Put This On

Q and Answer: Treating Crotch Blowout

“Crotchless in Chicago” writes:  After watching your excellent episode on denim, I decided to try out your recommendations on wearing raw denim jeans.  Six months later, I am having the same problem I have had with many jeans in the past and would like your recommendations on my situation.  The current pair of jeans are Levis 527s which I purchased in early December and have been wearing almost every day since.  They have been hand washed in Woolite Dark exactly three times.  The problem is that two or three months ago I started noticing significant wear in the crotch just behind the seam.  I noticed this morning that this wear has progressed into actual holes.  Just about every pair of jeans I have owned have ended this way.  Is there some way I could prevent this or mend a pair after they begin to show wear?

First of all: let it be said that we do not endorse relaxed boot-cut denim.

OK: that aside, on to the issue of crotch blowout.

By far the biggest problem with rarely-washed raw denim jeans is crotch blowout.  It doesn’t happen to everyone, but for some of us - presumably those of us with meatier thighs or sweatier balls - it is a consistent problem.  The crotch is both the most friction-prone and swampiest area of the jeans, and the combination (dirt and moisture weakening the fabric, friction breaking fibers) can lead to a threadbare patch or even holes.

Patching jeans is easy enough.  Better to catch the problem early, but your tailor can repair the damage largely invisibly for ten dollars or so.  Many denim aficionados appreciate the “hand-made” look of a home patching - you can buy the patch at any fabric store for a couple dollars.  You can also send them to a denim specialist like Denim Therapy in New York, who charge $7/inch of damage, and ship nationwide.  If you want a perfect repair, call your local denim specialist retailer and see who they recommend.

Another option that I’ve used successfully in the past is using a fabric repair glue like Tear Mender.  This stuff is like a weird rubber cement specifically for fabric.  It dries clear and flexible, and does a great job of arresting fraying.  I put some on the seam in my crotch when it looks like it might start to go, and on the inside of my knees when they get dangerously thin, and it’s held quite well.  Be careful not to use too much - if it’s globby, it will attract dirt.

via Sanforized

A Continuous Lean testifies on behalf of his Gap raw selvage jeans.

Some gentlemen in the mid 60s doing casual, functional clothing right.  On the dome of St. Paul’s in London.

(thanks, Jamie)

Q and Answer: Hem, Cuff or Stack Your Jeans?

Jesse (not me) asks: So since these new Levi’s you posted only come in one length, what do I do with the extra length? Roll it? Have them hemmed? Help!

This one’s a matter of personal taste.

First of all: remember to get the shrink out first.  Even if the jeans are sanforized, they’ll lose a little length, so do your hemming after your soak.

Then, there are three choices: hemming, cuffing, or stacking.

A tailor can hem your jeans for you.  If you happen to live somewhere with a fancy jeans store like Self Edge, they’ll have a chain stitch machine that can hem your jeans industrial-style.  If you don’t live in a major metropolitan area, any tailor or alterationist can use some fancy fabric work to retain the original hem while shortening the inseam.

Some people prefer to cuff their jeans a few inches.  Until the middle of the 20th century, denim wasn’t widely available in varying lengths, so it was often cuffed rather than being hemmed.  We’re fine with this, though you should know that it’s a much bolder choice aesthetically than uncuffed.

You can also “stack” your jeans.  Unlike dress pants, it’s totally fine to wear jeans a little long.  How this looks will depend on how wide the legs of the jeans are (on either extreme it starts to look silly).  Some people are totally for this, some totally against, we try not to worry about it too much.

So: if your preference is neutrality, have them hemmed.  If you feel comfortable looking a bit like a person who might use the phrase, “Hey youse guys!” then cuffing is for you.  Stacking will give you a bit of attitude but a less clean look.

The choice is yours.

It’s On Sale

Levis Vintage Clothing 1947 501s

These are a much slimmer 501 based on the model introduced in 1947.  I got a pair for Christmas, and they’re my every-day jeans.  I personally prefer the higher rise to the low-rise options like the 514.  Only a few sizes are left.

$99.90 (originally $175) at LevisStore.com

Eight Days of Style

Reader Lucy wrote to us to ask that we suggest eight super-basic, affordable Hanukkah gifts for her boyfriend “to replace his stained light-wash jeans and Nine Inch Nails t-shirts.”  We’ll offer one choice for each day the oil burned.

Above: the Levi’s 514 in tumbled rigid.  A simple, dark, well-cut jean that goes for just $30.

It’s On Ebay

Crate “Journal” raw denim jeans.

I bought a pair of these at the Barney’s warehouse sale last spring, and really like them - but be careful, because they fit several inches smaller than the tagged size.  I bought my usual jean size and it was so small I couldn’t get them on.  So check those measurements.  But they’re very nice jeans.

Starting at $49, ends Thursday