Random Observations #006
All denim everything.
There are so many things I wish I could write about one day. In the Random Observations series, I attempt to put together my random thoughts and observations on clothing and related subjects in a shorter, more approachable format. This is one way for me to capture thoughts before they sink into oblivion. If you find any of the subjects helpful or questionable, do not hesitate to share your feedback in the comments below the article — I’d be happy to expand.
In the sixth episode of Random Observations, I focus on denim: washing my new pair of 3sixteen jeans for the first time, checking in on the aging progress of the third pair of TCB 50’s Regular jeans, and styling a denim US Navy Salvage Parka.
Let’s get it!
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Taking A Bath In The 3sixteen RS-100x Jeans
In the last Random Observations, I told about my new pair of jeans that I intentionally purchased in a bigger size to compensate for the potential shrinking. 3sixteen describes its 100x denim as sanforized, meaning that the fabric has gone through the industrial shrinking process beforehand so that jeans don’t shrink when washed. But learning from my experience with sanforized denim, I still opted for a bigger size. After 10 days of wear, I washed the pair for the first time and want to share the measurements before and after.
Technically, it wasn’t a wash. When washing jeans for the first time, I like to take them to a bath instead of a washing machine. In theory, it might help for the rigid silhouette to mold to your body. Ideally, you then let the jeans dry while wearing them. Preferably, without taking a sit to eliminate stretching in the knees. Of course, performed by professionals only.
Honestly, it’s more of a weird ritual and a privilege of having a bath than practicality. The only real difference is that the water temperature in a bath (≈45º C) is higher than I choose for a washing machine (≈30º C), which leads to a greater shrinkage. So here are the measurements taken according to the official 3sixteen measuring guide before/after a bath:
Waist: 88.9 cm (35 in) / 88 cm (34.65 in)
Front Rise 33.7 cm (13.25 in) / 33 cm (13 in)
Back Rise 43.2 cm (17 in) / 42.9 cm (16.9 in)
Inseam 90.2 cm (35.5 in) / 88 cm (34.65 in)
Leg Opening 24.1 cm (9.5 in) / 24 cm (9.45)
As you can see, even though the denim went through sanforization, it still shrank after taking a warm bath. I didn’t put the measurements for a thigh and knee — since I can’t be sure I take them at the same height — but the shrinkage falls in the 0.5%–2.5% range. Again, it doesn’t sound much, but it does affect the overall silhouette.
In case of taking a bigger size, the jeans fit me better after the wash. While there is still a bit of extra room in the waist, the pair does not fall off me anymore when worn without a belt. I expect it to shrink even more after the next 5–10 washes, especially in the washing machine. I will keep you updated.
Oh, and you were wondering whether taking a new pair of properly indigo-dyed denim to a bath is a dirty thing to do, then yes, it is:
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TCB 50’s Regular 219 Wears Update
In my article Things They Don’t Tell You About Raw Denim, I wrote about the functional drawbacks of quality denim that I just can’t ignore. One of the three major weaknesses is blowouts. Having worn three pairs of the same jeans, TCB 50’s Regular, I know exactly when they start to tear.
At 200 wears mark, you see the first rips in pocket stitching.
By 250 wears, the pocket bags need a replacement.
Unlike the previous pair of TCB 50’s Regular, I washed this one twice as often. 34 washes over 219 days of wear, to be precise. Still, the decay has started pretty much the same time.
The coin pocket has torn through from carrying the AirPods case. As did the stitching on the pocket’s left side.
The stitching that holds the front pockets has started to fall apart from the inside, jeopardizing the pocket bags. I will move my phone from one pocket to another to prolong the life of the right one, but its days are numbered.
I am pretty sure by the 250 wears mark the front pockets will be gone just as on my previous pairs. Again, this is not the fault of a particular pair of jeans, TCB, or denim in general. It’s just something to keep in mind when setting up your expectations for quality denim.
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Other People Struggle With Jeans Fitting Too
Sometimes, when thinking about something a lot, things start finding you. I was browsing the fall/winter 23 issue of L'Étiquette the other day and stumbled across Dante, a producer who has been wearing baggy jeans since he took up skateboarding in school. He’s photographed in a pair of Levi’s 501s: «I got them two or three sizes too big, as usual — it's something I just do automatically.»
Stealing Inspiration For Styling US Navy Parka
A few years ago, I purchased the orSlow US Navy Salvage Parka. I am not that big of a fan of repro clothing, so it wasn’t for historical heritage. I love observing how quality things age and consider that to be a true luxury. Denim just happens to be the perfect canvas for beautiful aging: it’s strong, yet it shows signs of wear fast. So, the true reason behind buying the orSlow US Navy Salvage Parka was to have a huge piece of light denim fabric that will age significantly over time. You have my full confession on this one.
It turned out that the garment was not that easy to style. This should come as no surprise in the case of a military garment from the mid-20th century. Less styling options means less wear. And less wear leads to slower aging. Quite the opposite of my intentions.
The only way to style the parka I came up with is what I call a beach bum. I just throw the loose garment on top so it hangs on me like a poncho. Sometimes, I put it underneath a jacket or a sweatshirt since the fabric is lightweight, but due to the voluminous hood, the result falls into the same beach bum-y aesthetic.
This spring Clutch Cafe put together a beautiful lookbook, featuring, among other things, a US Navy Gunners Smock in navy denim by Anatomica. Technically, it’s a different piece of military wear from the Salvage Parka. But they appear to be pretty similar to me due to the pullover style, denim fabric, contrasting white stitching, drawstring adjustments, loose fit, and big hood.
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Clutch Cafe styled the parka with white loose-fit Painter Pants by Haversack and black military oxford shoes by Sanders. Besides the versatile color combination, one thing that captured my attention was the length of the parka. Either the Gunners Smock is shorter than the Salvage Parka or the model used the drawstrings to keep the length at the waist.
I constantly use the same trick with my Polite Pullover by Story mfg. But for some reason, it has never crossed my mind in the case of the Salvage Parka. Abundant length is one of the key reasons that made the parka a beach bum item to me. Once fixed with the help of drawstrings, I can maintain the natural top-to-legs ratio. In the selfie above, I styled the parka over a black hoodie with white painter pants and leather-bottomed longwing brogues, bluntly borrowing the look from Clutch Cafe. Quite happy with the result.
Mystery Links
That’s a wrap for the sixth issue of Random Observations! Let me know how you feel about it in the comments section on the blog and what you would like me to cover next time. Seriously, any feedback helps!