cool, thanks
So after living in/with 505s forever, I faced the fact that, um, they really don't fit me all that well. Baggy in the ass, baggy above the knees... This realization came after I saw my wife devote a few hours to figuring out what really fits her, and going from some truly unflattering jeans to a pair that looks so good on her that I just want. to. take. them. off.
Anyways...
I took her with me so she could provide honest feedback and was surprised to find that my/her favorite was a plain old pair of Old Navy Slim/Straight, 31-30s (Even my 19 yr old daughter said nice things about them.) Yeah, the denim could be higher quality and the pre-fade is just OK. But they're $35. If I get a couple years out of them I will not be able to complain.
cn5161128.jpg
I also tried on the 514s. They were close to correct, but not quite there. I'm going to go track down some 513s. If they fit as well as the O.N. Slim/Straights I'll have a lot more fabric options - heavier denim, even light khaki denim - for my next couple pairs of jeans.
GO!
i never ever wear denim. ya can't bike in 'em so why bother? chafey....
khakis forever.
if i was a workin' cowboy maybe...
and "pre-fade"?
um, no.
this place is right down the road and i've been meaning to pick up a pair. they get REAL good reviews.
Baldwin Denim & Collection | Kansas City | Shop Online
also, the rapha jeans are the best fitting pair of jeans i've ever had. better than 501s, my old baseline.
Levis 513 did not work. My wife: "It looks like you're wearing my jeans. It looks like you have labia..."
Ouch.
GO!
About 2 weeks in on my latest pair if 510s. These have no built-in stretch. I'll report back in another 50 weeks.
To the guys who never wash them,
How do you keep them from getting that hot ass and balls funk?
Hugs,
C
Got some cash
Bought some wheels
Took it out
'Cross the fields
Lost Control
Hit a wall
But we're alright
I do not get the "not wash" thing.. When i went to Imogene and Willies, they recommended not washing them for a year!! Holy shit, i work and live in the south. How in the world do you not wash a pair of jeans for a year. Salsa butt and mustard nuts, 105* with 100% humidity, i dont care how long you sit in a coffee shop that seems bacterial-petrie at best. I get what they are talking about as far as the denim goes, but man hygiene.
Change your underwear daily.
Throw them in the freezer periodically.
Don't wear them when it is +90 or if you're going to go hiking. Take them off if you're going to just be sitting around on the couch.
Even with all this, I'm right around 7 months of pretty heavy wear on my I+W's and I'll wash soon. The whiskers are just now starting to set, so I'll wait til they fade a bit more and wash. I'd like to wash due to stretching, not smell, FWIW.
I have a couple of pairs of Jean Shops made with Japanese selvedge that look like they'll fade much quicker. The Cone Mills denim in the I+Ws is really resilient, for lack of a better term.
Every now and then, they'll need a wash. Apparently, freezing them in a plastic bag for 24-48 hours kills the bacteria though. I put mine in the freezer before a trip, pulled them out 6 weeks later and they smelled a few days later again. So it may or may not actually work.
Just give them a french bath daily.
Edit: Oh yeah - I do the "lay them out in the sun" thing too, but I usually remember them 1/2 way through a rainstorm. This post makes me sound way too forgetful about things.
Auk's words to live by:
Blow up and pin a picture of M. Bartoli on your wall. When you achieve that position, stop. Until then, stretch, ride, stretch, ride, eat less, and ride more.
The main reason for not washing is .... When you wear raw untreated denim, you develop creases and fades from normal use. Each time you wash, a little indigo is lost and the fade diminishes a little and makes the creases and fades less defined. At some point when you feel they are "broken in" and no longer need definition, you can wash all you want. Also - not washing can lead to breakage or tears with cheaper denim as the raw denim can be brittle.
Auk's words to live by:
Blow up and pin a picture of M. Bartoli on your wall. When you achieve that position, stop. Until then, stretch, ride, stretch, ride, eat less, and ride more.
Yup, this is why. If you don't wash, the denim will stress at the same places, leading to interesting fades like this:
tumblr_mcu3u6dUxu1qdbn9do1_500.jpg
From the It's worn Tumblr.
So, you have two things that go on when you wash, as velobran said, the entire jean fades, reducing contrast, and the denim "resets" for lack of a better term, meaning that the stress points wont be in the same place.
But if your ish stinks, and freezing/sunning won't work, wash it. No one will want to be around you if you smell like a giant ass crack.
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