Well Worn: 8-Year Old rag & bone Jeans Washed 24 Times

Buttery Soft American-Made Jeans Feel Like Pyjamas

Raw denim is a funny thing. The first time you put it on, it’s rough and uncomfortable. As you wear and wash it, the magical blue fabric becomes soft and develops a personal patina. Ryan Sullivan from NYC, who designs for Rigg, knows what we’re talking about. He has worn this pair of rag & bone jeans for almost a decade and he has washed them no less than 24 times. Today, they’re buttery soft.

Waited 6 Months Before Washing

Ryan got the jeans eight years ago and he has worn them regularly since. He wore them for six months before the first wash. Now, he has washed them a total of 24 times. Pretty cool to keep count this long.

Initially, Ryan would wash the jeans in the machine, but now they’re too delicate and he washes them by hand in the tub with a little Dr. Bronners soap. The North Carolina-made jeans are made from a very light weight denim – Ryan doesn’t remember the exact weight.

The Jeans Have Need Several Repairs

The jeans have had several repairs done. Initially, the crotch blew out a few times, which the guys at Jean Shop in NYC fixed around 2009 and 2010. Recently, Ryan has repaired the crotch with swatches of Kurabo denim samples; both by hand and by machine. The patchwork on the legs consists of antique boro scraps, sashiko fabric, and swatches from a field jacket. Those repairs are all hand-sewn.

At this stage, Ryan is just hoping to get a few more years and repairs out of the jeans. “They are now the perfect summer jean, almost pyjama-like,” he says. You can read more about rag & bone here.

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