The spring 2008 issue of The Nest magazine includes a feature on jeans, with a “what to wear at work/night/weekend” info/photo package (or “charticle,” as they have become known) … and a Q&A with Eleanor Ylvisaker, the PR director for Earnest Sewn denim.

Most of Ylvisaker’s advice falls on the denim-for-dummies side: Keep your body type in mind; you’ll probably need a few different pairs; good quality lasts longer and usually looks better.

But she really threw me with her answer to “What’s the best way to wash jeans?” She replied: “True denim aficionados never wash their jeans in order to let them wear in and age. The great thing about denim jeans is the more you wear them, the better they get. If things get really unsanitary, you can either spray them with Febreze or hand-wash in cold water and then line-dry them.”

Now, I understand the concept of less washer/dryer wear-and-tear, more garment life. And I also know that just because something has been worn doesn’t make it “dirty” – I’ve turned into Mr. Rogers, changing out of work clothing as soon as I get home, and most of it just goes right back onto the hanger, not into the hamper.But denim stretches. Bad. (In fact, Ylvisaker suggests people between “sizes” buy the tighter one, because it will give a little.) And if you’ve spent even part of your time sitting — at work, at dinner, in the car — unless the jeans have spandex in ‘em the butt gets unflatteringly baggy, and requires water to snap it back into shape.

I don’t know if total submersion is required – when I did an article on “Trading Spaces,” one of the families told me that host Paige Davis sprayed her jeans with water throughout the day to keep them form-fitting – but I can’t imagine a little spritz from a spray bottle would suffice.

And, really, my jeans are capable of “wearing and aging” just fine even when they hit the washer. (I do wash them inside-out, though. And air-dry the really nice ones. The dryer really is hard on them.
ammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 3/24/08
The shirt: Four-button short-sleeved fine jersey shirt (American Apparel)
The pants: Wide-wale corduroys (Banana Republic)
The shoes: Suede pointed-toe loafers by Gordon Rush (Last Chance)
The scent: The now-discontinued Sport de Paco Rabanne

sammit

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