When I first purchased my pair of Warehouse 1001XX, I thought I had a decent understanding on how to size sanforized vs. unsanforized denim, and how to manipulate the fabric for my advantage. Boy, was I wrong. In this follow-up article, I will take a step back and look at what it means to be sanforized or unsanforized, and use this understanding to explain why denim shrinks and stretches, and how to use that knowledge to size jeans appropriately. As a disclaimer, the first half of this article is essentially a crash course in denim terms/definitions, how it is constructed, and why it shrinks. Those who are already more experienced in the world of denim can probably skip ahead to all of my measurement charts, photos, findings, and conclusions. What is sanforization? Before we go into what sanforization entails, we must first understand how denim is made. First, the cotton is pulled tightly and spun into long yarn fibers which, in this stretched and elongated state, are woven together into a denim fabric. In this raw state, the frictional forces within the denim holds the individual fibers in their elongated state, un-shrunken. When this denim is exposed to water, these frictional forces arereleased and the individual fibers relax, allowing the fibers (and hence, the denim as a whole) to shrink down to their natural length.The exact amount of shrinkage of any given denim may be unique and difficult to predict. Thus, prior to construction of a garment, most denim undergoes a sanforization process to remove shrinkage and stabilize the fabric in width and length. The process of sanforization was invented in 1930 by Sanford Lockwood Cluett. Once removed from the loom, the freshly woven denim is then fed into a sanforization machine which uses a series of rubber sleeves, rollers, and heated cylinders to heat, moisten, stretch, and shrink the fabric. This removes most of the shrinkage that will occur otherwise after its first wash, resulting in a stable fabric (in both length and width) with a smoother, more uniform finish. This “pre-shrunk” denim can then be cut and sewn into your favorite denim garments without worrying about significant shrinkage during the first wash. What is unsanforized denim? Unsanforized denim simply skips this sanforization process. In doing so, the denim is left in more raw, unrefined state, retaining all the shrinkage potential within its fibers. If used to construct a pair of jeans, jacket, or any other garment, this loom state denim will exhibit variable and sometimes significant shrinkage during its first wash. This, obviously, can make it difficult for an inexperienced denimhead to size unsanforized denim garments. The denim typically has much more texture (having not passed through the sanforization machine), which becomes even more evident upon washing. This also usually results in more rippling, puckering, and cinching along the seams, which creates some really interesting (and awesome) fade patterns as the denim ages. Okay, I understand sanforization and unsanforization. But what does “one wash” mean? Whether a denim has undergone the sanforization process should not be confused with denim that has gone through “one wash.” Both sanforized and unsanforized denim can be “one wash” or “non-wash.” The description of “one wash” can be interpreted literally—the factory or business has taken the liberty of washing the garment themselves before making it available for sale. This removes majority of the shrinkage left in the denim (after the garment has been constructed), making it easier to size when purchasing online. My Experience with the unsanforized Warehouse 1001XX in Size 33 Before I go any further, I want to preface this by disclosing that I am by no means a “denim expert." I do not know how to size the perfect pair of jeans for every body type, nor can I predict how a soak, wash, or dry might affect any particular denim. This is merely what I believe to be true based on my limited experience, so take from it what you will. At the time I first purchased this pair, I believed unsanforized jeans should be oversized initially in order to accommodate for shrinkage with their first soak/wash. Unfortunately, the size 33 pair of Warehouse banner denim I received had a 36″ waist—significantly larger than I had anticipated. I attempted to hot machine wash them to maximize the amount of shrinkage, which brought them down to my ideal 33.5″. I was stoked! However, this sense of excitement did not last long, as the denim began to re-stretch and relax with wear. (Read my detailed article on the size 33 pair and my hot machine wash process here.) After just a few wears, I realized that they were already stretching more than I would have liked. Actually, I didn’t mind the fit of the relaxed straight leg. What bothered me was the excessive room in the waist. Below, I’ve provided a sizing chart for the raw measurements, post-hot machine wash, and after a few wears, as well as fit pics at all 3 stages. In retrospect, sizing up to account for shrinkage in the waist was a critical mistake.While the denim shrank initially from a 36″ waist to 33.5″, they quickly stretched back out to 34.5″ after just a few wears. Thisoccurred despite cinching these tight with a belt, and I expect that they would continue to stretch regardless of if I continued to wear a belt or not. My Experience with Size 31 After much deliberation, I decided to purchase the Warehouse 1001XX again from the Son of a Stag website—this time in a size 31.