Newby question regarding selvage jeans

[nick123]

i don't get all this fuss about 14oz denim, that's nothing! Wear em for a day and they'll be comfortable, and if they were just $5 then why not experiment a little bit as my instinct is that if you do so you'll probably end up prefering these to the $35 bad boys you're currently loyal to

@ Nick
What did you buy?

http://www.nudiejeans.com/shop/dry-organic/p/975

What sold me?
A) Griff recommended them
B) The website was easy to navigate and informative for a noob
C) My 501s really look like crap. I always thought they looked good until I really looked at my photographs. They don't. At all.

 

[ButteMT61]

14oz? Try the 25...

 

[handymike]

I saw some of those Heavy 20 oz ones at Self Edge...
Whew!
I just got my first pair of expensive jeans last week- Rising Sun. Not Selvedge, but raw denim. Haven't worn 'Em yet, but when I get the chance I'll let you know. When is a good time to wear expensive jeans? Certainly not playing with the kids.....

 

[ButteMT61]

I saw some of those Heavy 20 oz ones at Self Edge...Whew!I just got my first pair of expensive jeans last week- Rising Sun. Not Selvedge, but raw denim. Haven't worn 'Em yet, but when I get the chance I'll let you know. When is a good time to wear expensive jeans? Certainly not playing with the kids.....

Once they're worn and washed, they're fine...As for when to wear? I have the opinion that any jeans I spend $45 or $450 on should be worn whenever I do whatever I do.That said, I have a nice pair of $200 501's that I was breaking in nicely when I caught the leg on an exposed screw on the good ol' chicken coop. Tore a nice little hole in the thigh. Bummed as hell, but I sewed them up and put a Triumph patch on 'em and now they're just for riding, or other casual stuff. Jeans is meant to be worn. if I spend a lot or a little. Otherwise what's the point?

 

[Highwaymanman]

Exactly the kind of absurd effort I wish to avoid.

Well, like I said, it’s not that bad if you have enough upper body
strength for a couple of press ups. And it’s no more absurd than any
other activity one might get up to alone in a bathroom.

Seriously, it’s not that difficult. Lukewarm bath, cup of tea, good
book, some jammy dodgers, 45 minutes. Be careful getting out. Wear
them till they are about dry. Now you have a pair of jeans that fit
you.

You don’t even really need the book although I’d defo not stint on the
jammy dodgers.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Sorry Highwaymanman - I'm due back on planet earth.

 

[majormajor]

Read this thread twice now.

Started out with a guy with ill-fitting jeans.

Now talking about all that "wear in the bath" b*ll*x (no! - just buy a pair that fit!!!)..............

You've lost me............:eeek:

 

[Sloan1874]

I seem to remember there were Levis adverts during the 80s and 90s that promoted the sit-in-a-bath/stride-into-a-lake thing. Part of me wondered, perhaps naively, how you actually stopped the shrinking process. Did you have to sit in a bath every time you wanted to wash them? Still not sure if I fully understand it.

 

[Edward]

I seem to remember there were Levis adverts during the 80s and 90s that promoted the sit-in-a-bath/stride-into-a-lake thing. Part of me wondered, perhaps naively, how you actually stopped the shrinking process. Did you have to sit in a bath every time you wanted to wash them? Still not sure if I fully understand it.

Heh, I wondered that at the time too. I remember that specific ad - it was 1986, a year after the one that started that whole run of great little ads they used to have (which was for "Now available stonewashed", the laundrette, putting them in the machine with a handful of gravel... to I heard it through the grapevine). This is it:

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roBkw0RfY-Q[/video]

 

[Sloan1874]

That's the bunny. What you don't hear is the guy's mum banging on the door, demanding to know how long he's going to be in there, and that he'd better not be bloody well ruining another pair of perfectly decent jeans by sitting in the bath with them on.

 

[Highwaymanman]

I honestly cannot believe that there's a forum full of guys who would consider doing all types of strange and permanent things to 1000 dollar leather jackets who wouldn't sit in a bath tub with a pair of 35 dollar jeans on cos that's just kerazy!

