WHAT IS DRY DENIM?

There’s a whole lot of myths surrounding how to care for denim, especially dry denim -- you know, that type of denim that hasn’t touched any water yet; but there is no definitive answer on what is exactly right or wrong. This highly depends on preference, what you eventually want to achieve with your jeans. Maybe you’ve fallen in love with high contrast fades, like many of the jeans in our Fade Archive; or you prefer to keep your jeans dark for as long as possible. Both ask for a different approach. However, we’re not going to deep dive into all the different methods and ways to achieve different end results; instead, we’ll be focussing on the common rules of thumb and let you experience and enjoy your personal journeys.

 When we speak of ‘dry denim’ we refer to fabric that has not touched any water. Another popular term for this is ‘raw denim’. Every denim fabric starts dry, even a pair of light-blue stonewashed jeans were once as dark as any other pair of jeans. These effects are created by pre-washing and artificially distressing the jeans after they’ve been cut & sewn in the factory, before being shipped out to the warehouses/stores/you.

The vast majority of our jeans are dry for the simple reason that we love authenticity. Instead of creating a worn and washed look at a laundry facility, your dry denim will naturally mature over time reflecting how you wear and care for it. Whether your garment is a pair of denim jeans, jacket or shirt, the key stress points are susceptible to natural fading, wear and tear. These are some of the key characteristics that contribute to how your denim will evolve. Your lifestyle and frequency of wearing your denim will essentially dictate the speed in which your garment changes. Eventually, it's up to you how your denim evolves.

Over time your dry denim will crease and mold to fit your body. This doesn't mean your garment will be super fitted and become the exact same shape of your body. It just means that the piece of clothing will become softer and more comfortable over time. You'll look and feel as if you were made to be wearing the garment. Dry denim is a long term commitment and there is no end result. It's one big journey, and things only get better and better. First and foremost, at BENZAK we design all of our garments to withstand hard wear and show incredible character along the way. The garment becomes more personal to you wear after wear.

IS PRE-SOAKING NECESSARY?

A common question we get asked is if our jeans need to be soaked before the first wear. The simple and short answer is ‘no’. 

The denim used to make BENZAK jeans is sanforized. Sanforization is a steaming process the fabric goes through before it’s been cut into the garment patterns. This process is designed to eliminate almost all shrinkage from the fabric before it’s been constructed into a garment. 

You might also hear of the term ‘unsanforized denim’. Do not confuse this with ‘dry denim’ however, this is a common misconception. Unsanforized denim can shrink up to 10% after the first soak or wash, so in that case you should size up 2 full sizes to achieve a good fit after soaking. Most other brands that do offer unsanforized denim also offer this in a factory rinse, commonly known as ‘one-wash’, meaning you could buy true to size. 

When a denim fabric has been sanforized, it’s considered ‘dry’ until it touches water. So, this means you could have sanforized denim that is dry, and unsanforized denim that has been washed.

Our products have barely any shrinkage left in them, usually not more than it would stretch out in the opposite direction with frequent wear. When you purchase a BENZAK denim product, you can have full confidence in wearing it from the moment you unbox it. We do have some tips to avoid possible shrinkage of the legs, but this is fully covered in our wash guide.

WHAT IS INDIGO BLEEDING?

One key aspect of the denim dyeing process is that not all of the dye settles into the fibre. Due to the denim not being washed or treated after dyeing, there is always some indigo dyestuff left on the surface of the yarns. The outcome of this chemical reaction is that the denim will 'bleed', meaning the indigo colour will smudge onto any surface it rubs against. This is nothing unusual, but you need to be aware when wearing unwashed dry denim close to light-coloured clothing or objects, such as white couches.

• To minimize the effect of your dry denim staining light-coloured shoes, the best way is to cuff the bottom hem and wear your jeans rolled or folded up. By doing this, the reverse side of the fabric is closest to the shoe and won’t rub off as much. And, you can show off the selvedge edge, which is a subtle nod to your love for high-quality denim. This doesn't prevent bleeding completely, but it helps a fair amount at least.

