Buying unsanforized raw denim (or shrink-to-fit) always has it's complications, it's critical to buy the right size to obtain the desired fit. Even raw denim veterans sometimes have a hard time when soaking and hemming their new jeans comes to place.
For the newcomers, the wide variety of brands, types and weight of denim make things even more confusing. All kind of information is out there to be found on blogs and forums. Some of them are right, others are not. What to do?
Many denim guru's agree that soaking before wear is the best way to go - we at DC4 couldn't agree more. Naturally unsanforized denim needs to be soaked before wearing. Some of the real advantages of soaking is that it increases the fabric density and strength, removes the excess indigo and starch, corrects stitch tension and it helps to achieve that perfect fit.
It is recomendable to wear unsanforized denim with out a previous soaking? Well, just think that when you decide to go raw, the chance that your favorite jeans, bought with your hard earned money, will not fit you well anymore after the first wash is nearly 100%. The creases and fades you have worked hard on will shift out of place. Also, not washing your denim will increase the possibility of crotch blowouts and early wear of the fabric.
In Japan, it's a popular practice to pre-soak dry denim before it's being sold (so called one-washed jeans). Many specialized denim stores give the alternative to buy a pre-shrunk version of the jeans you are willing to purchase. After you have tried the pre-soaked jeans you want, they just hem it to your convenience and let you go with a perfect fitted pair, without complications. Easy!
Of course soaking your brand new pair of jeans has a certain appeal to it, but it has to be done right to get a perfect pair. To avoid the cumbersome process, DC4 created the Soaking Room. A space in store where we pre-soak your denim of choice, giving them a thoughtful attention in this important procedure. We know every single brand and model, and all this knowledge is critical for the shrinking process and of course, sizing advice.
After the jeans has being shrunk, we offer you a free hem stitching with our vintage "Black Head" Union Special 43200.
If you want to buy jeans online, just shoot us an e-mail or a message on Facebook or Tumblr, and we'll be more than happy to help you with the sizing or other questions. And of course - if you are in Berlin, pay us a visit. You might walk away with a pair of jeans that are ready to roll!
