holy denim,
that unyielding textile
the bravest knees kneel in mud and earth
planting seedlings
new life and sustenance
I plant stitches into the knees of my jeans
beloved even before they came to me
and now
a garden of thread and patches
bloom where I use them most.
As summer approaches, I feel the call of denim. In truth I wear this hardworking fabric all year long, but in the heat of summer there is great beauty in the simplicity of a uniform, and I find myself wearing jeans and a t-shirt, bare feet in grass, sunglasses on. If I have to wear shoes I choose clogs. For years I have chosen this outfit because it makes me feel ready for anything, and in the summer, that's how I want to feel every day.
Denim is such a special fabric. Traditionally made with cotton and woven in a twill pattern, it’s a hardworking cloth, strong and malleable, changing to fit the wearer, fading according to the work that is done in them. Jeans are now often made with a small percentage of elastane (Spandex), which allows them to give a little and be more flexible. Good denim can last for decades if it’s taken care of, but when it comes down to it, cotton can only hold up for so long and there always comes a point when the fabric has transformed into something almost brittle, so delicate that new holes appear with each wear. This is a bittersweet period, where donning the denim becomes almost sacred because there are only a handful of wears left in the garment. Each outing is appreciated, and each stitch is a spell. When I sit to repair denim at this phase, my efforts are a swan song, a final gesture of care for a garment that has served me well.
Below, I've written out some of my advice for caring for your denim to give it a long life.
Take care and take heart.
Freezing:
First off, denim rarely looks dirty - this is one of the magical things about it! Before you even think of washing your jeans, try putting them in the freezer overnight. It sounds silly but trust me, it will freshen them up and kill any odor-causing bacteria and you'll be set to wear them a few more times. Folks who at first laughed about this now swear by it :) A fun story about this is that this winter, I put my jeans in my parent's chest freezer while I was staying with them and when I took them out they smelled like blueberries!
Washing:
When washing jeans, turn them inside out and close the zipper and/or buttons. Always wash on cold, as heat will degrade the fabric faster. Use a gentle detergent.
Drying:
Hang dry whenever possible. If that is not an option for you or you're in a rush, use the lowest setting on the dryer. Like with washing, heat breaks down the fibers faster, and in the case of jeans with Spandex or elastane, these stretchy fibers lose their stretch.
Mending:
Find a local tailor who doesn't mind replacing zippers or learn how to do this yourself! With patience and a seam ripper you can work wonders. Patch thinning fabric before it becomes a hole. Save worn out jeans or pairs that don't fit anymore for patching materials.
