HOW TO BREAK INTO JEANS

By Celebrity Fashion Stylist, Toni Ferrara

We all love our stretched out, worn-out, broken-in jeans. They are like long lost friends who know you and are so comfortable. As we drift into fall and make new friends (and buy new denim), here are a few tips on how to speed up the process to personalize your brand new jeans.

WASH WITH CAUTION.  Read the label if you want to break in your new jeans. Many labels call for cold water wash and air drying, if you want to speed the process, follow these instructions closely. Otherwise, the fibers and hard work you have put in will tighten up and shrink if you are careless.

DE-STRESS YOUR DENIM. Simply put, take your aggression out on your new jeans. Denim is one of the strongest fabrics and were made for heavy duty activities.

1. Start by soaking your jeans in the bathtub in warm water, getting the fabric and fibers wet is key.
2. Squeeze out excess water.
3. Lay the jeans on a hard surface (hardwood, concrete, or tile floor) with the waistline facing you and the legs extended away from you.
4. Begin by rolling the jeans away from you and toward the hem of the legs as tight as possible. This process pulls and stretches the fibers.
5. Unroll the jeans and pull them back into place. This will soften the fabric.
6. Turn the jeans inside out and repeat the steps above 3-5 at least four or five times.
7. Use a rolling pin starting from the crotch area and working down the legs and along the width of the waistband to continue the stretching out process.
8. Throw jeans in the dryer on a high heat setting with 2-3 pairs of sneakers. The friction between the jeans and the fabric will also cause the jeans to stretch.
9. Let the jeans cool completely, they will definitely be more comfy than when you bought them.
10. Repeat 1-9 for at least 4-5 days, it may seem like a while, but 4-5 days is better than 4-5 months.
    

CUSTOM-FIT JEANS.

1. Place your new jeans in the washer on a cold setting inside out.
2. After the cycle is in the final rinse stages, remove from the washer.
3. Put on the wet jeans (this is for the brave, fearless fashionista who aren’t scared of getting a little wet for the sake of comfy, broken in jeans.)
4. Do squats, lunges, and bend over in the jeans. it’s a great workout for you and your new favorite jeans.
5. When the fabric dries, the jeans will be perfectly sculpted to your body, hugging your every curve.
   

WEAR THEM OUT.

• Wear them as often as you can.
• Lounge around the house in them.
• Sleep in them.
• The more you wear them, the more they will become just as great as your old favorite pair.
  

The best way to avoid having to give your new jeans a workout is by always purchasing jeans with a little stretch. They don’t have to be “jeggings” (the jeans + leggings that is the new terminology). They just have to have a small percentage of Lycra mixed with the cotton. Naturally they will appear more comfortable and definitely softer than the stiff, tight ones.

Favorite brands: J Brand, William Rast, Stitches, Prvcy, Blessed & Cursed, MEK, and Hudson.