Our 5 top denim tips for beginners

Picking the perfect premium selvedge denim can be a daunting task from the outset! But fear not, for your pals here at SON OF A STAG are here to help guide you through the treacherous waters of denim uncertainty, ensuring that you find something that’s just right for you! Here are 5 pointers to help you out, when shopping for the best jeans on the planet!

Wash your jeans (they’ll last longer!)
Jeans are like any other piece of clothing, and are meant to be laundered! You don’t need to wash them every time they’re worn, but if you want to get the most out of them, you’re going to treat them to a rinse every now and then. A good guideline is to throw them in the wash about every 30 wears, to allow the fabric to become supple. If you don’t, the bacteria will eat away at the cotton, and the dirt/debris build up will rub away at areas of high friction, causing the jeans to blow out.

Think ahead, and be patient.
Jeans will change with time and wear, and that’s part of the beauty of them! Your denim is going to look different month after month, and will slowly start to show signs of your own individual character. Those unique marks, fades, and wear are the reason so many of us love our jeans, so when finding your perfect pair, it’s good to keep this in mind. Don’t fall in love with the jean you put on when you first buy them, fall in love with the idea of what they could be in the future.

Consider the risks of raw denim.
We love to wear raw denim and go through the process of shrinking our own jeans, but it takes experience, and isn’t without its risks. For your first experience with premium Japanese selvedge denim, we recommend going with a one wash (pre-rinsed) option. There are plenty of options for both one wash and raw jeans, but we want you to have the best experience, and for a first time buyer, that will most likely come from going for a rinsed jean!

Wear the right shoes when trying!
The pair of shoes you’re wearing in the trying on process will dictate how the jean sits, and how it feels to you, so when trying your potential purchase on, it’s important to be wearing the footwear that you are most likely to pair the jean with in day-to-day life. The silhouette of your jean will be different sat on top of a sandal, as it would a Red Wing work boot, so take some time to pick the right shoe for the job to avoid any surprises. Maybe even bring a second footwear option with you for good measure!

Wait until you’ve got some wear in them to get them hemmed.
Jeans move and change to the way that your body moves and changes, so bear that in mind when thinking of any alterations in the early stages. Waists, and leg lengths expand with wear, and shrink with hot water, so be cautious about when you have them taken in, and up. We’ve heard stories of people hemming their raw jeans to the perfect length, only to find they’ve shrunk up too much in the first wash. That’s why we always recommend making it through at least one wash before having them altered. Any jeans bought at Son of a Stag are eligible for lifetime free hemming, and if you find that the first wash doesn’t shrink them enough, you can always have them done again, on us! After all, you can shorten your jeans to your heart’s desire, but we can’t make them magically longer once they’ve been chopped!