Anyone gone raw...with denim? - YouLookFab Forum

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Anyone gone raw...with denim?

Jeanie

Veteran

I was reading Jackiec's link on cleaning denim in the freezer on Inge's Link Love post http://youlookfab.com/2015/01/.....nal-watch/.
I read in the comments that cleaning denim in the freezer was really meant for raw denim jeans (denim that hasn't been washed or processed). I guess the folks who do this really want to wear the jeans in and create their own distressing and fading so they wear the jeans for 1 year or so before washing. So I searched a bit for raw denim and found that a lot of it was Japanese denim that was made by brands I've never heard of such as 3sixteen & baldwindenim etc.
http://rivetandhide.com/brands.....jeans.html
https://www.baldwindenim.com/p.....age-denim/
I know some of you are fond of the 100% cotton jeans and this sounds similar but I am not sure it is the same. Anyone hip to this Japanese raw denim trend? It sounded like there might be more guys into it than women.

Dressing

14 replies

Latest reply was from Jeanie

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Amy K had gotten some a few months ago that she was happy with, perhaps she will chime in:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....-for-women

Astrid

Veteran

I've thought of trying it, but so far the cost of a pair has put me off. There are definitely more men than women doing this, when you look at the forums and websites on raw denim out there. I personally wouldn't buy one of the expensive Japanese brands because you seem to be paying mostly for image when it comes to those, but I like the idea of it and there are some less expensive options out there.

Dimity

What makes them 'raw'?

judy

Veteran

Yes, I have a couple of APC raw denim jeans...not Japanese, but French. I really love them. They aren't so easy to get used to in the very beginning, they feel like cardboard! But then they start to soften and they end up looking and fitting really well. But it's true, washing them completely changes them, so wear them as long as you can to get the broken in lines on them. I just tried the freezer method of cleaning, putting them in a plastic bag and leaving them in there for a day. Seemed to actually soften them a bit too...? These are the same ones I have, these are two posts from a blog showing the changes...http://grayzine.no/deadfleuret.....m-journal/

* since her blog posts were written, APC actually also makes a less skinny version of the Petit Standard called the Petit New Standard...I have one of each. (Just to confuse things even more, they also make a New Standard which is baggier leg and seat).

Jeanie

Veteran

Laura - thanks for the link to the previous post! I missed this discussion and it it covers a lot of the questions I had.
Astrid - I agree with you on pricing. There are some crazy high prices out there. Funny note, one of the Japanese brands I looked at makes the denim in Canada! I would like to try a pair but have read about a lot of people selling them because they didn't get the sizing right.
Dimity - Raw just means the denim hasn't been washed or treated with chemicals or rinses after it is dyed. It is very stiff and often 100% cotton that has to be broken in.
Judy - Sounds like they might be worth a try. So how long did it take to break in your jeans? Do people wash start washing them regularly after they are broken in? Did you size down to allow for stretch as the blogger mentions?

Dimity

Thanks for explaining, Jeanie.

Jeanie

Veteran

Also, I just remembered that my college roommate had a pair of the original Levis 501's that required breaking in. They were perfectly faded and had a couple of lovely wear spots. I used to borrow them from her as much as I could. She had a very lovely figure and because the jeans formed to her body when I put them on they sorta changed my figure for the better! So now I am thinking I might need to hire a jean surrogate to shape the jeans for me!

Echo

Veteran

A person can spend big bucks on premium denim in any category, but likewise, you can also spend $50 on a pair of raw Levis. Raw denim is all that was available when I was in elementary school, so I find it kind of funny that it is such a "thing" now. Everyone started school walking like robots because their jeans were like cardboard. And washing them was never considered a sin. They still broke in to you and your body, and the fading patterns they developed were unique to the wearer. Everyone knew to buy them a little bit big because they were 100% cotton and shrank.

Anyway, I'm just a little disgusted by the idea of wearing a pair of pants for a year without washing them. Freezing does NOT kill bacteria; it renders it inactive. As soon as you remove them from the freezer and put them back on, the bacteria become active again, so it is completely pointless as a substitute for washing, IMO. But to each their own. I, for one, was glad when raw denim wasn't the only choice available!

judy

Veteran

Hi Jeanie....in the two posts on the blog link I posted she covers the questions you asked. And in the previous youlookfab thread about it that Laura posted, there are some of these answers too. Hope that helps.

minimalist

Veteran

Jeanie, any questions still open?

Freezing damp jeans *might* help soften them faster. I don't know enough about the formation of ice crystals in cotton fibers to say for sure. But you'd need a cold freezer indeed to kill bacteria. Jackiec is a very intelligent lady so certainly she meant using a freezer she has access to in a friend's lab somewhere. Perhaps liquid nitrogen is involved.

FWIW, in case you vote with your clothing budget, 3sixteen is a good fit for those who are on the same page as Chick-Fil-A, Forever21, HobbyLobby, In-n-Out, Tyson Foods and so on.

Style Fan

Veteran

When I first bought jeans they were "raw denim". That was all that was available. This was in the 60s. We wore them for as long as possible before washing them. They were stiff.

I am on the fence about trying them again. It takes awhile before the jeans feel good.

jackiec

Veteran

No experience with raw denim here, but I do remember the super stiff jeans of way way back when.....

Just to clarify, I only linked the article for interest. None of it had anything to do with me. No experience with this at all

But now I'm interested in some raw denim....

karymk

Veteran

I need a hands-on denim tutorial pronto.

Jeanie

Veteran

AmyK - I was just looking any personal experience on how long it took to break your jeans in and if you wash them regularly after they are broken in.
Style Fan- interesting, I guess this is a 60s revival thing!
jackiec - you are such a jean lover...you go first and let me know how it goes!
karymk - Agreed! maybe we should start the raw denim to your door....jean bar assistance truck.