Which side are you on? It's a challenging question that reflects your commitment: will you keep your jeans dry for that sharply contrasted wear, or will you wash them frequently to achieve a savvy, washed-out look? While the answer doesn’t have to be black and white, when and how often you wash your dry denim jeans will influence how they age. Now that you've just acquired a new pair of dry denim jeans, we're here to guide you through the two divergent paths passionately debated at Nudie Jeans, almost like politics. Yes, at Nudie Jeans, we don’t all agree on the right approach. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal preference — and isn’t that a beautiful thing?
Not to Wash
Welcome to the extreme path that has gained infamy among the public regarding the sanity (and sanitary) conditions of dry denim aficionados’ jeans. Refraining from washing ensures three crucial benefits. Firstly, the jeans undergo gradual wear, maximizing the loss of dye where the denim is subjected to abrasions. Secondly, the jeans remain stiff, retaining the creases formed from wearing. Thirdly, the deepest hue of the dye stays intact where the denim is not subjected to wear, maximizing the contrast of wear marks. These aspects are key to the No Wash Movement, which aims for highly contrasting wear often inspired by vintage jeans used as workwear. The movement often praises deep indigo denim for its initial darker shade and the resulting higher contrast with wear. While some choose never to wash their jeans, a common approach is to refrain from washing for a specific period; our recommendation is at least six months, though it can be much longer.
Refraining from washing does have drawbacks:
Depending on the stiffness of the denim, continued bending at creases can lead to yarn breakage.
Extensive wear without washing can cause a buildup of fatty oils, potentially reducing the durability of both the yarn and the fabric.
