Shrink to fit denim jacket - first rinse/wash question

[Buick]

I’ve just bought my second raw denim jacket. The first was a Lee 101 and in that case I just put it in the washing machine; it came out a nice colour and better size, although the sleeves are a little shorter than would be ideal and as I understand it now, it won’t develop creases and fades the same way?

This time around I‘ve picked up a Levi’s LVC type 2 and would like to get it looking and fitting as well as possible without compromising its future development.

I’m a bit surprised there isn’t more readily available info about this, that I can find, but what would the more knowledgeable/experienced denim heads here suggest for that first wash or rinse? Inside out or not? Machine or tub? Cold or hot? Hanging on a coat hanger to dry or thrown in the dryer?

Thanks all!

 

[jchance]

confirm that the denim jacket is unsanforized, which is extremely rare. I tried looking for one but couldn’t find it. Sanforized denim jacket is already preshrunk.

For first wash, you should wash it inside out. Hot if you want to shrink it by a lot, but I usually wash mine cold. Machine is fine. Hang to dry indoor, not in sun. My denim never sees the inside of a dryer.

 

[Buick]

Thank you @jchance. I might compromise and rinse warm. I take it that not hanging it in the sun to dry is to prevent more shrinkage? Or is it about premature fading? I had certainly been surprised to see someone (on Reddit, I think) recommending the dryer, which seems like a harsh treatment, but I guess if you’re aiming for a lot of shrinkage it might make sense. I’m not looking to maximise shrinkage, so will avoid that approach.

 

[jchance]

Indigo changes its property and color in heat and in the sun. You’d want to avoid both.

With sun, indigo changes to a light blue color, it’s like the sun-bleached light-color denim.

With heat, indigo binds to the cotton more tightly. You’d get less contrasting fades after the denim has seen the dryer. The indigo loss at the creases are minimized afterwards.

Redditors are chronically online, it doesn’t mean they understand chemistry nor have any experiences whatsoever. Anyone can post on reddit, don’t trust everything you read on the internet.

 

[Buick]

Ah - I didn’t realise that indigo was affected in that way by heat. In which case, I’ll stick to cold water and hanging out to dry in the shade (on a coat hanger?). Thank you for the helpful information.

I am aware that there is a lot of misinformation, on all topics, online and that is part of the difficulty here. There are not many explicit guides that I could find and some of those are are wildly different accounts and reasoning!

 

[Dasher]

The 101 dry indigo is sanforised. I cold wash my dry 101 jeans by hand, inside out. I also tend to try and wear them indoors, say in the evenings, for about 6 months before the first wash and I get a pretty even indigo loss. I see little to no shrinkage (quarter to half an inch max on a 34" leg). Dry naturally indoors. After that first wash I then wear without restriction and wash, cold by hand, only when dirty.

I do have a 2025 101 jacket too - but the Paul Smith x Lee Storm Rider. The instruction is to dry clean - I guess that this is due to the blanket - but I suspect that mine will just be left to 'self clean'!!

 

[jchance]

For first “rinse” to get shrinkage out of the way without any indigo loss, I’d stick to spray bottle. Just enough to wet the jacket but not enough to be dripping water. No water drip = no indigo loss.

 

[Buick]

For first “rinse” to get shrinkage out of the way without any indigo loss, I’d stick to spray bottle. Just enough to wet the jacket but not enough to be dripping water. No water drip = no indigo loss.

I am surprised by this! I’ve read everything from soak for 10 minutes (Levi’s own guide) to overnight, or a wash cycle sans detergent - even a soak on the sea: but nobody has mentioned that a spray down would also induce the shrinkage.

 

[Buick]

The 101 dry indigo is sanforised. I cold wash my dry 101 jeans by hand, inside out. I also tend to try and wear them indoors, say in the evenings, for about 6 months before the first wash and I get a pretty even indigo loss. I see little to no shrinkage (quarter to half an inch max on a 34" leg). Dry naturally indoors. After that first wash I then wear without restriction and wash, cold by hand, only when dirty.

I do have a 2025 101 jacket too - but the Paul Smith x Lee Storm Rider. The instruction is to dry clean - I guess that this is due to the blanket - but I suspect that mine will just be left to 'self clean'!!

Those Paul Smith blanket lined Storm Rider’s are amazing.

My 101 jacket shrank a lot, so I don’t think that particular version was Sanforized, but I guess they have done lots of different editions over the years. Thanks!

 

[jchance]

I am surprised by this! I’ve read everything from soak for 10 minutes (Levi’s own guide) to overnight, or a wash cycle sans detergent - even a soak on the sea: but nobody has mentioned that a spray down would also induce the shrinkage.

Cotton fibers contract when they come in contact with water, which is why denim shrinks. Soak for 10 mins or overnight, wash cycle without detergent, or soak in seasalt water all get at the same thing. So does a spray with water bottle.

