pictures are really helpful as well. +1 on pinning this.

Thanks datasupa.

where is that damn +rep button

if i've been wearing a pair of raw denim for a week (about 30-40 hours) is it worth it still to hot soak them?

The jean storage thing is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

Originally Posted by Geno Malkin

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if i've been wearing a pair of raw denim for a week (about 30-40 hours) is it worth it still to hot soak them?
Wow. Did you ******* read my post?