yes. we make jeans for real people, people with messy, awesome, adventurous lives. our jeans get sweaty, dirty, smelly. sometimes they need washing. we don’t shy away from water, and we don’t want you to either. we recommend washing your jeans inside out with cold water on the gentle cycle, and hanging them to dry. for more information on how to care for your jeans, check out our denim care page.

there’s really no right answer to this question. we’ve seen great jeans that are washed every week. we’ve seen beautiful jeans that have never been washed. you can wash before you wear, or wait 6 months for the first wash. we recommend whatever works best for your life. in the end, the only suggestion we have for you is to wear often, and wash not so often. the more you love your jeans, the more they will love you (however, if you like concrete solutions to problems, once every 3 to 6 months is a safe bet).

if you want to spot clean your jeans we recommend letting the mess dry first. use a dry rag to gently brush the gunk away, and then slightly dampen the rag and blot the spot. DO NOT SCRUB! the friction from the rag can lift off the indigo on the fabric. if a light spot cleaning doesn’t work, maybe it’s time to give those jeans a wash.

the terms “rigid” and “raw” refer to denim that is completely unwashed. nowadays, most jeans are pre-washed for softness and a worn-in look. by contrast, rigid jeans are dark and stiff. they require a break-in period and mold to the wearer’s body. to set the record straight, “rigid” denim does not mean “no-stretch.” it refers only to unwashed denim. so technically, an unwashed pair of stretch denim can also be rigid. however, at imogene + willie, all of our stretch jeans have been rinsed or washed. they are not “rigid” or “raw.” while we truly love breaking in a pair of rigid jeans, we develop each style, fit and fabric with you in mind. we hope that you’ll find the right jean to break in and make your own – worn in with your story.

the term “selvage” refers to the finished edge of fabric produced on a shuttle loom. this clean edge is produced by one continuous cross thread (the weft) that is passed back and forth through the vertical threads (the warp) during the production of fabric. because shuttle looms create narrow pieces of fabric, a longer piece is needed to produce a single pair of jeans.