New denim settles over its first few weeks. A little care early keeps it settling the right way.

A new pair of jeans is not quite finished when it arrives. The cotton is still stiff from the mill, the indigo is still loose on the surface, and the fabric has not yet learned the shape of the person wearing it. How you treat it over the first month decides a lot about how it looks a year later.

Expect the Waist to Give a Little

Cotton denim relaxes with body heat and movement, and most of that happens in the first handful of wears. The waistband in particular loosens by a small but noticeable amount. A pair that feels firm at the waist on day one, snug without pinching, is usually the right size. A pair that feels comfortably loose on day one tends to end up needing a belt.

That is the reason sizing up in denim rarely helps. Give a firm pair a week of ordinary wear before you decide it is too tight.

Keep Indigo Off Your Pale Knits

Fresh indigo rubs off onto whatever it touches, and it transfers most when the denim is damp or under friction. A cream sweater worn over new jeans can pick up a blue tint along the hem, and so can a light sofa cushion or the strap of a pale bag.

For the first few weeks, avoid sitting on light upholstery in jeans that have caught the rain, and let a pale knit hang a little longer over the waistband rather than tucking it in. Once the jeans have been washed once or twice, the transfer drops off sharply.

Hold Off on the First Wash

Washing too early resets the denim before it has formed any creases of its own. Wear a new pair several times first, airing it out between wears. When the time comes, turn it inside out, wash it cold on its own or with other dark clothes, and hang it to dry so the fabric keeps its length.

Let the Creases Be Yours

The lines that form behind the knees, across the lap, and at the top of the thighs are where the denim is shaping itself to how you sit and move. Pressing them flat with an iron undoes that work. Leave them, and over time they turn into the softer, lighter patches that make an older pair look like it belongs to someone.

When Something Gives Way Early

A loose button or a seam that opens in the first weeks is a defect, not wear and tear. Take a photograph and email us within 7 days of delivery, and we will put it right under our Return & Refund Policy.

Thank you for shopping with us, and for wearing something you can settle into.