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.
When 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.
Vintage Denim Features Many Forgettable Fashions
With the recent comeback of vintage jeans in the fashion world it can be east to overlook some of the more embarrassing styles that were once a part of our social culture. Of course we all can all laugh at the bell bottom stylings of the past, but ever since they made their way back onto the scene they don’t seem as bad. Not to worry though, there are plenty of other styles to take their place as the most forgettable denim fashions of years gone by.
Acid Wash
Reaching their pinnacle in the late eighties, acid wash jeans were the most commonly found style of their time. This bleached-out look fit well with the poofy hair and neon colors of the era. The two most prominent types were the spot-bleached designs and the stone-washed textures. It is hard to say where this style got started, but it probably began with an accidental bleach spill in a college campus somewhere.
The Big Baggy Look
It has taken quite a few years for form fitting denim to come back into rotation for men, and plenty of guys still prefer a slight sag to their jeans. However, you would be hard pressed to find any sensible socialite sporting the extreme oversized jeans that were an underground sensation in the late nineties. Most popular with the hip-hop and punk rock cultures, these pants featured leg widths that were up to tens times wider than the average pair. A unique look for sure, but most people try to appear slimmer in their clothes instead enormous.
The Jean Skirt
Even though women get most of the credit for establishing fashion trends there are plenty of regrettable styles to be found in their long history. Denim skirts may one day make comeback, but we would all be surprised if the ruffled skirts of the eighties ever see the light of day again. Serving as a cross between a dress and jeans, these hybrids-gone-wrong had Madonna followers everywhere running to the mall with their credit cards in hand. Thankfully this fashion only lasted a few years.
Graffiti Jeans
How many things were wrong with hip-hop fashions of late eighties? Quite a few to be sure, but nothing tops the airbrushed masterpieces worn by many performers of this era. Whether it was your street name or a subtle political message, there was always something you could convey on your pants with airbrush art. Luckily this fad fell out of favor once people discovered they could never wash their favorite jeans without ruining their creative designs.
These are just a few examples of vintage denim fashions that have ended up in the vast graveyard of social has-beens. Of course we like to think we have learned from our past mistakes, but there will always be a telltale fashion for every generation that we would like to forget.
How to Make Your Own Vintage Jeans
With the outrageous prices of modern vintage knockoffs and the scarcity of quality used denim pieces, it is no wonder why many people are looking for an easier alternative to owning a pair of vintage jeans. One inexpensive method is to simply make your own from an old pair of jeans you no longer wear.
Hear is a quick list of techniques you can use to make those worn-once jeans look like they just came out of a time capsule.
Cut Them Up
If you are looking for the swiss cheese effect, then the best place to start is with razor or utility knife. Both of these tools are sharp enough to cut, but they are also easy to control so you won’t accidentally go overboard. The cutting process is simple enough, but you’ll need to fray the cuts so they look more authentic. Do this by gently rubbing them with a coarse piece of sandpaper. You can also use this strategy to create more natural looking holes without actually cutting the denim.
Wear Them Down
In order to achieve the natural aged look you’ll need to speed up time by using sandpaper or a cheese grater. Start with the knees and work your way up to the thighs. It is important to work on each leg a little bit at a time to avoid an unbalanced look. Once you start seeing the white of the threads you should be gentle since unintended tears can occur.
Bleach Bomb
This is where most people ruin there hard work. Unless you are looking for an acid washed effect then you have to be careful with how much bleach you use. Always start conservative by adding just a capful to your wash after the water has filled up. Each pair of jeans will react differently and you won’t know what to expect until after a couple of wash cycles. If you want to spot treat them, apply a mild solution of bleach and water with a spray bottle before putting them in the machine. Use the “mist spray” setting for an even application.
Fray the Edges
In order to get the most authentic look, you will have to work on fraying the edges of your jeans. This includes the waistband, pocket area, and leg cuffs. Once again sandpaper is your best friend. Sometimes it is easier to attach a large piece of sandpaper to a board or wall and run these edges over the surface. This lets you cover more ground in a shorter amount of time.
Add Some Mileage
While you can spend hours trying to vintage your jeans, one of the most effective things you can do is simply wear and wash them repeatedly. Obviously you want them to look good before you take them out on the town, but there are plenty of opportunities to add some miles to them without making public appearances. You can wear them while doing household chores, light construction, and even when you are walking the dog. Just make sure you don’t do any activities like painting that may stain them forever.
Making your own vintage jeans will take some effort, but it is a great alternative to high priced retail outlets or trying to hunt for the perfect pair at a thrift store. Once you have made a couple of pairs you will have a system that will make future attempts that much smoother. Who knows – if you get good at it then you can charge your friends for your vintage services.
Cool Places to Find Old Jeans
If you have a passion for buying vintage jeans then you know that the thrill of the hunt is the best part of your obsession. Sure there are plenty of modern labels that are selling replicas of worn jeans, but the true connoisseurs are only satisfied with the real thing. This means you have to do some digging. Here are a few good places to begin your search.
Thrift Stores
If you can handle the musty odors and endless racks of junk to sort through, then thrift stores can be a goldmine for vintage clothes. While many of them have caught onto the value of collectibles such as jewelry and old books, they rarely separate the good clothes from the bad. This can provide you with an untapped source of hip clothing to choose from.
eBay
This auction marketplace is filled with great finds for anyone who is willing to browse the listings on a regular basis. Since most sellers are aware of the demand for vintage fashions, you may not find the cheapest prices, but the quality of the items tends to be high. Best of all, you can do all of your shopping from home.
Estate Sales
These liquation sales are used by relatives who are trying to quickly get rid of all the possessions of a loved one who is sick or has passed away. They typically include the entire contents of a home…including wardrobes. The best part for vintage buyers is the fact that these sales normally feature old or outdated items, making them the perfect place to find deals on clothes. If you are lucky, you can find entire collections of jeans for less than $20.
Online Stores
There are a handful of vintage clothing stores that offer an online inventory. This is an easy way to search for items that may interest you. Unfortunately however, it can be difficult to find particular styles and sizes since supply is limited. You may also notice that many of these specialty shops charge a premium for there products. Nonetheless, it is still worth browsing the net to see what you can come up with.
Feeding your vintage jeans fetish is not always easy. Since we are talking about products that are no longer made, it is not as simple as visiting your local retailer. However, those who put in the time and effort are usually rewarded with a one-of-a-kind fashion statement that can really turn the heads of your admirers.
