Whether you're wearing raw denim, selvedge denim or a classic pair of indigo jeans, the way you wash and dry them has a big impact on how they age. With indigo denim jeans, it's important to remember that every crease + every fade is you putting your stamp on them. Wash them wrong and you undo all of that. Wash them right and they just gets better with time. Here's how to look after them, no matter the brand.

Rule #1: Wash less than you think you need to. Indigo dye is notoriously unstable, that's the whole point. It's meant to rub off and fade unevenly over time, building natural fade patterns as you wear them in. Every trip through your washing machine strips indigo faster than wearing them does. If you want that rich indigo colour to stick around as long as possible, the single best thing you can do is avoid washing them altogether: spot clean and air them out instead. If they don't smell and there's no visible stains, let 'em ride.

When it's time to wash:

✅ Turn 'em inside out. Protects face fade from friction and keeps dye transfer off your other clothes. Where you can, wash 'em on their own, or with dark colours only. Indigo bleeds, get it away from anything pale.

✅ Cold water, always. Heat accelerates dye loss and can shrink raw denim hard.

✅ Mild detergent, no bleach, no fabric softener. Softener coats the fibres and dulls the hand-feel + that rich indigo look.

Drying: Low, Slow, or Not at All

Heat is still the enemy. Tumble drying denim on high shrinks it + breaks down the cotton fibres. Air dry always. It takes longer, but it's the difference between denim that lasts and denim that's done in a year. If you're drying raw denim for the first time, expect some shrinkage regardless, that's sizing doing its thing, not a defect.

Longevity Hacks

🧱 Spot clean before you full wash. A damp cloth on a stain beats sending the whole pair through the machine for one mark.

🧱 Freeze 'em instead of washing 'em. An old denim trick: a few hours in the freezer can knock back odour-causing bacteria without touching the fade. It won't sanitise like a wash will, but it buys you time between washes.

🧱 Let creases set. Folding and wearing the same way repeatedly is what builds sharper fade lines over time, so don't fight the wrinkles, encourage them.

Final Word: The Fade Is the Feature

Raw, rinsed, selvedge, it doesn't matter the brand - indigo denim is built to be lived in + to show it. Wash it sparingly, treat it with a bit of respect, and it'll turn into something no shop can sell you: a pair that's actually, uniquely yours.