Creased jeans (Photo – en.wikipedia.org).
Joe Zee, Editor in Chief and Executive Creative Officer of Yahoo Style, knows a thing or two about jeans.
At the beginning of his career, Zee learned from designers and executives at Levi’s solutions for fresh smelling jeans without washing them!
This is what he has to say:
- Denim was designed as a tightly woven cotton with an indigo pigment coloring that was meant to “break down” over time through wear and tear, in order to ensure you get the proper fade and the much desired effect of “whiskers” (the term used for the fading of the lines around the zipper area).
- Nothing will allow for that type of organic fading other than natural dirt and everyday wear. You have to allow the dirt and natural particles to settle into your brand new jeans where it will start to work in the breaking down of those rigid cotton fibers.
- If you throw your jeans into the wash, you will lose that natural fade result that you love with old jeans and the color will fade to a flat color, and not to mention the woven denim fabric will seize up. In short, washing your jeans will keep them from fading – the right way.
Vintage jeans (Photo – pexels.com).
What’s Zee’s solution without smelling like you never wash your jeans?
1- The freezer is your friend
Fold your jeans and throw them in the freezer overnight. Do it without bagging them as this will help freeze the bacteria (and odor) off.
2- Vodka
Vodka is not just a nice refreshing drink you seek at social times, but a cleaning solution as well. Fill your spray water with vodka and get to work. A light spritz will kill all odors.
3- Use the dryer only!
Skip the washing and toss your jeans for 20 minutes in the dryer for a “fresh feel.” Make sure they are inside out before you put them in the dryer.
Joe Zee is the Editor in Chief and Executive Creative Officer of Yahoo Style. Previous to this post, Joe was the Creative Director of ELLE where he developed a new visual signature for the magazine, overseeing all the photo shoots and styling the covers, as well as penning a monthly column (“Style A to Zee”), that focused on fashion service, commentary and insider styling advice. He is a frequent fashion and pop culture expert appearing on ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s TODAY show, and CNN. Aside from being an in-demand stylist for celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jennifer Lopez (among many others), Joe was recently named Old Navy’s Style Ambassador. He’s currently the cohost of ABC daytime talk show, FABLife; author of That’s What Fashion Is; and QVC designer. You can follow him on his twitter account @mrjoezee.
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