(Two sizes down!) The size 31 had a raw measurement of 33.5″ in the waist, which is what I ultimately wanted after wash and wear. Again, I’ve provided all the measurements I took at the raw, post-wash, and post-wear stages, along with the fit pics. (Please note, I decided to do a cold machine wash with size 31 pair, as opposed to the hot machine wash I did with the size 33 pair.) *The 32″ waist post-machine wash is probably less than actual shrinkage, as I pulled not the waist while they were still damp, scared that they had shrank too much. **I also pulled on the leg some after the wash, in order to lengthen the leg a bit. This would explain the 0.5″ stretch in the inseam after wear. This pair shrank fairly significantly after the initial cold wash, becoming uncomfortably snug from the waist through the thigh. However, they have since loosened up significantly, and now they fit great! My New Understanding of Unsanforized Denim With everything discussed above, it is understandable why raw, unsanforized denim shrinks upon first wash. However, while the length of the individual fibers may have relaxed (shrunk), the actual amount of cotton that exists within each fiber remains unchanged. We can expect that all of these shrunken fibers have the potential to stretch back to their raw measurements if enough tension is placed on them. Thus, for a pair of washed, unsanforized jeans, we can theorize that the amount of post-wash stretch is directly proportional to the amount of tension experienced during wear. For instance, the waist measurement (a place of highest tension) will exhibit significant stretch after wear, while the hem (leg opening) and inseam will exhibit far less stretch back with wear. This theory is confirmed by the measurements of my size 31 pair of Warehouse 1001XX after wash and wear. As these were super snug after washing, the waist experienced a significant amount of tension with wear, and thus stretched back to its raw measurement of 33.5″. The denim experienced less and less horizontal tension as it moves down the leg, and thus exhibits increasingly less stretch, with the hem remaining unchanged after shrinkage. Conclusion The process of purchasing raw, unsanforized denim is often overly mystified and made to seem unnecessarily daunting.Most sources I’ve found online recommend sizing up to account for shrinkage during a first wash. It is true, sizing up does allow denim to fit more comfortably immediately after wash. However, given my experience with these Warehouse jeans, sizing up and relying on shrinkage to create an ideal fit merely results in a pair of jeans that inevitably stretches to be more relaxed in the waist than desired. While my experience is still fairly limited, I believe the following principles for sizing raw, unsanforized denim to be true: Anyway, this summarizes my recent experience with sizing my pair of unsanforized Warehouse 1001XX. If you have found anything different in your experience (or I have written anything incorrect), please let me know. I may write a third review in the future documenting how this denim breaks in and fades with wear, but until then, those that care can follow along this fade journey on my Instagram (@thedenimdentist). First (shameless plug), if anyone is interested in purchasing my size 33 pair, please let me know! They’ve been worn a total of 4 times in the evening after work, and have not been worn since the 360° fit pics were taken. I expect the very extensive measurement chart should also help a lot with sizing. They currently have a 34.5” waist, but like my size 31 pair, I would expect them to potentially stretch back up to their raw measurement of 36” if need be. DM me on Instagram if you’re interested or have any questions. Thanks! Second, I’d like to thank a few of my Instagram friends I used as a resource during this Warehouse sizing and washing endeavor, whose knowledge, experience, and understanding of unsanforized denim far outweigh my own. This would include (but is not limited to) Paul @partial2vintage, Mikko @migigp, Richie @richie_thomson, Jake @almostvintagestyle, and Chris @sasaki___kojiro13. Thank you for answering all of my questions putting up with my indecisiveness. Lol Lastly, I would also like to thank Linda, David, Rudy, and the customer service staff at Son of a Stag. I was one of those annoying customers who asks a bajillion questions and requests several measurements with photos, and they were kind enough to oblige. Also, they’re one of the few retailers I could find who offer a wide range of Warehouse products, so if you're in the market I’d definitely give their shop a look.
See Also
What's the quickest way to break in new jeans?Take 1: Unsanforized DenimA Beginners Guide: Soaking Raw DenimHow To Look After Your Jeans