Fashion designer and lecturer for RMIT's school of fashion Pia Interlandi says traditional jeans, made with 100 per cent cotton, will stretch over time because cotton threads expand but don't retract.
"Cotton doesn't have a lot of elastic recovery. It can stretch but can't pull back into shape," she says.
Despite their name, stretch jeans will actually expand less in the long run.
Fabrics like spandex or lycra are elastomeric, which allows them to be figure-hugging, but they won't loosen as much as traditional denim.
"Elastomeric means it will expand and retract, so that fibre is not going to get as baggy," Ms Interlandi says.
If you can fit two fingers between the waistband and your stomach pre-purchase, that's the right size to be buying, as long as it feels comfortable for you.
Pay attention to the fabric percentages on the label. If it has elastane, spandex or lycra, buy jeans that fit right from the get go (common mixes you might see include 98 per cent cotton and 2 per cent spandex, or 99 per cent cotton and 1 per cent elastane).
Buy jeans you feel comfortable in, otherwise you probably won't wear them.
For caring: How often should I wash my jeans (and can I freeze them)?
Once you've found a pair of jeans that fits, it's worth keeping an eye on how much you wash them — especially if you want to retain their shape and colour.
"You don't want to keep throwing your jeans in the washing machine," Mr Brough says.
"You'll be buying news jeans way too soon."
While none of us want to get around in dirty jeans, he suggests washing them "as little as possible".
Turning them inside out and using cold water will help the colour last.
And if you've heard that putting your jeans in the freezer is an alternative to washing, save that valuable ice cream space.
Creative industries manager Katrina Jojkity, from TAFE provider Kangan Institute, says freezing jeans will only temporarily remove smell and won't clean them.
That's because odour-causing bacteria doesn't die when frozen, so as soon as your jeans warm up, they will smell as bad as they did before.
Tips for washing your denim:
Try swapping water and detergent in favour of the sun. "Turn them inside out, put them on the line and in the sun — all the better if it's a windy day — and use the sun's UV to deodorise jeans," Mr Brough says.
Instead of machine washing, handwash with cold water and very little detergent. Soaps designed for wool are ideal.
For styling: Can I wear my jeans in the ocean for a distressed look?
It's probably the weirdest denim tip going around: jumping into saltwater in your jeans and rubbing sand into them to achieve a worn-in (otherwise known as a distressed) look.
The advice is specifically for raw denim, which hasn't been washed or distressed as part of the production process.
Raw denim gives you the chance to break your jeans in how you see fit, and will last longer.
Mr Brough says given manufacturers use everything from acid wash, pebbles and sandpaper to distress denim, rubbing sand into your jeans can also achieve the same look.
The saltwater, however, is more likely to leave your jeans feeling stiff.
"People like to distress raw denim themselves, and while wearing them into the ocean is all very romantic, wetting the jeans while wearing them and letting them dry while on will stretch them out of shape," he says.
Tips for customising jeans:
To create a faded look, use sandpaper or scrape a blade along the denim. Scissors and tweezers can create rips or fraying. There are plenty of YouTube videos that demonstrate techniques and can give you ideas.
"Jeans by nature actually do stretch. The fabric is meant to morph and form to the body which is why we love them," he says. But just how much they'll loosen after purchase is harder to pin down. It depends on how much you wear and wash them, as well as the fabric they're made from.
No problem. Brown tells InStyle a blow dryer can do the trick, too. "Simply blow heat directly onto the areas you want to stretch," she says, and once your jeans are nice and warm, use your hands to pull and stretch tight areas.
Many denim brands say to wait at least six months, some even a year. The key is holding out. If they start to get a little funky you can steam them, hit them with some Febreeze, and hang them outside to air-out.
Jeans should be comfortably tight at first. If the jeans your trying on are really uncomfortably tight then they will probably only stretch a few inches. The best way to see if the jeans are going to be good for you is to do the sitting test. Sit down as you would in a car, and see how it feels.
