IH-888-XHSib - 25oz Selvedge Denim Medium/High Rise Tapered Cut Jeans - Ind/blk
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Is a soak recommended on these? You could always just cold soak, right?
Unless you plan on never ever machine washing these a soak in hot water is good. This is to shrink enough to avoid fade shifting. Also because of the snug fit it is possible for the honeycomb creases to split on the back on the knees.
I also don't soak the waist as much as possible. So I don't mess my patch up in the hot water. I just put a hanger through the top button hole to keep the patch out of the hot water.
Before I soak I like to turn them inside out first, dampen them along the inseam and selvedge with a spray bottle, then iron the heavy creases that are along the selvage and inseam. I put an old t shirt between the iron and the denim. This is because the hot iron puts a shine on the surface or the denim.
Then I soak them in the hottest water possible (even turn the water heater up or use boiling water), let them dry, then repeat the entire process. I do it twice just to make sure I get as much shrink as possible.
After that initial 2 soaks I just use my controversial washing method when they are dirty. I avoid ever putting them in the machine… but this is just a compromise between never washing and machine washing.
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That's quite the process, Filthy!
I don't think I've ever machine-washed a pair of IH. Always soak (hot if I want some shrink, cold if I don't) with detergent in the tub, inside-out, with some minor agitation, then drip-dry.
I don't mind soaking but unless it's unsanforized, unwashed, or raw, I usually buy to size. Is that not gonna work with these? They're sanforized and one-wash, right?
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According to the product page, they are sanforized and not washed. (555 XHSib) They will shrink .5 inch in all directions and then stretch back out.
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Also, I forgot to mention that another reason I like the hot soak is because it seems to make the denim pucker up and get thicker.
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A half of an inch. But they stretch back out in a few hours to day depending on how tight they are in the first place.
This is more eloquently stated on the product page:
Sanforized, but unwashed - expect some shrinkage, possibly one inch in both the waist and the inseam. The waist will stretch out to approximately pre-soak/wash size, the inseam will not stretch back. All dimensions will shrink proportionately to the waist and inseam, those that are put under pressure will have a tendency to stretch back out, those that aren’t will not
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@Filthy:
A half of an inch. But they stretch back out in a few hours to day depending on how tight they are in the first place.
Dang, half an inch in waist and thigh will make the 32 perfect for me!
I'm so glad you told me these are unwashed lol. I'd like to think I would've caught it before pulling the trigger but thanks nonetheless!
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How long do you usually soak using your method, Filthy?
until the water goes from hot to cold about 45 minutes to an hour. Also I edited the above post so please carefully read the quotation.
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I saw the edit, thanks!
I've had bad experience getting waist shrinkage on other brand denim before. Like barely any shrinkage. I'm going to risk it for these.
This is something I have never really gotten about shrinking. It always stretches back out and then some. Like for example my 888-nt were a 38.5 pre-soak shrank to a 38. But after wearing them for a time they stretched to a 39.
Trying to soak to make the wasist fit never works. Like I even put my one pair of 634 XHS on a hot 2 hour wash and then put them in the dryer. Then were good for about a day then the waist was back to normal again.
My advice is to aim for a tighter fit and the payoff will be worth it in the end.
Edit: maybe the more knowledgeable forum members can chime in?
I've got to get a taxi to the airport. See ya.
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Thanks for all of the tips, Filthy! Have a good flight!
I'm looking for a post-soak waist/thigh of about 31.5-32/12.3. If I go with the tag 32 and can get 0.5 - 1 inch off on the waist and 0.5 inch off on the thigh (post-soak), I'll be extremely happy. But if that thigh stays at 12.8, they won't look good
Any advice would be very welcomed!
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Then you would want to go with a tagged size 31 imho. It will be an arduous break in. But the fit will pay off in the end. Unless you think that you'll be gaining any weight in the near future. Then I'd go with a 32.
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@Filthy:
Then you would want to go with a tagged size 31 imho. It will be an arduous break in. But the fit will pay off in the end. Unless you think that you'll be gaining any weight in the near future. Then I'd go with a 32.
Hey, you're still around!
Thanks again for all of the tips/advice, man! I'm just thinking, dang, if I get the 31 and the waist drops from 31.3 to like waist down to 30.25" after a soak, I am absolutely not going to be able to button these. If I take the 32 and get the waist down to a 31.25, I can maybe button that.
If I were to get the 32, which at current measurement is just a little too big, shrinking it down to where it's a little too tight, and then stretching it out might make more sense, but I'm just not certain on that amount of shrink. I'd be a little disappointed if I go with the 32 and the waist goes down from like 32.4 to 32 and the thigh just drops down from 12.8 to 12.5, but at least those dimensions, while a little looser than I'd like, would be wearable.
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I have these in 36 and 888NT In 38 and I feel exactly like u said
I have a problem there (theoretical only of course as I’m not copping [emoji22]) I could go for a W33 without a soak and the measurements would be perfect. With a soak and I may be struggling with the waist. A W34 would be a little big even with a soak… What to (theoretically) do?
Heya Reuben, all theoretical, of course
but I assume that you've gone with sanforized but unwashed before. How much shrink do you end up seeing in the waist/thigh? Admittedly, I am curious for my own measurement planning, but maybe talking it out will help us help you realize your (theoretically) perfect measurements -
I can’t help too much. I have one pair of 666-XHS but I wore them out of the bag without soaking the. Washed them after about 50 wears, in a hurry as one of my little guys puked ALL over them, and I didn’t get a chance to document the shrinkage.
What I do know is that a short time after the wash I blew the crotch. Took a while to get them repaired and by that time I’d lost some weight. They fit great now.
The published measurements of the W33 match the og measurements of my W34 OD’s almost exactly. I think I’d go the W33 and not soak. Then wear them hard and try to wash them with a spacer to retard shrinkage in the waist.
As I write this I realise this method will be a pain in the ass and that may be the excuse I need to pass on these.
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As I write this I realise this method will be a pain in the ass and that may be the excuse I need to pass on these.
But isn't that part of the reason we do this? To fill our lives with a sense of purpose?
But seriously, isn't it better for the longevity of the denim to soak them before wearing them? And, I wonder how much shrinkage you'd get with a cold soak, if any. If you never hot-wash them or hot-soak them, would a cold soak allow you to basically keep the measurements as they are?
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For reference, I have a pair of 634-XHS, size 33, that have about 18+ months of wear and 20+ machine washes. From my experience, the XHS denim shrinks about 1/2 size +/- overall. The waist shrunk about 1/2", and hips and thighs about 1/4" - 1/3". The waist stretches back to about raw size, but the hips and thighs did not. I also found that they continued to shrink continually in very small increments with subsequent washes.
Re: stretching, the waist band on any pair will stretch, depending on the nature of the denim itself and how much pressure is put on it. Waist band stretching has been discussed/mentioned at lot, but what I've not seen mentioned as a consideration is that the waist band is cut parallel to the warp, or selvedge edge, and there's more stretch in that direction. As opposed to being parallel to the weft, or perpendicular to the selvedge edge, which has less stretch. Hence the waist band will shrink and stretch more than the hips and thighs.
Attached pics are when brand new, washed once, and after 18+ months. NOTE: I also had them tapered, so the lower leg is obviously slimmer.
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Dang @mpukas that 18+ month wear looks fantastic!
I'm such an idiot, I have a pair of 634-XHS, have had them for years, and never realized that they were unwashed on order. I'm pretty sure I didn't soak those at least until a few months of wear! They've always fit great and they're not coming apart and I just ordered what would fit.
