I wear these jeans fairly regularly, though not nearly as much as I used to. In the old days, I wore jeans pretty much exclusively. I wash them after about every fourth or when I spill something on them. I turn them inside out, and use Woolite for dark colors in cold water. So far, they've remained fairly dark, and they're wearing out just right. Note the faint mark left by my wallet on the back pocket. I hang them dry, so there's been no shrinking, and they've been conforming to my shape quite well too.
They did require some editing, though. The old brown patch on the back pocket is made of plastic, not leather like it used to be, so today I got out the seam ripper and removed those tags. No matter, I really don't need a sign on my but telling you what kind of jeans I'm wearing, and besides the "W" stitching on the pocket itself seems to be performing that function quite well. I am a bit surprised that I didn't think to do this straight off the bat, since I perform the same surgery on khakis when they have that annoying tag sewn on above the back pocket.See, they look pretty good all clean. And for $20, the price is unbeatable. The site I bought them from, Shepler's, is a real pain about sending out way too many emails, but apparently these jeans, the 13MWZ Cowboy Jean, are constantly on sale for that price.
So, I wear cheap, clean jeans, that last pretty well, and that's as it should be. My mind is still boggled by the cult of expensive pants going unwashed for a year or more.
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22 comments:
I also take a seam ripper to the back tags on my Chino's. I hate being a walking billboard, the clothes should speak for themselves.
I'm so glad you wrote this.
Your analysis is lame. 360 degree shot, full body. $20 vs $200 is in the noise for 2 years of wear. Let me see the full results.
Turning them inside-out and using Woolite seems like too much care for jeans.
For the uniniated who don't know what a "seam ripper" is:
http://www.glfi.com/scSeamRipperSmall.jpg
Bought a pair after reading your original post, along with a pair of 501's. Had them shipped here to Australia. Still a total bargain with the US$33 shipping for both pair (Sheplers *knows* how to do worldwide.)
Keep up the good work, paisano.
-JA
ckarlof,
o.k., you may have a point. Stay tuned for more photos and a more in depth post soon.
I do firmly believe that no matter what your clothes cost, nit washing them for lengthy periods of time and wearing them frequently is just dirty. If I ever do pay $200 for a pair of pants, you can be assured that I will actually care for them. Dirt does, after all, hasten a graments demise.
Agreed. Not washing for a year would be crazy. Every fourth sounds about right and it's what I do as well. Looking forward to the followup.
I love the perspective you bring to the world of men's clothes on the web. In a forest of sartorial madness, you are a breath of fresh air and reality. You my friend, have true STYLE. Keep up the good work.
Been wearing my 936 Slim Fits from Wrangler since February. They've worn well, but I've only washed them once. When they start to feel icky to wear I'll throw 'em in the wash. It's delightfully heavy denim for $20 and when I ordered the wrong size and sent mine back (size up the waist) they sent me two pairs. I don't know if this was on purpose but it's nice that I won't have to buy jeans for some time.
They don't offer the big "W" jeans for the gals for $20 bucks, so I guess in a way the ladies are paying for your jeans?
I'll just order the mens...we always wore Wranglers riding at the farm, I should have kept some...they'd be worth a vintage fortune!
Wranglers...It is the choice of real Texans and most cowboys in the west...
I'm eager to see a pic on how these Wranglers fit. I wear a 36 in most brands and it's tricky for me to find jeans that have a tailored (i.e., snug) fit in the seat and the thighs. 7 for all mankind fit me well, but they're $150.
Even if I manage not to get dirt or food stains on my jeans, they get baggy in the knees after a couple of wearings, so I feel I need to wash them anyway.
I don't have a seam ripper, but I remove labels from my clothes with the little scissors on my pocket knife.
A gentleman's jeans should not have a snug fit in the seat and the thighs.
Are they as tough as ,Toughskins?
A college buddy of mine wears these almost exclusively. He is a pretty authentic midwestern farmer and always pairs them with a classic button-up work shirt in some plaid or check variation. He is a rather stocky fellow, and they do fit a bit snug, but I guess that's the way he likes 'em.
I love this blog, but you're obsessed w/ ACL.
Not really, I'm just fascinated by the "Cult of the Dirty Pants"
Someone please explain it to me.
...and doesn't it seem like after that first wash the guys lose interest and get a new pair to rotate into the mix?! They get those 'epic fades' they claim to be after, but then go back to crispy dark indigo. It's some kind of 'process fetish' methinks.
Like G, I don't get the fetish with denim. I don't even own a pair of jeans now, but back when that was what I wore, they were 501s, washed and thrown into the dryer after every wearing. They fit great and looked fine.
So what's with the three-digit prices for work clothes? I wore my Levi's not just to school, but also camping, hiking, and spelunking, not to mention working on various projects involving tools. They got dirty and ripped and frayed, and when they were about ready to dissolve, we tossed them and got new ones.
Denim? Been there, done that, wrote the post card. What's the fascination?
P.S.: Giuseppe is about as obsessed with ACL as he is with celebrity bowling.
My only complaint is that there wasn't an embedded player with Jonathan Richman's "My Jeans" in this post.
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