***Levi's Shrink to Fit buying tips***

[Hoobuttacrew]

been checking out some STF jeans but when i tried them on they were really, really stiff. will this ease up after a few washes? also whats the shrinkage factor? i normally wear a 40 x 32 what size should i get in order for it to fit well after i wash it?

-thanks

[DUM]

I like the stiffness...and I'm going by the "raw denim rules" of not washing for 6 months (though I know STF's wont turn out as good as sugarcanes, nudies, apc, etc.) I did cold soak them for 3 hours to shrink them a little bit..and the shrinkage wasnt very noticeable imo. They've now stretched out a little more than I wanted them to but it's ok. I bought a 33 x 33...too big for me but I was scared of them shrinking too much. I would buy so that the fit how you want them to when you first put them on raw...if you soak they'll be a little tighter but will stretch back out soon...especially if you wear while damp. Warmer water makes them shrink more as well. Hope this helps a bit.

[Hoobuttacrew]

so buy it close to my size and wear it a bit before i soak it? if i use cold water will it shrink less? im a bigger guy so i dont want it to be really slim.

thanks for the advice so far.

[bnj]

i love unwashed 501s!
the more you beat em the cooler they come out. i wish they had different deep indigo typesof dye though. it looks like i own 2 pairs of jeans.
if you wanna keep them unwashed but feel theyre stretching too much on certain parts, turn them inside out, and spray water on those parts, then toss em in the dryer on low heat, itll make it shrink up again without having to soak the ENTIRE pair of jeans. and about the size thing, im a 36 in levis, my shrink to fits were 38s, i wish i had gotten 36s from the get-go. then again, i HARDLY wash my jeans, infact ive only washed 1 pair once, and i kind of regret it, so theyre pretty stretched out.

[DUM]

Nah you don't have to wear before soaking. And yeah in cold water they won't shrink much. But the softer they are the less honeycombs and whiskers you'll get...so if they fit when you buy them..you can just wear them from the get go.

[Hoobuttacrew]

so it sounds like i should just buy my size and wear them for a couple months to get the whiskering/honeycomb ( is there anyway to make the honeycomb stand out more ) then soak them in cold to clean them eventually. also is flat surface drying the best for denim?or maybe hung up or what

[bnj]

rubber erasers
bunch up the spots that would normally bunch up, and rub it with a rubber eraser from time to time.

[DUM]

rubber erasers
bunch up the spots that would normally bunch up, and rub it with a rubber eraser from time to time.
sandpaper is better for that.

But that's CHEEEEATING.

Starching them with some spray starch and sitting indian style/criss cross applesauce will help to speed up the whiskers and honeycombs. And of course the tighter you wear them the faster you'll get honeycombs and whiskers. I wear mine at my hips..but because they've stretched out so much..the whiskers aren't very defined.

[Hoobuttacrew]

so from wearing the jeans they will naturally start to honeycomb, also what colors did you guys pick up in the STF

[DUM]

so from wearing the jeans they will naturally start to honeycomb, also what colors did you guys pick up in the STF
Only saw one color there.

[bnj]

yeh sandpaper is great but very noticeable
rubber erasers arent as abraisive, so i guess its kind of like having very very very fine sandpaper and doing the same thing. actually not relaly concidering all your really doing is getting rid of a barely noticeable layer of indigo.

[bnj]

my man said criss cross applesauce
that took me back

[phr]

been checking out some STF jeans but when i tried them on they were really, really stiff. will this ease up after a few washes? also whats the shrinkage factor? i normally wear a 40 x 32 what size should i get in order for it to fit well after i wash it?

-thanks

all i usually have to do is go one size up in the waist and its cool. going up one size in lenght would be a bit much

[thelion1856]

u can use erasers or sandpaper but the best way to get the best looking honeycombes is to just keep wearing them and make sure your sitting or squatting in them, thats the best way just do it natural style. It takes a long time (months) BUT ITS WORTH IT.