How to Buy, Wear & Care for JEANS

Unlike the rest of your wardrobe, jeans are a living thing. Indigo-dyed fabric that actually transforms itself the more you wear it and the less you wash it. But buying jeans? That's where things get complicated. You can still find a great pair for less than a hundred bucks, and the basic principle is truer than ever: FIT is EVERYTHING. So if you still haven't picked up September's issue of Men's Journal, I strongly urge you to. Blogger Michael Williams was asked by the gents of the Journal to write the User's Manual on How to Buy, Wear and Care for JEANS and I promise, he doesn't disappoint.

I suggest goin' analog and picking up a copy on newsstands now. This by far is the best six bucks I've ever spent...well maybe if I don't count Chik-Fila-A. Here's a short excerpt to get you motivated.

THE ALLURE OF RAW DENIM REST IN THE FACT THAT AS YOU WEAR THE JEANS, they conform to your body and develop their own personality. As the fabric ages, it will show more and more character, forming a set of markings unique to the things you keep in your pockets and the way you walk and sit.

Many manufactures recommend not washing your jeans at all. Others recommend washing only when absolutely necessary. If you can wait just a few months, the jeans will become treated simply through wear and tear, and they will shrink much less when you do actually wash them. Here's what we recommend:

1. ROTATE YOUR JEANS-Always have three pairs in rotation: a new raw pair, a pair you've been breaking in for a year, and your favorites. Focus on wearing your newest pair most until they wear in.

2. BREAK 'EM IN-Rubbing your jeans with Bounce Fabric Softener and then throwing them in the dryer for a few minutes at a low temp will make them more comfortable and act as a stop gap to washing.

3. WASH THEM (IF YOU MUST)-Go as long as possible and then wash them every few months. Turn inside out to slow the loss of indigo and use the gentle cycle with Woolite Extra Dark Care. Hang to dry.

 4. KNOW WHEN TO LET GO-If your jeans become at all ripped, you should retire them. If you can't handle that and want to have them patched up, save them for mowing the lawn or painting the house.

[Source] A Continuous Lean