I bought a Naked and Famous raw denim jean a few months ago and I really want it to develop a nice patina. I've read a bunch of contradictory stuff online - some people say never wash it, others say once a year. So I'm not really sure what to do to avoid messing it up.
Do you really want zero washing or just to put it off as long as possible? Personally I'd say the simplest thing is not to torture yourself over it - wash it once or twice a year max, it's not gonna destroy everything! In the meantime, air it out regularly (like leave it outside overnight), use a deodorant spray if you need to, and if you get something gross on it, a dry brush works great. The patina will develop naturally without you stressing out over every little wash!
A raw denim doesn't ask for much to age well, honestly. The patina happens mostly through wearing and natural friction, not really through complicated cleaning techniques. What helps is just letting the denim breathe and develop without too aggressive intervention.
For maintenance without regular washing, what really works is aeration. After you wear your jeans, hang them in the open air for a few hours rather than throwing them straight in the dirty laundry basket. That eliminates odors and moisture without damaging the fabric. If you really need to clean between washes, a light dry brush with a soft brush is enough to remove dust. Frankly, a lot of people make way too big a deal out of this - your jeans will handle fine going a few months without being washed as long as they dry properly after wearing.
When you finally decide to wash it (yeah, you'll have to at some point), wash it cold inside out with mild soap or even just diluted white vinegar. Skip the machine if you can, soaking by hand is better for preserving color. The contrast you see on raw denim comes from the contrast between worn areas and protected areas, so it's exactly that natural variation you want to keep. So the less you wash, the better, but once every six months or a year isn't a crime either.
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