It's not unusual to find heated debates about almost any thing in the fashion industry, there are all kinds of debates but among the Vintage Fashion, there is always the one about Cone and Japanese Denim and then there's the one we're going to discuss today. You'll most likely find this on any fashion forum that has a thread about vintage work wear. Last time we had a war, we discussed the difference between Cone Denim and Japanese Denim, once you've decided on which type you want then you'll need to decide on the next bit: Rigid or Rinse. We're going to educate you about these two models today so you can choose which one suits you better, after all it all comes down to what YOU want. Let's begin the lesson!
Rigid Denim: This is the most common form you'll be able to locate any where, just about every company who manufactures denim will have some sort of rigid model. What this means is that the denim is UNTREATED, UNTOUCHED, and UNWASHED straight from the factory that created the denim. The only thing is that it's been starched so much that they're stiff as cardboard and will need some time to flex and bend to your will. This is the purest form of fading jeans, this is the model that you buy and put on straight away without any soaking necessary but it's also the hardest to deal with. Some people have said that their jeans were so stiff that they had bruises on the backs of their knees from their combs setting in! There are different weights to each model of Rigid Denim based upon the company selling it. The usual weight is about 12.5 oz but there are some as light as 10 oz and some as heavy as 22 oz, can you imagine 22 oz denim? It's so heavy that when you open up the legs, it's able to stand up on its own! Like the Invisible Man! Ahem, continuing on, you can identify Rigid Denim by the hems, they will be flat and straight, lined up with the stitching on the hem. Rigid Denim is never soaked unless it states "Shrink-to-Fit" but we'll discuss that later. So now you know what Rigid Denim is how about a go at Rinse Denim?
Rinse Denim: When a pair of Rigid Denim is created, the manufacturer then takes that denim and submerges it into water, then they dry it. Sometimes this is repeated many times, but usually just once; it removes all the starch so that the jeans are now soft and malleable. Rinse Denim is simply a step further in the process, although you may not start to see fades right away like with Rigid Denim as most of the starch is gone but you'll still get some awesome fades and you'll be comfortable. This model will let you move around with ease and without the pain of stretching out the jeans then waiting for those honeycomb bruises to fade away. But it's not the PURE form of jeans as they've already been rinsed but some people will soak their Rigid Denim too just to get them a bit softer, but this model lets you skip that step. The most identifying mark of Rinse Denim is the roping on the hems. Roping is a term used when cotton twists on the hem, when cotton is soaked it expands, and when it dries it shrinks, this causes tension then releases it; thus forming roping on the hems. Rigid Denim will never have roping but all washed and rinsed denim has roping. The easiest way is the hems but, if you're an expert, you can tell by the yoke, there will be roping there too.
So now you know the two types of models that are common with raw jeans, it's up to you to decide which one will suit your needs. Do you want to try out the Rigid Denim because you're hardcore? Or do you want to try out the Rinse Denim because it's softer to the touch and easier to handle for your first time? Whatever you decide, always remember to double check those hems! If you want Rigid Denim make sure it's rigid and if you want Rinse Denim make sure it's rinsed! Nothing worse than getting a pair of jeans and finding out the model is wrong, so that's why we're here to help! We want to share our knowledge with you, to educate you in the Vintage Fashion Industry! Next time we're going to talk about the different Cuts of Denim. See you next time!
Rigid Denim: This is the most common form you'll be able to locate any where, just about every company who manufactures denim will have some sort of rigid model. What this means is that the denim is UNTREATED, UNTOUCHED, and UNWASHED straight from the factory that created the denim. The only thing is that it's been starched so much that they're stiff as cardboard and will need some time to flex and bend to your will. This is the purest form of fading jeans, this is the model that you buy and put on straight away without any soaking necessary but it's also the hardest to deal with. Some people have said that their jeans were so stiff that they had bruises on the backs of their knees from their combs setting in! There are different weights to each model of Rigid Denim based upon the company selling it. The usual weight is about 12.5 oz but there are some as light as 10 oz and some as heavy as 22 oz, can you imagine 22 oz denim? It's so heavy that when you open up the legs, it's able to stand up on its own! Like the Invisible Man! Ahem, continuing on, you can identify Rigid Denim by the hems, they will be flat and straight, lined up with the stitching on the hem. Rigid Denim is never soaked unless it states "Shrink-to-Fit" but we'll discuss that later. So now you know what Rigid Denim is how about a go at Rinse Denim?
Rinse Denim: When a pair of Rigid Denim is created, the manufacturer then takes that denim and submerges it into water, then they dry it. Sometimes this is repeated many times, but usually just once; it removes all the starch so that the jeans are now soft and malleable. Rinse Denim is simply a step further in the process, although you may not start to see fades right away like with Rigid Denim as most of the starch is gone but you'll still get some awesome fades and you'll be comfortable. This model will let you move around with ease and without the pain of stretching out the jeans then waiting for those honeycomb bruises to fade away. But it's not the PURE form of jeans as they've already been rinsed but some people will soak their Rigid Denim too just to get them a bit softer, but this model lets you skip that step. The most identifying mark of Rinse Denim is the roping on the hems. Roping is a term used when cotton twists on the hem, when cotton is soaked it expands, and when it dries it shrinks, this causes tension then releases it; thus forming roping on the hems. Rigid Denim will never have roping but all washed and rinsed denim has roping. The easiest way is the hems but, if you're an expert, you can tell by the yoke, there will be roping there too.
So now you know the two types of models that are common with raw jeans, it's up to you to decide which one will suit your needs. Do you want to try out the Rigid Denim because you're hardcore? Or do you want to try out the Rinse Denim because it's softer to the touch and easier to handle for your first time? Whatever you decide, always remember to double check those hems! If you want Rigid Denim make sure it's rigid and if you want Rinse Denim make sure it's rinsed! Nothing worse than getting a pair of jeans and finding out the model is wrong, so that's why we're here to help! We want to share our knowledge with you, to educate you in the Vintage Fashion Industry! Next time we're going to talk about the different Cuts of Denim. See you next time!