• Wear dark shaded tops and underwear for the first few weeks of wear to avoid blue discolouration on your lighter garments. If you do get some blue colour on a lighter garment, it’s easily removed by spot treating the stain. Or, a regular machine wash at 30°C should do the trick.

• Alternatively, you can give the jeans a quick soak in cold water. This will pull out some of the excess indigo and set the rest of the dye into the fabric. The only implications of this are that the jeans are no longer dry, and they’ll fade with slightly less contrast. You should also remember that this will not prevent the denim from bleeding at all, just with less intensity.

HOW TO PREVENT CROTCH BLOWOUTS?

Crotch holes are the result of friction on the fabric between your thighs. The better the fit, the lower the friction. Make sure your denim doesn't slide down and sit too low on the hip. The excess fabric can bulk up between your thighs, which subsequently will be exposed to friction when you walk or move.

Your jeans are made for all-day and everyday wearing, and we understand that you're a cyclist, motorcyclist or skateboarder. Or, you're wearing your jeans for labour-intensive tasks daily. In those cases, crotch blowouts are far more common if you're constantly manoeuvring in more abrasive ways.

Immediately repairing a crotch blowout is a necessity when it comes to looking after your dry denim. A trick to strengthening your denim is to soak your garment every now and then. This tightens up the fibres and keeps them from breaking.

TO WASH OR NOT TO WASH?

Washing of denim can be very subjective; some people throw their jeans into the washing machine before the first wear day, and some go on years without a single drop of water (we know who you are!). The general rule of thumb with washing of clothing, and not only denim, is to wash as less as possible. Not only will you shorten the lifespan of the garment with each wash, but it’s also not very environmentally friendly.

The question you should ask yourself is what you would like to achieve with your garment. We often recommend prolonging the first wash for as long as possible. The main purpose of this is to create high contrast fading and a sharp pattern, exactly matching your body and movements. The higher the frequency of wear, and the longer you wait till your first wash, will then result in denim with character and prominent fades. Consider the minimal amount of time 6 monts with everyday wear, but we usually stretch it out to up to 9 months ourselves. After the first wash, it’s usually not necessary to wash the jeans more than once every 3 months, if not less.

But remember, the above method is to create high contrast fading. In case you’re looking for a more uniform and dark look, you could opt for a soak after a few weeks and then gently wash it every month. Every wash essentially ‘resets’ the process of the sharp line forming and therefore eliminates high contrast. At the end of the day it really comes down to preference. Even though each wash will shorten the lifespan of any garment, don’t worry about it too much: we offer high quality denim that can withstand some water and also don’t forget that denim originally was used to create workwear.

When we look at washing in general, just think of this. Generally speaking, end consumers washing their clothes is a large contributor to environmental damage. The overuse of soaps and detergents plays a huge role in water pollution. Clothing fibres and chemicals are constantly being mixed, flushed away into water systems and sent into the ocean. By not washing at all, or very minimally washing your denim garments, you are taking steps in the right direction to minimize your carbon footprint. BENZAK dry denim is made to last. Caring is wearing, and when the time comes, if you look after your denim you'll be able to wear it for a lifetime.

IN CONCLUSION

Jeans are not indestructible, nor immortal. Denim is essentially the most common and hard-used garment in our wardrobes. The longer you wear your jeans between washes, sweat, oil and dirt are breaking down the cotton fibres and can create holes and breakage, especially in the crotch area. Therefore, a wash from time to time can prolong the lifetime of the garment. In our WASH GUIDE we will explain our take on this matter.

But even with the occasional wash, denim will rip and tear at some point. While some might discard their jeans after the first hole appears, we recommend getting them repaired instead. Think of it as a car; you’d need to bring it to the shop for maintainance from time to time, and the same applies to your jeans. You could do this yourself (which we highly encourage for minor fixes), or send them over to a professional. In our HEMMING & REPAIR section you can find some of our recommendations. Not only will this extend the life of your jeans and minimize waste, it’ll also add even more character to your denim. Every repair stitch will tell a unique story, and every fade is custom made by you.