The Simple Way to Care for Your Jeans.

posted by Michael Williams

The good people of Mr. Porter came to me a while back and asked if I had any thoughts on the best way to take care of one’s jeans. And as it turns out, I have indeed done some thinking the subject over the years. So we spent some time together coming up with a simple and authoritative video guide that lays out exactly how to ensure your denim always looks its best.

In the early days of ACL (way back in 2008) I wrote a little something to clarify my thoughts on how to best go about washing your jeans. Lately it seems to me that a lot of people have really gone crazy trying to over complicate the process of taking care of your denim. I’ve never been a believer in washing my clothes in the ocean, or doing my laundry in my freezer. I’d rather just find a simple way to make my jeans look nice, smell good and age as perfectly as possible without taking up too much time or energy. Because anyone who likes denim can tell you that there’s something really amazing about taking a pair of raw denim, having it mold to your body and creating something which is completely one of a kind. That’s what makes denim maintenance so impactful. Though it’s not so important you need to rolling around the surf in your special new 14oz White Oaks.

[Mr Porter Denim Guide]

Comments on “The Simple Way to Care for Your Jeans.”

    David del Gaizo on March 13, 2015 6:02 PM:

    I’m a big fan of raw denim jeans and agree with all of your suggestions except for the recommendation not to wash them for six months. I feel that an initial rinse in a cool bath will insure a much longer life for them. By doing so, most of the startch is removed and the weave of the fiber is tightened, resulting in a more flexible fabric, preventing breakage. Also, you will have a much better idea how they will really fit. And since most high end jeans must be hemmed, one has a better sense of the desired length once they’ve been submerged in water.

    Matthew Pike on March 14, 2015 5:09 AM:

    The Mr Porter vids are always really easy to watch and fun, this has and extra bit of oompf right?

    Floyd on March 14, 2015 5:08 PM:

    Yuck.

    Reluctance to wash one’s clothes until one can no longer tolerate the stench is truly the endgame of hipster pretension.

    I like this site, but those of you who treat workwear like a courtier of Louis XVI might have treated his collection of powdered wigs have completely lost the plot.

    One day soon you will look back at your behavior and shake your heads in disbelief.

    Martina on March 14, 2015 8:21 PM:

    Yuck is right. And good luck getting a date wearing a stinking pair of jeans.

    Matt on March 14, 2015 9:13 PM:

    ^^ this effing guy

    Emma Howard on March 15, 2015 11:06 AM:

    Raw indigo dyed denim = Holistic ,mindful dressing!

    Ray on March 15, 2015 8:34 PM:

    Hygiene trolling at its best.

    David del Gaizo on March 16, 2015 11:32 AM:

    As Christian McCann of Left Field says, “If you want to trash your jeans, don’t wash them”.

    Cam'Ron on March 16, 2015 1:59 PM:

    i haven’t washed a couple pairs for almost a year… they don’t stink at all

    tf you guys doin?

    Peter on March 16, 2015 5:50 PM:

    Simple. Wear for a few days to set whiskers honeycombs etc. then warm soak to shrink a bit. Another soak with Castile soap when they start to smell. Honestly that could take months. After a while I just turn inside our and wash in machine on cold and hang dry.

    Brian on March 18, 2015 11:35 AM:

    Great video. I agree 100%.

    I think of raw denim jeans the same way I think about wool dress pants. I wear them when I won’t be getting sweaty and dirty. Regular jeans that can go through the wash get worn on those days.

    I wear raw denim jeans for 1 day or 2 days max then hang them up. By having a few pair they are rotated for a while before I wear them again. It’s MONTHS between washings. I’ve had a couple pair I don’t think I’ve ever washed. They don’t smell at all.

    Putting them in a paper bag in the freezer for a few days seems to freshen them up. Putting them in a “drytel” bag in the dryer seems to freshen them up if needed too.

    Chuck on March 23, 2015 4:01 PM:

    Saw this on Devour, great stuff man.

    Bpc on March 23, 2015 10:06 PM:

    Anyone know what kind of sweater he’s wearing in the video?

    Michael Williams on March 23, 2015 10:09 PM:

    @BPC Club Monaco

    Richard Sullivan on March 28, 2015 3:51 PM:

    How did the classic work pant devolve into something akin to Marie Antoinette’s delicates? This is just crazy — except for the dryer part. My dryer broke and I was forced to hang clothes on the line until I got the cash for a new one. Surprise. My hung clothes looked and felt better, and showed little sign of wear compared to the same items dried to death in a dryer. Never put your favorite clothes in a dryer — they’ll last 3 or 4 times as long.

    Bill on April 11, 2015 3:43 AM:

    Simple but good advices about jeans, thanks!
    Bill

Comments are closed.