The Do NOTs of Taking Care of Denim

Saturday, 21 November 2009

The Do NOTs of Taking Care of Denim

So, I decided to take this opportunity to teach you ways to destroy your denim (and no, I don't mean the good ways. If you want to learn how to distress your own denim, you're at the wrong post).

1. Do NOT not hem your jeans
Even I’m guilty of this one every now and then. Sometimes, I just want to wear my new jeans right away. But, doing this will ruin your bottom hem, destroy the crap out of the entire bottoms of your new jeans, and usually end up with you dragging your denim in the dirt. Getting your jeans hemmed is always a good thing.
2. Do NOT put your good jeans in the dryer!
At least, not on your normal cycle. Some jeans will make it through a delicate dry just fine, but you’re still better off letting them air dry. If you treat your good sweaters better than your good jeans, you’re doing something wrong… especially when they’re made of the same fabrics (why yes, I'm talking about my favorite cashmere James Jeans)!
3. Do NOT just dump your jeans in a ball in the corner of your bedroom.
This is another one I’m kind of guilty of. Since I’ve been pulling out and photographing so many different pairs of jeans for everything that's been going on, I haven’t been treating them as well as I should. But, the benefits to treating your jeans well are infinite: they last longer, look better, feel better and take less work to keep in great shape. For extra tips on how to store your jeans, head over to this post: How NOT to Store Your Denim, Part One and Two.
4. Do NOT wash new, dark denim with light fabrics
… unless you like everything to be a sexy shade of light blue. They will bleed, almost guaranteed. You’ll be safer turning them inside-out to keep the color intact, but keep them out of your whites.
5. Do NOT wear new, dark denim outside in the rain
… especially if you’re wearing light-colored shoes. It will stain them… and, sometimes, you. This has happened to me before and believe me, looking like a smurf is not particularly sexy.
6. Do NOT let a rip or tear just hang out.
Go take care of it! The longer you let it just sit (particularly if you wash it afterward), the worse it ends up looking. I know the distressed look is in, but pay for your jeans to get distressed, or plan on doing it yourself… don’t let a tear destroy your favorite pair of jeans. It’s cheaper to get it fixed than it is to buy a new pair.
7. Do NOT just buy for trends.
Go with what you like… not what you’re told to like. You need to look good, but looking good (particularly when it comes to denim) is different for everybody. Maybe you love Evisu and Antik denim, and you want to wear it, even though I've said that it's a bit louder than my tastes. If it’s your style, go for it!
Do you follow these rules? Are there any that should be included?
Guest blog submitted by Denim Debutante

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do not sneeze on them.
- 11/21/2009 1:38 PM
- HiROBii@xanga (message)
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1... why don't you just buy jeans that fit you?
- 11/21/2009 1:41 PM
- taylorrrxx3@xanga (message)
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i rarely wear jeans.
- 11/21/2009 1:44 PM
- cinnamontoastsalinda@xanga (message)
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@taylorrrxx3@xanga - I am guilty of that because sometimes I like the certain style and there's no size available, I'd rather pick a smaller/bigger size and then change my diet or hem it.

