Everyone owns a pair of jeans, whether that's a couple of old faithfuls, or tens of pairs you have in constant rotation. But despite their absolute ubiquity – how many other things in your wardrobe can you say your dad and your next-door neighbour also own – nobody ever looks the same in them, because, styling aside, you can stretch, fade, rip, cut and fray them to your heart's content to make them your own. They're the blank canvas of the fashion world, if you will.
Want to know how to get the best out of yours? We've rounded up genius tricks from Levi's master tailor Lizzie Radcliffe so that you can customise your pair exactly how you want to. And what should that pair be? She recommends starting with Levi’s® 501® For Women as they are the best jean to customise.
Spray Your Jeans With Vodka To Stop Them Stinking
Not washing your jeans for three months is the best way to wear them in. But that way lies stinky denim. So what's a fashion savvy girl to do about that? 'The most popular one is putting them in the freezer overnight in a bag because the coldness kills off the bacteria – and it's the bacteria that makes them smell. Or spray them with vodka instead for the same reason. Another way, which is a bit gross, is turn them inside out and brush them. That removes all the dead skin and that's what will eventually make them stink and create holes,' says Lizzie. We say, ewww. But we're game.
Sleeping In Your Jeans Will Mould Them Perfectly To Your Body
'Your body heat helps them to stretch to you, and sleeping is when you're completely relaxed and not thinking about how your standing, so you'll get a natural shape,' says Lizzie. We say, just make sure you're sleeping alone that night.
Don't Be Afraid To Buy 'Em Tight
'They should feel tight when you put two fingers inside the waist band as that's about how much they're going to give. Any pulling or lines across the front or the crotch when you try them on means they're just too small. New jeans should feel stiff rather than uncomfortably tight,' says Lizzie. We say, which is why changing room selfies don't apply when jean shopping.
**Avoid Scissors If You Want To Fray Your Ankle Hems Right
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'I always do it on a piece of rough brick. So you leave the stitched hem as it is and rub the edge on any rough surface to fray it and it'll look really nice. You've got the safety net of knowing they won't fray any further than the original seam then as well,' says Lizzie. We say, genius.
Be Precise When Ripping Knee Holes
It's worth drawing on knee-rips while wearing your jeans rather than free-cutting. 'Naturally, rips will happen under your knee, rather than actually on it. Draw on in pencil while you're wearing them, take them off, cut across and then use sand paper to fray the edges. And then if you put them in the washing machine on cold and inside out, it will enhance the fraying,' says Lizzie. We say, so that's what we've been doing wrong all those times…
Allow Extra Length For Fraying When You Cut Off Short Shorts
'Put the jeans on, and with a pencil so that it doesn't mark permanently, draw where you want the shorts to finish, and then add a centimetre more where the shorts will fray before cutting. You can make a wallet or oyster card holder with the cut-off because it's durable,' says Lizzie. We say, you'll probably need some sewing tips for that one.
READ MORE: A Few Sewing Tricks You Should Know Without Calling Your Mum
Use Tweezers And A Seam-Ripper To Get The Perfect Frayed Edging
'The indigo threads go vertically and the white threads go horizontally, so if you pull down on the indigo threads with your seam ripper on the edge you've cut, you're left with the white bits fraying out at the bottom. If you want that laddered effect, then use tweezers pull out some of the indigo threads further up, but be a bit gentle so as not to break the white threads too,' says Lizzie. We say, get us a £1 seam-ripper right now.
**Patch Up Rips With Alternative Fabric To Prevent Them Spiralling
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'If the rip goes all the way across the knee then you need to put a patch from right behind the knee because you want it to be able to give a bit more and look natural. It's quite nice to put another colour or Liberty print or other printed cloth. If you want to still have it showing through to leg you can use an iron-on fuser, like what you'd use to hold a hem up, around the inside edges of the rip,' says Lizzie. We say, John Lewis haberdashery department is your dream.
Freezing Cold Washing Stop Fading
'Definitely washing jeans inside out is good, but it's the coldness of the wash that really helps. So not just colder than 40, but actual freezing cold,' says Lizzie. We say, not a problem in the type of flat we live in – ie one with no heating.
The Live in Levi’s® project invites everyone the world over to contribute their own real-life Levi’s® story using the hashtag #LiveInLevis. This could be an image, or series of images that says it all or a post that gives a bit more depth. See what other people have shared at www.levi.com/liveinlevis
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Illustration: Marina Esmeraldo
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.