Sunday, July 6, 2008

Oh, the fine art of shrinking Levi's 501s

So I finally dug out the shrink-to-fit 501s I bought at the cowboy store a couple months ago(!) for the time consuming yet satisfying task of shrinking them to fit ME.

If ya haven't done this, it's an art that has many methods.  My method, which I'd previously used successfully, involves putting them on and soaking in a warm tub (see link - thank you Al Gore for the internet).  However, my vintage tub would probably soak up the leaching indigo, so on to Plan B.

Plan B involved waiting for a nice, hot day like today (99+ in the shade?), putting on the 501s, soaking myself and wearing them until I felt they "took," then into the washing machine.  And my plan went fine until I realized 1) I hadn't looked at the "first washing" instructions, and 2) I had no modest way to get from the garage (where the laundry is) to the house once I divested myself of the 501s!

So, I got to wander around the yard until the indigo drips were minimal, tread lightly through the house to get the instructions and a pair of shorts, then back outside to more soaking and reading a book while my pants set.

Anyway, they're in the laundry now, and should come out great.  Last time I did this they were the best-fitting pair of jeans I had, and they seemed to last a longer time before the knees blew out, too.

-30-

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