Wear and Tear

We love our jeans! It’s a sad day when we have to say goodbye to a pair that is worn beyond repair. One spot that jeans wear most quickly is at the, ahem, crotch. This occurs from rubbing, sweat, etc. It’s not just a denim problem, either. It’s an issue that happens to men’s trousers with modern, slimmer fits; finer fabric that breaks down more easily; and of course when your thighs touch and rub together.

So are there ways to prevent or slow down the wearing at the crotch of your favorite jeans? Yes. As we tell our clients when it comes to the wardrobe, clothing care is the name of the game. Here are some methods for you to try at home.

• Soak your jeans before wearing. This will rinse out some of the starches that are in denim and help make your jeans less brittle.
• Washing denim regularly. I know this goes against the don’t-wash-too-often rule, but if your jeans are regularly exposed to sweat and rubbing, washing them every few weeks will keep the fibers strong and clean. Especially if you do so with this Denim Wash.
• Don’t use a dryer. Another culprit is the heat from the clothes dryer, which can weaken the fabric and make it more susceptible to damage. If you lay them flat to dry instead of tumble heat drying,  this will prevent fading as well.
• Mending. Whether rips occur along seams or on the fabric itself, they can be mended to like-new condition. If the area is rubbing thin but not actually torn yet, it can be reinforced to prevent further wear. There are numerous tailoring shops in the DMV that take on denim repair, including J.C. Lofton Tailors and Do’s in Georgetown. There is also Denim Repair — a company that does just what its name says. You can peruse their work here, which includes pricing for various jobs. You simply mail your denim to them and two weeks later…voila!  For more denim repair options, check out these go-to spots.
• Early detection – Along the same lines as mending is catching a complete blowout before your jeans are crotchless. Read these tips on how to detect a blowout in its infancy and what to do about it. Darning thinned areas and fixing loose threads on time is an excellent way to add months (maybe years) to your denim.
• Reinforcing Your Crotch – Some brands offer a built-in crotch reinforcement to help prevent or delay the blowout. Betabrand — known for its office-friendly yoga-pants — has its Friction Fighter jeans. There is also the Diamond Gusset brand for men and women, which reinforces the crotch on their jeans from the get-go with, you guessed it, a diamond gusset. You can also ask your tailor to strengthen the area with a bit of spare denim.

Finally, my pal Alison recently did a blog post on the inner thigh wear (a kissing cousin of the crotch blowout). She has some great ideas as well that you can check out here.