Jin431
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I am new to unwashed selvage jeans as well and just got it not even 2 weeks ago so I've no plans yet of washing it. when is it recommended to do so?
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Brave Star question
- Thread starter Jules Myers
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Jules Myers
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If there is any consensus, it would be “quite awhile”. Brave Star recommends several months, but allows that some folks have difficulty with that—-they can wash them after at least a week of continuous wear.
Jin431
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Noted, the "quite awhile" works for me since I don't wear jeans on a daily basis. I might give the black 21oz brave star a wash after my local tailor hems it so it's not so scratchy. I hope you'll like your incoming IH jeans, I have a 21oz IH trucker and it's a big difference in quality with the brave star denim.
marker2037
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It would depend on what you're doing in them. Sweating and working and getting them dirty? Wash more often. I'm generally not doing any of those in my jeans so I wait 4-6 months depending on how often I wear them. I'm not an every day type of wearer as I have other trousers I rotate in and out.
Jules Myers
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It’s all a matter of perspective for sure. I’m super pleased with these 12.5 oz Brave Stars because they’re so much nicer than the mall jeans I usually wear. I’m keen to try something like IH that is universally praised for its quality…even though it’ll be a bit of journey before they’re comfortable.
Jin431
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That's a great way of putting it, really depends on how you wear them.
Same here, I don't use them for work so my jeans rarely get dirty so I'll wait a good while (6 months) to wash the lighter weight jeans.
Jin431
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I know I'm comparing brave star jeans vs IH denim jacket but the IH trucker jacket I have is not scratchy/cardboardy and it's not unpleasant to wear at all. I don't mind wearing that unwashed and wearing it for long periods of time at all
Jules Myers
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Do folks treat their $400+ IH jeans like jeans? Not just riding motorcycles, but sweating, working, etc? I have no idea—I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea, but I imagine if there were any possibility of staining them with grease, paint and such….hell no!
roadking04
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I was unsure of a quality difference. Good to note.
Jin431
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I don't know how to describe it but it feels the same weight/thickness but it's not so rigid and stiff and does not feel like a chore to wear.
El Marro
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Some people do but there is always the risk of picking up a stain or tearing them. I was really bummed when I put a big paint stain on a pair of Gustins that we’re just starting to fade really nicely and those didn’t cost half what a pair of IH do.
my heaviest jeans is 24oz sanforized, as long as the fit is ok it wears normally, maybe what makes some jeans uncomfortable to wear is when they are super starched, just wash/ rinse it off.
IMO if you desire heavyweight and like the look of the creases made by 25oz then go for it, don't settle with 21oz, 4oz difference is visible and tangible.
my 24oz is not starchy from start so it just soft in the inside too, not at all a difficult pants to wear. The only downside for a 21+ oz denim is the fly looks bulky especially if the construction is not special enough there, some jeans use selvedge fly and that helps keeping the fly a lot less bulky while most brands just shell felled the edges and make things 2x bulkier.
IMO if you desire heavyweight and like the look of the creases made by 25oz then go for it, don't settle with 21oz, 4oz difference is visible and tangible.
my 24oz is not starchy from start so it just soft in the inside too, not at all a difficult pants to wear. The only downside for a 21+ oz denim is the fly looks bulky especially if the construction is not special enough there, some jeans use selvedge fly and that helps keeping the fly a lot less bulky while most brands just shell felled the edges and make things 2x bulkier.
Jin431
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Ah so it's the starch that makes it rigid, good to know. Thanks for sharing.
Jules Myers
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Jin431
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happy break in man, that looks like an actual task. I also went ahead and purchased the 18oz true straight brave star, I hope I can fit an engineer boot with it
Jules Myers
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true straight should be good! Greater than 8 inch hem width
Jules Myers
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The button fly on these jeans makes me want to refrain from drinking water.
Bfd70
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I have ih 21oz and they broke in fairly quickly and are now soft as can be. I tried on a pair of 25oz or should i say tried to try on. I couldn’t even button them!
Jules Myers
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I've taken the button fly down and up at last a dozen times over the last day. Already much better. Ain't what you'd call easy, though.
Pandemic
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Weight only tells half the story. I had a pair of 18oz with an open weave that we super soft comfortable and 14oz that were stiff and rough for their whole lifespan. I had some 23oz that didn’t feel so heavy and 15oz (see below) that felt like monsters.
I wash them when they are dirty or start to smell. Don’t overthink it - just don’t wash them if they don’t need it.
my personal recommendation for ocd types who order custom leather jackets rather than off the rack is to go with Ciano Farmer and get the exact fit and details you want. His 15oz Kojima feels soft but a lot heavier than that. You pay more for your first custom pattern, but after that it’s the same as stock price. Be warned though, that you might wait up to six months (though that’s not much longer than the wait for Gustins in which you get no custom options and a very low front rise).
I wash them when they are dirty or start to smell. Don’t overthink it - just don’t wash them if they don’t need it.
my personal recommendation for ocd types who order custom leather jackets rather than off the rack is to go with Ciano Farmer and get the exact fit and details you want. His 15oz Kojima feels soft but a lot heavier than that. You pay more for your first custom pattern, but after that it’s the same as stock price. Be warned though, that you might wait up to six months (though that’s not much longer than the wait for Gustins in which you get no custom options and a very low front rise).
