Newby question regarding selvage jeans

[Seb Lucas]

I just found a brand new pair of Japanese Edwin unwashed 14 oz red selvage jeans that are large for me. Don't know if these are any good.

They are are about an inch and a half too wide at the waist. Can I wash these to make em fit? What makes them shrink (obviously no dryer)?

Should I just sell them on?

 

[dr greg]

the shrink from washing comes back as they loosen up, too big? ebay em....

 

[Seb Lucas]

I've tired them on properly now for an hour. They are loose around the waist (even though they are a size smaller than I usually wear) and tight around the legs - not all that easy to bend the knees. They are loosening up however and the label claims they are a relaxed fit but they're still tighter than I usually wear. Should I stick with them? I need a belt but only just.

 

[Grayland]

I've had several pairs of selvedge denim taken in at the waist and they look great. While I'm fairly slim, I've got a bit of a booty on me and sometimes need to buy pants/jeans in a larger waist size to accomodate my rear, but need the waist taken in. These are Earnest Sewn.

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[Boyo]

If they still have tags, is the denim Sanforized? meaning more or less "preshrunk". Or Un-sanforized. if they are Sanforized they really won't shrink much, where as un-sanforized will shrink up to several inches depending on how they are washed and dryed

 

[blazerbud]

I assume that you won these already.
If they are raw denim. Put them on and take a shower in them. Or jump in the ocean or pool. You have to wear them till they dry. They will stretch out in the tight areas and shrink up in the loose areas.
Check out the blog www.rawrdenim.com

 

[Seb Lucas]

Hmmm. They do have tags but there's nothing on them about being Sanforized. Jump into the water... shrinking in different ways..? Forget it, I'm not wearing a science experiment. They're going back to the thrift shop they came from ($5). I'm going back to Target to get my standard, boring jeans. The best thing is, you don't have to work at them or, in fact, give a toss. And given that I'm tall and thin, most jeans (unless I buy a particularity poorly cut and egregious example) look identical on me anyway. Thanks all.

 

[Grayland]

Hmmm. They do have tags but there's nothing on them about being Sanforized. Jump into the water... shrinking in different ways..? Forget it, I'm not wearing a science experiment. They're going back to the thrift shop they came from ($5). I'm going back to Target to get my standard, boring jeans. The best thing is, you don't have to work at them or, in fact, give a toss. And given that I'm tall and thin, most jeans (unless I buy a particularity poorly cut and egregious example) look identical on me anyway. Thanks all.

C'mon Seb, don't be such a Sheila! Damn, I thought you Aussie boys were croc-wrestling badasses. You think Crocodile Dundee would take them back?

 

[apba1166]

For $5? Not worth the gas money or time to either place....just wear'em, wash'em and treat them like the boring jeans in the first place and all will be fine...

 

[Mr Badger]

The 'dry' Edwin selvedge jeans are supplied quite a bit larger than their ticket size, to take into account shrinkage when washing – having worn this brand of jeans for years, they'll usually shrink 2" around the waist and about the same in leg length if you put them anywhere near warm-to-hot water...

In your case, simply fill the bath full of hot water, to the temp you'd normally find too warm to bath in, then leave the jeans in there for an hour, rinse with cold water to remove any excess indigo dye that's leached out, and hang up flat until they're bone dry, then wear 'em...

NB the legs will balloon around the knees if you wear 'em and then sit in the hot bath, cos you'll always end up bending your legs to get out of the tub! I learned this to my cost one time...

If they're a little too stiff for you, when you soak 'em, pour a cap of fabric conditioner into the tub... on no account use any soap or detergent, unless you want to radically lighten the colour of the jeans. After the soaking, with regular wear, the legs will soon become more comfortable, at the moment, they're too stiff to mold to the shape of yer pins and that's why they feel tight...

 

[Highwaymanman]

The legs will not balloon if you concentrate really hard on not bending them. I've done it with Levi stf's and while getting out of a bathtub without bending your legs is pretty hard, it's not impossible if you have decent upper body strength.

 

[nick123]

Hmmm. They do have tags but there's nothing on them about being Sanforized. Jump into the water... shrinking in different ways..? Forget it, I'm not wearing a science experiment. They're going back to the thrift shop they came from ($5). I'm going back to Target to get my standard, boring jeans. The best thing is, you don't have to work at them or, in fact, give a toss. And given that I'm tall and thin, most jeans (unless I buy a particularity poorly cut and egregious example) look identical on me anyway. Thanks all.

I feel the same Seb. Just bought my first pair of "good" jeans as well. We'll see how it goes when they get in.

 

[Benny Holiday]

C'mon Seb, don't be such a Sheila! Damn, I thought you Aussie boys were croc-wrestling badasses. You think Crocodile Dundee would take them back?

lol lol lol

Grayland you've hit on a classic Aussie saying there ("don't be such a sheila")! You must have some inside info to know that one!

 

[felix03]

My Edwins stretched more than any jeans I own, including Rock and Republic, earnest sewn, Naked and Famous, etc.

 

[Seb Lucas]

For $5? Not worth the gas money or time to either place....just wear'em, wash'em and treat them like the boring jeans in the first place and all will be fine...

Funny.

My $35 jeans are comfortable. These are the opposite.

 

[Seb Lucas]

The legs will not balloon if you concentrate really hard on not bending them. I've done it with Levi stf's and while getting out of a bathtub without bending your legs is pretty hard, it's not impossible if you have decent upper body strength.

Exactly the kind of absurd effort I wish to avoid.

 

[Seb Lucas]

C'mon Seb, don't be such a Sheila! Damn, I thought you Aussie boys were croc-wrestling badasses. You think Crocodile Dundee would take them back?

I thought fussing over clothes was a Sheila's role. Never seen the Dundee film. Over here many of us found the whole idea puerile.

 

[apba1166]

You won't wear the rigid jeans because it'll take a week or three til they are soft like your stonewashed ones?
I get that. When I grew up they were always stiff....I hated it too...and kids in school razzed you because you had new jeans. I guess that is what started the pre-wash soft market. Yet you might wear a FQHH Aero jacket that takes 2 years to break in to feel comfortable, if it ever does? Unless you wash that and go through all the mind-numbing effort to soften it ahead of time....put'em up on the bay and get yourself a quick $75.

 

[Seb Lucas]

You're close there apba - althought I didn't wear jeans until I was around 20. I wore corduroys as a kid or a uniform. And if I do wear jeans I prefer black ones. I like the idea of solid, 14 oz, ridgid denim. May just have to go with the old cowboy Wranglers.

 

[schitzo]

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?