Heat shrinks the cotton fibers further. A dryer, hair dryer, or sun drying all get at the same thing, but they also affect indigo.

 

[Buick]

Cotton fibers contract when they come in contact with water, which is why denim shrinks. Soak for 10 mins or overnight, wash cycle without detergent, or soak in seasalt water all get at the same thing. So does a spray with water bottle.

That makes sense, thank you.

Would you say hanging out on a coat hanger (to maximise air flow and dry quicker) is okay, or would you suggest laying flat?

 

[jchance]

It all depends on whether you care about the indigo redistribution when the jacket is drying. Hanging on a hanger is fine but the indigo that is soluble in water would redistribute to be more concentrated at the waist. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter that much really, there’s plenty of indigo in the jacket.

Laying flat is not going to dry the wet denim jacket. You’d need air flow. You can lay it on a wire drying rack. Laying it on a dry towel, periodically flipping the jacket, and changing the towel frequently could work. But the towel would also absorb some of the indigo via water.

 

[Carlos840]

You guys are overthinking it, It's just denim not a silk blouse!
Just soak/rinse it in the tub or stick it in the washing machine inside out on a cold/cool cyle.
Air dry anyway you see fit.

In what world does "indigo that is soluble in water would redistribute to be more concentrated at the waist"
If that was true every pair of denim jeans that has been worn in the rain would be darker at the bottom, i call BS.

 

[jchance]

In what world does "indigo that is soluble in water would redistribute to be more concentrated at the waist"
If that was true every pair of denim jeans that has been worn in the rain would be darker at the bottom, i call BS.

Just because it’s not visible to the naked eyes doesn’t make it not true.

 

[Carlos840]

Just because it’s not visible to the naked eyes doesn’t make it not true.

So you are telling me that gravity can actually pull indigo down to the hem using the moisture left in the jacket after washing?
You're telling me that even though my eyes couldn't see it there is a way to measure that effect?

I would love to see your sources on this claim.

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Just because it’s not visible to the naked eyes doesn’t make it not true.

I’m no denim expert, but if the redistribution is not visible to the naked eye, does it really matter? I mean we’re not talking about gamma radiation here

Only advice I can offer is do not put that jacket in the dryer!

 

[Buick]

So you are telling me that gravity can actually pull indigo down to the hem using the moisture left in the jacket after washing?
You're telling me that even though my eyes couldn't see it there is a way to measure that effect?

I would love to see your sources on this claim.

It does make sense that a dye could settle with the weight of the water (which does move south as an item dries - that’s observable). Maybe that can ***ulatively result in higher concentrations toward the hem over time that aren’t observable in a single wash? If so, I quite like the sound of that effect so am not concerned - but as someone happily chatting about the subject with like-minded folk, it’s interesting to consider all the angles.

 

[Buick]

I’m no denim expert, but if the redistribution is not visible to the naked eye, does it really matter? I mean we’re not talking about gamma radiation here

Only advice I can offer is do not put that jacket in the dryer!

Is that the voice of experience (ie you ruined a jacket in the dryer once) or does that seem more like a common sense thing to avoid in your opinion?

 

[bigmanbigtruck]

Is that the voice of experience (ie you ruined a jacket in the dryer once) or does that seem more like a common sense thing to avoid in your opinion?

Not so much from experience in denim, but other garments and a mix of some common sense lol
You're gonna have non-uniform shrinkage, and some parts which over-shrink maybe difficult to stretch back out.
It'll probably weaken the fibers. If you like those denim fades, this'll lessen the potential to develop them.

 

[GHT]

I’ve just bought my second raw denim jacket. The first was a Lee 101 and in that case I just put it in the washing machine; it came out a nice colour and better size, although the sleeves are a little shorter than would be ideal and as I understand it now, it won’t develop creases and fades the same way?

This time around I‘ve picked up a Levi’s LVC type 2 and would like to get it looking and fitting as well as possible without compromising its future development.

I’m a bit surprised there isn’t more readily available info about this, that I can find, but what would the more knowledgeable/experienced denim heads here suggest for that first wash or rinse? Inside out or not? Machine or tub? Cold or hot? Hanging on a coat hanger to dry or thrown in the dryer?

Thanks all!

If you're looking for a guaranteed result and want to preserve your denim jacket, consider taking it to a professional cleaner who can shrink it safely.
There is a well known method for shrinking raw denim, whether it's true or more likely a myth, I wouldn't know. Check the bathtub method:
You soak your jacket thoroughly.: Put it on and submerge yourself in the tub. Make sure the denim is fully soaked for at least 30 minutes. Move around: After you get out of the tub, gently stretch and move around whilst still wearing the wet jacket.
It was a method that I had heard of back in my student days, as I said, check it out first, students were well known for smoking wacky baccy so whether the bathtub method is a delusional, pot infused myth or not, who knows?