if you get a fine pair of indigo denim or slavage denim this is how to care for them thanks to www.indigofan.com

Denim Care

There are no rules for what you do with your jeans. However, I'd like to offer you some suggestions.

Selecting your correct size. Considering shrinkage.

Before the denim is woven in the mill, the threads are treated with wax/resin (called sizing) so that the threads are stiff and strong - this helps with the weaving process. It produces a fabric which is very stiff, so it also makes the cutting and sewing of the denim easier. The final denim jeans are stiff like cardboard. Originally all jeans were sold like this.

When the new pair of raw jeans are wet for the first time the fibres will constrict, making the jeans shrink in size. The amount of shrinkage depends on the fabric and varies.

Some fabrics are pre-treated to reduce the amount of shrinkage you will get. The most well known process is called sanforization. When buying jeans which are obviously raw you should ask the retailer how much they will shrink.

Traditionally you would buy the raw jeans 2-3cm too big. Take them home, and soak them in cold water to shrink them. Then when dry, take them to the jeans tailor to cut and sew the cuff to your length.

Jeans that shrink too much can become unwearable, so be careful. You can stretch them by wearing them when wet, or minimise the shrinkage by wearing them in the shower to wash them.

Some jeans brands will sell their jeans at the store as "one wash", eg. 45RPM, Eternal. These jeans have been washed and dried to get the shrinking done. They're not raw, but you can be sure that they will never get smaller. Usually these retailers will measure and take up the jeans for you instore.

Some other issues for selecting the correct size:

How often will you wash the jeans - jeans will stretch out with wear, and shrink back when washed. The Denim Manaic method is to avoid washing your jeans at all costs. Six months of wear before washing is good. If you are a Denim Maniac, then you will buy smaller sizes - expecting more stretch than shrinkage.

Obvious considerations - will you wear a belt? will you tuck a shirt in? are you gaining weight?


The Fade

In general, during the first three washes - the denim fibres constrict and expand. The colour will become darker as the dark blue warp threads loose their sheen as the sizing is removed and they expand to hide the grining white weft threads. The fabric will also loose its stiffness and the creases will become less defined.

The trick for a good jeans fade is to wear the jeans a lot, and to wash them very little. Daily wear and tear will cause the indigo to rub off the high abrasion areas of the denim - so the crests and ridges become whiter.

Wearing
The main tip here is treat them rough. They're workwear, and will look cooler if you treat them rough. If they get a hole, a patch will look cool. I know they're expensive so you want to baby them, but you need to forget that.

The only exceptions are when you are doing things which can make them stink, or need an immediate clean, or involves a lot of water, bleach, chlorine, or solvents. For these situations, wear biohazard pants.

Washing
Use as little soap as possible, and try to use vegetable soaps. Most commercial clothing detergents contain chemicals for brightening and softening your clothes, so you should not use them.

Wash them inside out. Spin dry is okay, but avoid the dryer. Wearing them while they are drying can help define the creases and shape of the jeans for a structured fade.

Starch
A lot of starch can help preserve the stiffness of your jeans. You can get liquid startch to add when rinsing your jeans after washing, or you can use a spray starch for stiffening the denim at any time.

Starch can help, but I find that it doesn't last long. It's more important to wash rarely - try to get most of your fading done before the 4th/5th wash, and to select denim that has a tight/dense weave.