Using Coffee Grounds to Make Vintage Jeans ??

Just to prove there are no creative limitations for creating your own pair of vintage jeans, we found this video with instructions on how to dye your denim with coffee grounds.

In the end it is a pretty simple process…just soak your jeans in a bucket with the unused coffee grounds.  Make sure you use a filter to avoid making a mess!  The guys in this video used a pair of panty hose which seemed to work well.

This technique opens up a whole new world of ideas.  What if you used tea or even soft drinks? 

You have to wonder though…how do these jeans SMELL after this?  It is probably best to use a flavored brand like vanilla to avoid an overwhelming coffee scent.

Tips to Give Your New Jeans a Vintage Look

Even though there are plenty of places to find vintage jeans, some people prefer to simply make their own jeans look used since they prefer the newer brands and styles.  But getting your jeans to look worn and comfortable can take forever if you try to wear them out naturally.

Luckily there are plenty of cheap and effective ways to get a vintage look with simple techniques you can do in your own home.  From sandpaper to bleach sticks, a little elbow grease and creativity can give you the look you desire.  Here is a great video tutorial on some of the ways to get the job done.

Get even more tips in our article on How to Make Your Own Vintage Jeans

How to Care for Vintage Denim

Finding the perfect pair of jeans is no easy task.  Everyone has unique curves and features in their body – some that we like to accent and others that we want to hide.  As much as the fashion designers believe that we can all be labeled by our waist and leg size, the truth is very few people are a perfect fit for the mass produced jeans available at the mall.

Caring for Vintage JeansWhen you finally do find a pair that matches your style and body shape you need to make sure you take care of them.  Clothes are not designed to last forever, but denim in particular gets softer and more form fitting over time.  Getting the longest life out of your favorite pair of jeans requires patience, especially if you want to preserve the fit you worked so hard to achieve.

If you are lucky enough to find authentic vintage jeans that suit your taste then you will have to pay special attention to how you wash them.  Because these jeans are older, they are more likely to tear or fade with every wash.  If you use a washing machine, the best bet is to wash them inside out in cold water on the delicate cycle. 

As for drying, hang dry is the gentlest approach, but you can also use the low heat setting on household dryers.  Just remember that most of the wear and tear done to your clothes occurs in the dryer.  If you must go this route we recommend drying them by themselves to about 80% dry.  Use the hang dry method to finish the last 20% of the job.

For those who can afford it, dry cleaning is the best bet.  You don’t have to get your jeans done after every wear.  In fact, the dirt and oil from your body will actually help to relax the denim and make it fit better.  Ideally you would have two favorite pairs that you can rotate while the other is being cleaned.

Original Jordache Jeans Commercial

Remember the unique look of Jordache jeans?  They were the first company to truly understand how a woman needs to look and feel in a pair of jeans.  Here is one of their original commercials from the late seventies.  A lot of things have changed since then, but Jordache certainly inspired the cut and fit for many of today’s denim designers. (allow 3 seconds to load)

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