Any good denim expert worth their weight in gold will tell you to “always take the smaller size when you can”. The reason is that denim stretches up to half a size, even if it says otherwise on the label.
After showering, Schoknecht suggested wearing the wet jeans for 30 minutes to stretch them out. If the pair of jeans are too tight around the waist, you can wrap a towel around the waistband and tuck it into the jeans for some extra room.
After giving them an initial cold soak, let them air dry to a slightly damp level. At that close-but-not-completely-dry stage, put the jeans on and go about your day. Not only will the wet fibers stretch more easily, but the pair will also conform to your body.
Because denim stretches with wear, you'll get the best result if you buy a size that fits snugly when you try them on for the first time. Just don't go overboard and buy them two sizes down!
Denim stretches, and you can actually add up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the waist, hips, butt, thighs, calves, and/or length of your jeans by stretching them out. Below we've broken down three different methods you can use to stretch out your jeans depending on how much looser you want them to be.
Jeans always shrink the first time they are washed but won't shrink significantly after the first wash. While they shrink a little after washing, they will then stretch out again as you wear them.
And finally, one of the last reasons jeans are stiff is because they are new and have yet to be broken in. Sometimes, it takes time and regular wear to soften them up and make them more comfortable. But breaking in jeans can take time that you may not have.
Make a softening solution for your jeans by combining eight cups of hot tap water with one cup of standard white household vinegar (like this one from Heinz, $9) in a clean bucket or plastic tub. Place jeans into the solution, making sure to fully immerse the fabric, and soak for several hours or overnight.
False. If your jeans are stretched out, a quick tumble in the dryer can help them regain their shape. Follow the laundry washing symbols on the care label and remove the jeans when they are slightly damp to prevent unwanted creasing.
Heat naturally shrinks fabric, so the quickest and easiest way to shrink your jeans is to put them in the washer and dryer. Grab the jeans you want to shrink and put them in the washing machine on the highest heat setting it has.
Generally, jeans should be long enough to reach the tops of your feet with a little extra fabric, but short enough that the hems aren't dragging on the ground.
Your jeans should sit at your natural waistline, usually around the belly button. They'll sag if they're too low; if they're too high, they'll cut into your waist and be uncomfortable.
And even though you may feel that sizing down is possible, we strongly advise against it. They stretch when you put them on, and they retract when you take them off. All denim stretches when worn, even the rigid denim. However, denim made with 100% cotton won't retract unless you wash them.
Expensive jeans are often made from cotton that is softer and more pliable or will become so after several wears after you break them in. They also tend to have a more natural, more flattering drape, and some examples can even partially mold to your body shape.
A good rule of thumb is to wash your jeans after every 3-10 wears, or when they start to smell. If you're regularly active in your jeans (think: manual work, anything where you work up a sweat), wash them every 3 wears, but if you're working at a desk, you can probably go through multiple wears without washing.
When you're seated, the pant leg's break will mostly straighten out and the hem will only slightly lift from your foot. However, it mustn't lift so much that your ankles are exposed. Remember, these aren't dress trousers.
Wear your jeans and sit in the bathtub for about 10 – 15 minutes. Let the water soak it. The denim at this point will be more relaxed and comfortable to work with. Hold it on either side and stretch it thoroughly.
If your jeans have gotten a little stretched out, just throw them in a standard wash cycle on the hottest setting. This method works best if your jeans are made of a denim that's as close to 100% cotton as possible. Word to the wise: Don't use any fabric softener.
One of the most common questions after getting a new pair of jeans is whether you should wash them before wearing. The answer is YES, with the exception of raw denim. Washing jeans before wearing them the first time helps to prevent dyes from bleeding onto your skin and other clothes.
Albeit made with cotton or cotton-synthetic mix, denim may still be one of the least eco-friendly fabrics considering the massive resources used to produce them. According to an article, denim's hardier fabric takes 10 to 12 months to fully biodegrade.
