How to care for denim (so it fades the right way)
Denim is the only fabric that improves with wear. Here is how to help it along and avoid the mistakes that ruin it.
Denim is the only fabric that gets better with age. A new pair of jeans is stiff and dark and unremarkable. A pair that has been worn for a year has faded where it bends, softened where it sits, and moulded to the body. The question is how to help that process along and avoid the mistakes that ruin it.
Wash less
Denim does not need washing after every wear. Air it, spot-clean what you can, and wash only when it genuinely needs it. Every wash removes dye and softens the fabric. The less you wash, the better the fade.
Denim is a record of where you have been.
— the studio
Wash cold, inside out
Cold water preserves dye. Turning the jeans inside out protects the surface from abrasion in the machine. Use a gentle cycle and a detergent without bleach. Never use fabric softener — it coats the fibres and kills the character.
Never tumble dry
Heat shrinks denim and sets wrinkles. Hang to dry or lay flat. The jeans will be stiff when dry — that is normal and they will soften within an hour of wearing.
The fade
The fade happens where the fabric bends and rubs. Knees, thighs, seat, pockets. The more you wear the jeans, the more defined the fade. Washing resets the fade, which is why washing less produces better results.
The honest bit
Some denim is pre-faded and distressed. That is a factory process, not wear. It looks good on day one and does not change. Raw denim — unwashed, untreated — is the opposite: stiff and dark on day one and beautiful after a year. The edit has both. Check the product description.
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