But overall, jeans are jeans. I don't take care of them.
- 11/21/2009 2:11 PM
- TequilaKisses@xanga (message)
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i am still learning NOT to throw my jeans in the dryer...for some reason - air drying it make it soo hard and crispy @@ dont like it ~ but everything else i m doing pretty good ~ Hah!
- 11/21/2009 2:39 PM
- oO_Grace_Oo@xanga (message)
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@taylorrrxx3@xanga - It can sometimes be difficult to find jeans that fit perfectly lengthwise for people who don't fit into the regular sizes. I always have to alter my jeans unless I buy them from the kids' section or the store carries short sizes in addition to regular.
- 11/21/2009 2:45 PM
- just_the_average_jane@xanga (message)
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if you don't hem your jeans, the asphalt will do it for you :)
i hate stiff air-dried clothes.
- 11/21/2009 3:27 PM
- my_favorite_song@xanga (message)
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I can agree with 7. I already hang my jeans on a clothes line which I am a little embarrasses by.
- 11/21/2009 3:49 PM
- WhenHateIsTheOnlyOption@xanga (message)
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Yeah, I never take care of my jeans. Jeans are jeans.
- 11/21/2009 3:50 PM
- modelstatusxquotes@xanga (message)
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How about just not buying denim?
But, to each their own...
- 11/21/2009 4:02 PM
- Gerald_Washington@xanga (message)
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@taylorrrxx3@xanga - because most places sell jeans that are too short or too long.. regardless of them saying "size, length"
I'm incredibly short and "short" pants are still too long. soo yeah..
- 11/21/2009 4:54 PM
- chipshmunk@xanga (message)
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Guilty of most of these...and don't really care. Besides, I like throwing my denim jeans in the dryer, it makes them tighter.
- 11/21/2009 5:02 PM
- GieGieHeart@xanga (message)
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Always read the label to know the proper way to care of them.
- 11/21/2009 5:13 PM
- shadowsandsorrow@xanga (message)
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Some of these rules aren't exactly to keep them in better shape but more personal taste and to keep other things safe from them
- 11/21/2009 5:27 PM
- x__BeautiifulxDiisaster__x@xanga (message)
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wow OCD! My jeans are usually too short for me, so hemming them would make them look even more short and ridiculous-looking. No place sells long enough jeans...
- 11/21/2009 5:36 PM
- black_lie@xanga (message)
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I guess I do some of these. Especially #2, I haven't dried a pair of jeans in forever, they always shrink, and I don't exactly have a lot of money to blow on clothes all the time.
- 11/21/2009 8:32 PM
- ForeverLove_xx@xanga (message)
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Jeans are so durable, there's no need to "take care" of them. That's why they were invented in the first place. I do most of the things on your list, and mine are just fine.

@modelstatusxquotes@xanga - Exactly!
- 11/21/2009 8:39 PM
- XxskinnyxxhippoxX@xanga (message)
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I learned about dark colors the hard way when I carried a new, white purse while wearing new, unwashed dark denim.
@taylorrrxx3@xanga - this is hard when brands don't cary different inseam sizes. My proportions put me somewhere between petite and regular lengths.
- 11/21/2009 11:26 PM
- xiaosnowtenshi@xanga (message)
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I do all these things, and my jeans last forever.
- 11/21/2009 11:31 PM
- whitetrashpoet@xanga (message)
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i wear jeans that can stand up to abuse, like kneeling in dirt, being balled up in a corner, and dried on the highest setting after being worn out all day in the rain and getting grimy...so i definitely won't be following a denim care guide LOL thanx though
- 11/21/2009 11:38 PM
- SeitekiChibiNeko@xanga (message)
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Hmmm.... wow. I don't know that I could ever be this OCD about jeans. Maybe if I found the "perfect" pair that fit me super perfect. But I typically wear the same color of jeans (very dark) and I don't have any jeans that are too long for me (I guess 5'5 is the "typical" height anyhow for "average" length jeans, which happens to be about where I am). I am a busy mom - I don't have time to separate my jeans by color, put them inside out and not dry them. :) And again, they're just jeans. I have a couple of pairs that are for dressier occasions, but most of them are just for hanging around the house, cleaning up after two toddlers, etc.
- 11/22/2009 12:41 AM
- Morningstarrising@xanga (message)
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i love jeans, im still looking for a nice pair of darkkk denim that won't fade!
- 11/22/2009 3:17 AM
- AzNgUrl3510@xanga (message)
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This is a good list. The only thing I would add to it is don't wash your jeans in hot water. I actually wash my jeans in cold water and inside out because I have a lot of trouble finding jeans that fit me properly, and I want the pairs I have to stay intact as long as possible (the joys of having a 34 inch in-seam).
- 11/22/2009 3:23 AM
- Beatles4Life@xanga (message)
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Man, I'm 5' 4" and that's pretty average, right? Wrong. So I find jeans in a short size. Those will work perfectly. Nope. Apparently my legs are munchkin length, I always end up hemming several inches!
- 11/22/2009 3:33 AM
- kitch07@xanga (message)
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i thought the point of denim was to be devoid of the fuss. this seems like a whole lot of fuss to me.
- 11/22/2009 4:46 AM
- kaos_calle@xanga (message)
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