“Not Washing Jeans for 15 Months OK” – Reports The National Post
Univ. of Alberta Student, Josh Le, holds up the "results" from the study he conducted while wearing his Nudie Jeans everyday for 15 Months.
We recently read this article posted in the National Post: A student at The University of Alberta wore his Nudie Jeans or 15 months straight without washing them. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Nudie denim brand, their philosophy and product centres around the production of raw denim jeans.
Most denim brands arrive on the sales floor after going through numerous stages of washing and treatments. Nudie Jeans, along with other brands such as Naked and Famous (Hooray for Canadian Brands), create jeans out of raw denim that has not gone through any of these processes. The result is a semi-stiff pair of jeans and the opportunity to mould the look and feel of your jeans exactly to your body.
Most people who have a pair say this takes approximately six months. That means six months of wearing your jeans on a regular basis without washing them. However denim heads will tell you the longer the better. We’ve heard stories of people sleeping in them, swimming in them, wearing them everyday for 9-months straight… and thats EXACTLY what Josh Le from Univ. of Alberta did. Insert collective “EWWWW” here >>> ____________.
This has obviously come down to a science for many denim aficionados, and with every great experiment, there are factors to keep it under control. After several months of wear, faint odour and the fear of bacteria can be eliminated by placing your jeans in the freezer overnight. According to Le, the traces of bacteria are minimal – nothing more than you would find after wearing your jeans for only a week.
Obviously this takes a bit of dedication, but the outcome is worth it: A perfectly worn in pair of jeans that feel like a second skin. An accomplishment potentially valued far greater by some. However, think about the further more significant implications of supporting the production and consumption of raw denim. Less labour and treatment of the denim in involved, meaning less use of chemicals and dyes. The ability to wear the same pair of denim on daily basis, without worrying about it sagging or stretching in the wrong places. Reducing costs and wastage of laundering your clothes and taking a minimalist approach by investing more in quality than quantity.
We have always been strong advocates of raw denim, supporting the advantages and the sheer coolness factor of it. Now we are happy to back up those statements with some good ol’ fashioned research – albeit for pure curiosity than scientific advance.
Article can be found online at The National Post.
