My Denim Adventure - The First Wash

Finally after weeks of thinking through, I have finally decided to wash my Dr Denims for the very first time. Washing is extremely important in the realm of raw denim as it removes the dirt accumulated due to months of wear and tear without washing. It also removes the smell attributed to the long hours of wear. Most importantly, washing allows the pair of jeans to display the fruits of your own labour.



    There are many methods to wash a pair of raw denims, of which a few might be a little bit too crazy for normal people to digest (Methods of washing will be covered in future posts). Anyway, I have chosen the easiest method. By simply putting the jeans inside-out into a washing machine. Soak and wash, no spin (you'll find out why later).

Above: Remember! Inside-out.

    Anyway, my Dr Denims smelt real bad. I was so excited to get them washed for the first time that I forgot to turn the jeans inside-out when I threw them into the washing machine. Supposedly turning them inside-out will prevent damage to the threads and the fabric on the outside of the jeans. So in they go with NO DETERGENT to prevent the starch from being fully washed away. It is also important to wash the jeans by itself to prevent the indigo dye from transfering to other fabrics.

Above: Sea of black due to loss of indigo.

    After washing is done, I opened up the cover of the washing machine and it was a sea of black. This is exactly the reason why you should not spin or else the inside of your washing machine will be a bloody mess. Took the jeans out, squeezed the water out, pulled along the seams to stretch the stitching and hung them up in the shade to be air dried. The floor was a mess with indigo-stained water everywhere.

Above: Drops of indigo on floor.

    A day later and it was all dried up. The colour had faded a little, and the fabric a little more dull. Apparently the shine that develops when the jeans were worn for a period of time is due to the accumulation of dirt. The jeans also shrunk back to their original size and are now a bit stiffer than before the wash. When I saw them for the first time I was surprised at how much more visible the fades have become. Anyway, below are the before and after pics. =) Enjoy

BEFORE/AFTER

Above: Front. Fades more visible.

Above: Rear.

Above: Pockets. Similarly, fades more visible.

Above: Knees. Whiskers can be seen in all their true glory now.

Above. Behind knees. Evident shrinking of jeans.