Jeans

The whole concern about smell or the jeans getting dirty is just speculative. As, its inevitable that all clothes will eventually get dirty and smell after enough time or wear. I have 2 pairs of Pure Blue Japan 005s and a pair of Samurai S710s. None of them ever really smell (febreeze is great), and If i have get the feeling they're getting a bit nasty, then I just give them a cold soak and hang them outside to dry. It works great, and you're free to wear your denim as you see fit.

Also, you can wash your jeans anytime you want, just know that its going to affect how your jeans will look over time. If you want them to fade to a very light color then wash them as often as any other pair. But if you like a ton of contrast that great "if those jeans could talk" look, then keep the washing to a minimum. I also, do all my repairs on my jeans myself. I think it gives them more character. I'll post a pic of my 2 year old PBJs later this week when I get some time to take a few good shots.

 

Jeans definitely don't show dirt all that much... I have numerous pairs of what others have called "exclusive" denim lines, and really love them all.

For cheap, durable jeans, you really can't go wrong with the shrink-to-fit 501. They can be found almost anywhere, and will last a long time. I put 8 months of daily wear and only ended up with a little fraying/holes in a cuff fold. You can find them everywhere on-line (best prices I've seen tend to be at Kohl's website, particularly with their frequent sales and mailed coupons), but be ready to return a pair as their sizing standards are a bit lax, and a tagged pair can come 1" smaller to 2" larger than the actual tag-size.

 

I think more importantly it's how you wash your jeans that wears them out. I never put mine in the machine. I soak them cold and then hang them to dry. This keeps them dark longer and creates a better fade pattern. I think that the washing machine was invented to wear your clothes out so you'd buy more....just a thought.

 

I pretty good way to "age" jeans would be just to wear them for as long as possible then use a 200 sandpaper lightly on the natural creases, and then a wash.

On Jeans... Some really good costumes with Levi's in Nowhereboy, really worth checking out.



Charlie

 

The jeans that I wear aren't from the 50's or 60's, but they are from the 70's up to 1980. I have been wearing only USA made Levi's Saddleman jeans (with Orange tab) for a while now. The quality was still superb, at that point.

I try to find them in NOS condition and go from there. They'll last for years.


- Ian

 

Levis

Ian where do you find those? ? Ebay or is there a set place? John

 

Has anyone ever owned a pair of those 21oz Iron Heart jeans?
Any good or way over priced?

 

I've owned some Iron Hearts.

They're really awesome jeans. No other jean has the same feel to them, which draws me to them everytime I look for a new jean. Even though I've already owned a pair.

There are other companies who try to compete with the 21oz, but the feel of Zimbabwe cotton is amazingly soft, while the other jeans are very stiff and rigid. Make sure you size them right, as they will shrink a bit. Not too much since they are sanforized, but it will shrink just a tad.

Trust me when I say, you will never find another pair of jeans that feel like these...

Oh, and the whole fading thing...

Sandpapering is a cheap way out. It's not hard to get your jeans to fade, just be active in them. It'll give them real characteristics, as opposed to store bought fading.

 

I never said to just sandpaper straight away. I am saying to wear them for as long as you can stand, then to help the wear along with a little sandpapering on the natural wear marks.

Charlie

 

"Levis
Ian where do you find those? ? Ebay or is there a set place? John"

John, I find them on eBay. Maybe a NOS pair a year. I really don't need anymore at this point, but I still look every week and if a NOS pair of Saddleman come around in my size I try to pick them up. Like I mentioned, this only happens about once a year.

Sorry for the very delayed response.

- Ian

 

Pardon my ignorance, but what does NOS mean?

 

NOS = New Old Stock. Sometimes you'll see, 'old store stock', 'dead stock' or 'deadstock', same thing...

BTW, tried the 'freezer' trick with my Lee 101z, didn't work...

 

Thanks for that.

 

Freezer method is usually a mental thing. People whip out the jeans straight from the freezer and get a fresh whiff of cold and think they smell fresh. But, how long did you leave them in for? A lot of people usually spray their jeans with Febreze and then leave their jeans in the freezer overnight. I personally think hanging your jeans outside with a spray or two of Febreze is a much better and effective method.

I never said you did. I just find sandpapering to be a cheap and easy way out. And I speak with experience, as I've experimented with many jeans years ago.

It just looks unnatural and cheap. Same goes for telling when a grease has been pinched or not. If anything, just rub those creases once in a while, it's not that natural but it beats sandpaper. People look down at worn in jeans that have been sandpapered.

 

Figured I may as well update this... I've been wearing leather braces with metal snap-hooks that hook on to two belt loops in the front and the center one in the back when wearing jeans for a couple of years now. Since then the only time I've worn a belt has been the few times I've worn shorts.

The leather, metal hardware, and jeans do work together... and I do wear them when wearing short-sleeve shirts these days, too.

Cheers,
Tom

 

To IAN: Thanks for the advice. I will look some more. John

 

Thanks Jan for your advice, I just had to try a pair, you are right they are AWESOME!

 

I recently bought a pair of regular fit Lee jeans at Kohls which just SCREAMED at me to buy them and wear the heck out of them around the house for a while then put them into my "going out" jeans pile. I can already tell they're gaining character without doing any seriously hard work in them.

I generally prefer dark jeans, but there's just something about naturally worn/distressed jeans.

Randy

 

No problem. They are truly amazing jeans, and it would be nearly impossible to find a pair of jeans that are anything like them.

Here's a pic of mine that I bought 3 years ago.



And (possibly,) the same pair of LEEs as theinterchange, underneath.

 

Those are the darkest wash, right? If so, I didn't get those, but one that was slightly lighter. I'm checking the Lee website to see what they call the color and noticed that they now have "value" colors for $19.99... I like them. [I believe the finish I purchased is called Steel]

Randy