Boyfriend Jean - Mid Show $43
I never really thought about how dirty jeans are for the environment! Levi’s says…
1. Throughout its lifecycle, a pair of jeans consumes as much energy as powering a personal computer for 556 hours. You can reduce this by washing less and line drying when possible.
2. Almost half of the water that is used throughout the life of a pair of jeans takes place after you bring them home from the store. (don’t wash your jeans after every wear – wait as long as possible to save on water!)
3. The average person in the US throws away 68 pounds of clothing and textiles a year. (donate or recycle old jeans)
Jeans will last so much longer too if you don’t wash and dry them regularly. I love jeans, and denim is one of my very favorite materials to sew with, but yeah, we could be doing a lot better… I’d love to try out some of the organic cotton denim brands, but I haven’t found any local stores that carry them. Jeans are something it’s hard to buy online unfortunately…
My friend who’s in the fashion industry says not to wash a new pair of jeans for an entire year! I’m not sure about that, but it is true that they stay fitting for a lot longer. Lots of people make the mistake of using fabric softeners on them as well, which obviously isn’t good as it changes the texture of the denim. I think the best place online I’ve bought from are Uniqlo’s jeans, because they come in so many lengths and styles and are really great for the price!
Wow! I think I’m too much of a clean freak to wait a year before washing my jeans! I wish there was a Uniqlo in Chicago – they have great stuff! I would love to try their jeans but that’s one item I don’t like to order online before I know the brand well enough to know what size I am. However, that’s good to know and next time I’m in NYC I’ll have to check them out.
I personally LOVE dirty jeans, and agree that they should not be washed. But I say “don’t wash them AT ALL!” It helps the environment and it just looks very cool.