Unsanforized Jeans - A guide to buying & washing them.

Introduction :

It can feel like a new concept to many of us however unsanforized denim (or shrink to fit) is the original way jeans were made by Levi's since the 1800's. Unsanforized simply means that the fabric has not been through a special shrink treatment process (sanforization) before it is cut and sewn into jeans. Most of the jeans we carry at URAHARA are unsanforized, however they have been washed once before hitting our shelves which makes the process of choosing the right size and wearing the jeans more simple.

Buying a pair of shrink to fit jeans can be a daunting process as there is an endless amount of information on the subject with some advice, honestly, being ridiculous.

Steve put together this simple walk-through to get you on the path to success and into the perfect pair of jeans.

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The Jeans :

I have chosen Fullcount's 30th Anniversary S0105 WWII jeans for this guide on how to wash unsanforized jeans as the Fullcount 0105 is undoubtedly one of my favourite pattern of jeans and I was excited to get into a pair of these limited jeans for myself.

The 0105 takes me back to walking the streets of Harajuku, Osaka and Kojima on the hunt for the “perfect pair of jeans” in 2015. After working my way through a handful of Japanese brands in Pure Blue Japan, Momotaro, Samurai and Japan Blue I was becoming frustrated with how difficult it was to find a comfortable, well fitting pair of jeans. It was there in the streets of Ura-Harajuku that I came to realise that the perfect pair of jeans was less about the latest fabrics, heavy weights and high contrast fades that I had read so much about and more about the simplisitc quality of the fabric, detailed construction and attention to shape... especially through the “top block”.

I entered the small and understated Fullcount Tokyo store and asked for the widest fit they had, knowing I could work back from there. The helpful staff member, despite his limited English, handed me the 0105XXW and I knew my search was over. In Fullcount's world - 0105 is the model / shape, XX designates their 15oz heavier weight fabric and W indicates that they have been once Washed.

The 0105 shape was higher in the waist, fitting snug against my back with no gaping and was fuller in the hips and thighs for comfort with a classic straight silhouette down to my boots. 

Now, almost 8 years later to the day, we have received the Fullcount S0105 WWII and I was excited to get into number 687 out of 1000 limited pairs of this special 30th anniversary pair of jeans.

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First Impressions :

The Fullcount S0105 comes in a 14oz denim fabric made from 100% Zimbabwean cotton. In it's raw state, it is very stiff and crispy with a vintage texture that the brand developed to closely replicate WWII era jeans. The jeans are quite rigid with a wide & boxy shape and on initial wear it can be quite difficult to trust in the process and know where we are headed.

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Sizing :

I typically take a Size 36 in Fullcount jeans and trousers and with this model found that the Size 36 was also perfect with just a touch of extra room in the waist and thighs and knowing that they would shrink a little during the washing process.

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Washing :

The whole washing your jeans thing has been overcomplicated and marketed to death but realistically it's as simple as putting your jeans in washing machine. We have visited countless washing / processing factories in Japan and despite the scale being a little different, the basic principle's are the same.

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It is really important to not dry your jeans in a dryer as you will likely over shrink your jeans and cause unwanted creases and fades in the denim.

We recommend simply shaking your jeans around and airing or patting out any creases then hanging them to dry.

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Post Wash Fit.

The waistband has come in to a firm but comfortable fit, this will relax a touch with wear.

Any excess around hips and legs has dissipated but not tight at all. They drape a lot better though the leg as the fabric is a lot softer and shapes to the body.

The length shortened by quite a bit which is great as even for someone 6 foot tall they were far too long. I might even give them a hem using our Union Special 43200G chain stitch machine after I have worn them a few days.

The fabric is incredibly soft but has a nice vintage slub to the texture. The colour has changed from an almost black indigo to a rich shade of blue. Being made from a Zimbabwe cotton they are extremely comfortable from the get go and will only get better with wear, one of the reasons Fullcount is a favourite among many experienced in Japanese denim or even after their first pair of quality jeans.

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Below are some side by side fit photos to demonstrate how the fit changes after a 40 degree wash.

Shrinkage:

Waist: -3cm across

Hem: -2cm across

Length: -5cm total

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