People have been soaking in their jeans probably since jeans were invented. There's nowt unearthly about it. Levis 501X are about 35-50 bucks and if you know how to size it right they will shrink to a perfect custom fit. You only have to do it once to a pair of jeans that will then last you for years and years.

As for washing, basically do it as little as possible. That's not to say you have to have horrible smelly jeans. You can sprinkle them with bicarbonate of soda throw them in the freezer for a couple days to get the foul waft out, but I prefer to put them in a bucket with cold water and white vinegar and hand wash them. It's not difficult.

Another benefit of this technique is that you get the maximum fade possible and cheapo jeans will look pretty great very shortly.

 

[majormajor]

People have been soaking in their jeans probably since jeans were invented. .

No they haven't. You've been doing it since Levi PR folk convinced you we've ALWAYS done it! (even though we hadn't).

Believe me, it IS possible to get jeans to fit without looking like a p*ll*ck in the bath. You simply buy the right size

 

[Highwaymanman]

I don't care all that much what I look like in the bath and I certainly don't care what anyone else looks like. You do? Either way, weird and revealing choice of words, good luck mate!

If Levi's PR people had got inside my brain I would expect they'd implant a desire for the more expensive products that company produces. Hasn't happened yet. Nice-ish implied insult though, I was mildly impressed.

But I'll defer to your knowledge of denim history. Maybe people never ever did shrink their denim until the 2000's. Maybe I misspoke through ignorance. I do know that the technique works excellently though, especially if you don't readily fit standard sizes, which I don't. Furthermore, you just won't get better fades on a similarly priced pair of jeans. I would say that Wrangler 13MWZ's are the main competitor at around the same price. They have no need for bath treatment, the denim is heavier but the ones I've handled aren't rigid denim. The fabric's hand is mealy rather than crisp and the fades uniform instead of finely delineated high contrast whiskers. I like both however. Wranglers will last much longer but 501X look cooler and the fit is customizable as described.

 

[Seb Lucas]

Hmmm. This is interesting. I'm glad to hear you should just buy a pair that fits and not mess about with technique. I ain't about to put jeans in the freezer, that's where my vodka lives. I am interested to hear what jeans I might buy that are a really tough denim and don't cost more than $150.

Highway has a point about $1000 jackets, some of us do wash them in a machine to break them in. I've none it. But I've never sat in the bath with one or worn it wet. But who knows - I may get drunk one day and try it.

 

[Highwaymanman]

If toughness is your main concern then Wrangler 13MWZ all the way, I say.

 

[nick123]

Seb, I just received my Nudie Organic Dirt Average Joe 's.
They are a bit stiffer than the 501s we're used to but they fit great. I ordered my usual size and they are right on the money. I think live ebay auctions are prohibited here but there is a seller in Florida selling them at a good price. They're about 11.5 oz I think.

 

[schitzo]

Nick, re 11.5oz how does that compare thickness wise to regular 501s?

I handled some 15oz iron hearts this week and tbh they felt no thicker than my 501s do

 

[nick123]

Nick, re 11.5oz how does that compare thickness wise to regular 501s?

I handled some 15oz iron hearts this week and tbh they felt no thicker than my 501s do

OK, I've found two other models with the "dirt" variation. Both say 130z.
I guess they're heavier than the reg dry organic which is 11.5oz?
So perhaps these are 13oz.
Feels much stiffer than regular 501s. As far as thickness goes I'm assuming they are.

Also, maybe there are different 501 variations? Mine are from the department store.

 

[JVK]

For those of you that soaking the denim in a tub/etc. seems too much for, why not try sanforized denim? Sanforized means the denim's already been stretched, so shrinking/stretching will be minimal and there's no real need for an initial soak. You can expect the standard 0.5-1" stretch in the waist over initial wear, but the rest should fit like it does when you try them on.

It'll still develop great character over time (albeit with not quite as a high a level of contrast as unsanforized, but honestly good fades) and you can still enjoy raw denim.

 

[Worf]

Well, almost nobody makes em my size ( 44/32) so I'm just watching the fistfight. This place git weirder by the day. Don't mind me though... keep sluggin'!

Worf