Your First Raw Jeans, Choose the Wash Before the Size

Choose how much shrinkage you want to manage

For this first purchase, shortlist sanforized raw or one-wash jeans. Treat unwashed, unsanforized jeans as a deliberate project: ask the seller for the expected washed measurements before ordering.

• Sanforized raw. The fabric was preshrunk before sewing.
• One-wash. The finished jeans were washed; the fabric may be sanforized or unsanforized.
• Neither label guarantees zero shrinkage. Check the exact fabric and care instructions. Iron Heart explains the distinction.

“Raw” is used for unwashed or minimally processed denim, so ask whether the actual pair has been rinsed. A dark photograph cannot answer that question. Naked & Famous’s definitions help separate the labels.

Decide whether the selvedge detail matters to you

Selvedge is the woven, self-finished edge; raw describes finishing. They are separate properties. See the fabric explanation.

Ask for a cuff-detail photo, then decide whether that visible edge is something you want to pay for. Keep a better-fitting non-selvedge pair on your shortlist. If the price difference is the sticking point, read when selvedge is worth paying for.

Confirm the fit before washing or hemming

Choose one pair you already enjoy wearing as your reference. Compare waist, rise, thigh and inseam using the seller’s measuring method; methods can differ between brands.

• Ask first. Are the listed measurements before or after washing? What further shrinkage does the seller expect?
• Try the movement. Sit and bend your knees. Do not buy a painful fit on the assumption it will become comfortable.
• Keep your options. Check return and alteration terms before soaking or shortening. Rivet & Hide, for example, excludes requested hemming from returns.

If the waist fits but the leg does not, compare jeans cuts and their measurements before simply changing sizes.

Choose a fading routine you will actually enjoy

You do not need a no-wash challenge. Naked & Famous recommends washing when dirty or odorous, with the product instructions taking priority.

More frequent washing can produce softer contrasts, according to Nudie Jeans. Decide whether you want to pursue pronounced creases or simply wear and wash your jeans as needed. The illustration shows wear marks, not a result promised after a fixed number of months.