When you get a new pair of jeans, early loving care is important when it comes to long-lasting denim. The best way you can do this is to wash your jeans by hand and wash them alone. Turn them inside out, and either wash them in cold water in the sink or in the bathtub, where they can be placed down flat.
They should feel tight. Just keep in mind they'll probably ease off about an inch or inch and a half. Danica: Over time? Miles: They'll feel like they're squeezing your butt—they may be tight across your hips, or tight across your stomach.
Using either baby shampoo or a gentle hair conditioner, mix in roughly 1 Tbsp for every 1 quart of water.Stir in, until the water takes on a slick, soapy consistency. Conditioner and baby shampoo can relax the fibers of your shrunken clothes. When the fibers are relaxed, they become easier to stretch and reshape.
Jeans wear out between the inner thighs because of friction. Whether you're a size 4 or 24, there's a good chance your thighs touch and rub together when you walk. Thighs touching is a completely normal, healthy, and downright beautiful aspect of a woman's body. But it's annoying when it blows out your favorite jeans.
Denim stretches because the first stretch jeans were made by weaving spandex into the cotton fibres of denim. These days, most are made with about one to three percent elastane to get their stretch.
Over time, it's normal for the cotton fibers in denim fabric to lose their structure. Frequent washing and constant wear can cause the material to loosen, but the good news is that the baggy shape doesn't have to be permanent.
First, to get technical, that tightening phenomenon is called "consolidation shrinkage." Think of denim fibers as a long chain. When fabric is agitated during the wash and heat cycles, it causes fibers to break their bonds so the cloth gets smaller.
This method works best if your jeans are made of a denim that's as close to 100% cotton as possible. And a word to the wise: Don't use any fabric softener.
Denim stretches, and you can actually add up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the waist, hips, butt, thighs, calves, and/or length of your jeans by stretching them out. Below we've broken down three different methods you can use to stretch out your jeans depending on how much looser you want them to be.
Any good denim expert worth their weight in gold will tell you to “always take the smaller size when you can”. The reason is that denim stretches up to half a size, even if it says otherwise on the label.
The ideal pair of jeans should not need a belt. It should fit snugly around the waistline, whether you choose low- or high-rise jeans. The waist should not “bubble” or gap at the top, nor should it be so tight that it pinches your skin or makes you feel uncomfortable.
Jeans always shrink the first time they are washed but won't shrink significantly after the first wash. While they shrink a little after washing, they will then stretch out again as you wear them.
Over time, it's normal for the cotton fibers in denim fabric to lose their structure. Frequent washing and constant wear can cause the material to loosen, but the good news is that the baggy shape doesn't have to be permanent.
Ideally, your waistband should fit tightly enough that you don't need a belt, but not so tight that it feels constricting. For raw denim this means you can fit maybe two fingers into the waistband, but for stretchier styles that number goes up a bit to maybe four.
Generally, jeans should be long enough to reach the tops of your feet with a little extra fabric, but short enough that the hems aren't dragging on the ground. Jeans promote an effortless style, so their fit should reflect that.
First, to get technical, that tightening phenomenon is called "consolidation shrinkage." Think of denim fibers as a long chain. When fabric is agitated during the wash and heat cycles, it causes fibers to break their bonds so the cloth gets smaller.
Yes jeans will shrink in the dryer if they are dried using the high heat settings. Denim is made from 100% cotton fiber with a twill weave, which means your jeans will shrink if they are tumble dried on high heat (learn how hot does a dryer get.)
Address: 787 Elvis Divide, Port Brice, OH 24507-6802
Phone: +9779049645255
Job: Senior Healthcare Specialist
Hobby: Cycling, Model building, Kitesurfing, Origami, Lapidary, Dance, Basketball
Introduction: My name is Sen. Emmett Berge, I am a funny, vast, charming, courageous, enthusiastic, jolly, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
