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Chairman_Wang
62
Mar 5, 2018
Hmm so looking for some advice. I'm looking for a pair of nice jeans for business casual, I generally get most of mine from Costco. I've got a pair (dont' recall if its Kirkland branded or not) that I had since college that is still nice and dark with no fade after tossing it into the wash biweekly. Been browsing thru the jeans on massdrop for awhile now.
Every pair of jeans I've seen on massdrop seem to emphasize fade, "character", and a general wear which to me is extremely undesirable. I get its fashion choice but am looking for something that is less artsy and more for a corporate environment. Should I just bit the bullet and head for the mall or is there something available here like that?
kdambay
25
Mar 5, 2018
Chairman_WangI purchased a pair of the Massdrop x N&F Ichiban selvedge (https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-naked-famous-ichiban-selvage-denim), that I've worn 2-3 days a week since mid-November in a business casual environment. They look great with alot of different outfits, and they have yet to fade significantly so they're very easy to dress up or down. Granted, I've only washed them once, so time will tell how often I wear them once they've faded more significantly. The pants in the current drop look to be a bit darker than the pair i purchased, based on a side by side photo comparison.
Take what you will from the above, I hope some of it helps!
Chairman_Wang
62
Mar 5, 2018
kdambayI was looking at those when they were active too. Thanks for the feedback! Its good to hear that they don't shed ink fast. Still a bit weary when the description for it has it as a selling point though :/
Chairman_WangThe fading properties of raw denim really only come out when worn for prolonged periods of time between washing. We're talking about months and months on end of daily wear before the jeans hit the wash. This daily wear makes the high stress areas of the jeans (like behind the knee and lap) form distinct wear patterns, and because of the prolonged wear these areas shed more indigo, and develop a distinct contrast when compared to the rest of the jeans. When washed this contrast becomes even more prevalent because with each wash layers of indigo are rinsed out.
If you don't wear your raw jeans every single day, you won't develop these distinct wear patterns, and after every wash the jeans will shed an even layer of indigo, so your jeans will stay dark and uniform. They won't be as dark as day 1, but they will still be considered a dark washed denim. Just like the jeans you own, after 50 washes they aren't as dark as they once were.
So if you're not into the whole raw denim fading process that's ok you can simply throw the jeans in the wash and enjoy them as you would any other jean.
st_burt
67
Mar 7, 2018
Chairman_WangA lot of raw denim is rope died, which means the dye doesn't penetrate all the way to core of each strand of cotton (skein of cotton?). This is the source of the sick fades: as the dyed cotton outer layer is worn away, white cotton at the center of the strand/skein is exposed. You can find lots of denim that isn't rope dyed, even raw denim. I can't remember the names of the other types of dying, but there are at least two ways other than rope dying, I think.
st_burtTo make denim that is permanently dark you would use a reactive dye, these are permanent dyes, but I guess they can still fade, like if you wash the garment on high heat all the time, or don't use a colorfast detergent.
You can either dye the yarn, or you can actually just dye the entire fabric roll (this roll would be made with just plain undyed cotton yarns) this would create a very uniform even color.
In a nutshell the cotton yarns or roll are dumped into a big vat of dye left there until it fully penetrates the yarn.
payodpanda
958
Mar 8, 2018
Chairman_WangSo, there's two aspects to "premium" denim. Most premium denim is usually raw selvedge denim. Let's break it down.
Raw refers to the denim material. It basically means that it hasn't been pre-washed, and the indigo dye will fade from the material as you expose the garment to the elements, as @Bahzad explained above.
Selvedge refers to the construction. This is how the material is constructed--selvedge comes from "self edge", and you can see this finishing on the inside of the leg if you turn it inside out. This can also be seen when you cuff the denim at the hem, that's why you pretty much always see that denim aficionados cuff their denim--this exposes the selvedge seam which is a sign of quality denim.
While it's typical to find denim that's both selvedge construction _and_ made of raw denim, it doesn't have to be. For your use case, if you want good quality jeans then look for selvedge offerings with pre-washed fabric. However pre-washed denim usually has distressing so it'll be hard to find a pair of selvedge non-distressed pre-washed jeans.
The other option you have is get a raw pair and wash it before wearing. That way you get rid of excess dye, lock in the existing dye, and minimize fading. If you keep washing at the rate you wash your current jeans (twice a week), you'll see fading, yes, but much more uniform. There won't be as much contrast as "sick fade" denim.
If you do go this route (raw denim washed twice a week), please document the fade patterns so the next time somebody asks on the internet you have documentation.
FOR SCIENCE!
Chairman_Wang
62
Mar 8, 2018
payodpandaI'm responding to the latest comment, but its clear now that I in a little over my head. I'll hold off on these for now and look at what matches my needs.
Bambino.sj
0
Mar 24, 2018
Chairman_WangCold washing the denim with a bit of vinegar will help limit the fade. I've got a pair of N&F jeans that I bought back in December and immediately soaked it in old water, after over 3 months of regular wear there is still no fade except for a slight outline where my phone, wallet, and knife left an imprint.