Nudie and Edwin, both jeans we stock, recommends that you don’t wash your raw denim/dry denim for at least three months, if not longer (Nudie recommends six months). But why? Well, it’s all about breaking the jeans in. Some people find this a massive challenge while others, love it! It give’s your jeans life. Makes them completely unique to you and no one else. The folk at Nudie says it best:

Breaking in a pair of dry jeans is a journey lasting six months. The outcome depends on how you travel. Sitting around in the office won’t grace the denim as much as if used while repairing motorcycles. Regardless of your lifestyle, your jeans become a log of the months gone by – you might even end up with a few amusing anecdotes referring to different stains, abrasions, or scrapings.

WHEN YOU’VE COME this far, you and your new stiff dry’s will have gone from being separate entities to a unity – a second skin.

Now, for some people, this could be a little odd. …What about the smell? The bacteria? The odd spillage of chilli sauce? Well, worry no longer. Josh Le, 20, bought a pair of Nudie Jeans and didn’t wash his for 15 months. Below is a news feature by Elise Stolte from Canada’s National Post that will hopefully convince the sceptics that the process is perfectly safe and healthy!

Despite the yuck factor, wearing raw denim jeans for 15 months straight without washing them doesn’t pose any health risks for healthy people, according to a student-professor team that tested a pair of those jeans at the University of Alberta.

Josh Le, 20, bought a pair of Nudie Jeans in September 2009. He wore them nearly every day and even slept in them for about a month to really let the sweat shape the creases. He spilled food on it, wiped it off with a paper towel, and kept on going. “I wanted to push it to the extreme,” he said.

But when Le and assistant human ecology professor Rachel McQueen swabbed the inside of the jeans and tested them for bacteria in December 2010, they found levels pretty normal. And after Le washed the jeans, then wore them for 13 days before re-testing them, bacteria levels were nearly identical.

The pair showed off the results on campus Wednesday.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” said McQueen. “What I found was just normal skin flora. The counts were really, really similar. The bacteria load from the swabbed areas were pretty much the same.”

You can read the rest of the article here

Our friends at Edwin have produced another great vid. Check it out here:

I.D.W.P from Edwin Europe on Vimeo.

Great song too!

Back in stock!!

Before wearing your unwashed Edwin selvage ED-47s, the Edwin team recommends that you take the time to rinse your jeans.  People do this their own way like  taking a shower in your jeans. This allows the denim to find its natural form to your shape.  This method, is our favourite as it helps to slow down indigo loss.  Alternatively, you could sit in the bath, rinse by hand or run a delicate cold machine wash.

If you are adventurous, swimming in the sea or jumping into a mountain stream can also be a fun alternative.

Prior to your first real wash, we recommend that you wear them for as long as possible.  Six months is a good length of time as this allows a natural beautiful wear process to occur, unique to your jeans.

The guys at Edwin say’s ‘It’s a partnership between yourself and your jeans, a distinctive journey, a blueprint of a period of your life.  The characteristics of wear will depend on your particular regime and lifestyle.  Each jean will be unique, carrying memories distinctive to your journey’.

With this in mind, and whilst we love to see Edwin jeans worn for as long as possible for the best personal wash effect, if the denim starts to have an undesired aroma, for general hygiene, we suggest a rinse or first real wash.  Some choose not to wash and simply let nature take its cause by airing naturally, it probably depends on how many friends you wish to keep happy ……  Every denim product will lose its colour.  This is due to the special indigo dying process.  After several washes, the loss of colour will reduce and in time will stop.  Wash separately and always inside-out hand wash or delicate machine programme.  Use a little amount of washing powder {without bleaching agent}.  Dry naturally and do not iron for the best long term effect.

Say a massive thanks to your Dad this Sunday 19th June!

Buy him something nice this year rather than that card you got from the garage… Bernard’s put together some ideas that should help out, no matter what your budget is!

For the big spenders:

Mid-range budget:

And for those on a budget:

Loads more ideas on our site.

We love you Pops!!

Some say pinroll, others say pegging. Some think it looks ace, others think it’s just wrong.  Bernard however is loving it.

The best thing about a pinroll is that it can make a tired pair of jeans or pants look fresh again or it can give you a great summer look. So, if you’re heading back to the 80s/90s or starting fresh, we’ve put together a  little step by step guide on how we do it. Now, there are many ways to pinroll so feel free to experiment!

Start by moving the bottom of the jean just above the ankle bone. On the inside, grab the seam and pull out tightly:

With your free hand, wedge it close to your leg and fold the loose bit of denim to your leg:

Keeping it tight, start to roll it over (If you have hairy legs, go carefull, you can catch a hair…):

The first roll is important so keep it tight and uncreased:

Then simply roll up. Do at least three rolls as this will hold for most of the day:

Than you’re done!

Happy pinrolling!