September 3, 2026 5 min read
Raw denim: what shrinks, by how much, and what to order
Raw Indigo and One Wash are the same jean in two states. One of them will lose a size the first time it meets hot water, and the page says which.
By Nell Kaszuba, Co-founder & CEO
The question we are asked more than any other is some version of this: I wear a 32, which size do I buy? For most of what we make, the answer is a 32. For one product in one color it is a 33, and getting that wrong is the most common reason a pair of our jeans comes back.
Two states of the same jean
The Straight Selvedge Jean comes in Raw Indigo and One Wash Indigo. They are cut from the same 13.5oz Japanese selvedge, on the same pattern, in the same workshop in Los Angeles. The only difference is what has happened to the cloth before it reaches you.
Raw Indigo is unwashed and unsanforized. Sanforizing is a factory process that pre-shrinks cotton so it holds its size. Unsanforized denim skips it, which leaves the cloth stiffer, darker and closer to how it came off the loom. It also means the shrinking has not happened yet. It will happen in your bathtub.
One Wash Indigo has been rinsed once. The shrinking is done. What you try on is what you keep.
The numbers
| Raw Indigo | One Wash Indigo | |
|---|---|---|
| Waist | Loses about one size on the first hot soak | True to waist |
| Length | Loses about an inch | No change to speak of |
| What to order | One waist up from your usual | Your usual waist |
| Feel on day one | Stiff, almost like card | Softer, ready to wear |
So if you wear a 32 and want the raw pair to fit like a 32 after its first soak, order the 33. If you wear a 34, order the 36, because we do not make a 35. If you wear a 40, the raw pair is not for you: 40 is the largest waist we make, and the One Wash in 40 is the pair that fits.
How to soak a raw pair
Fill a tub with hot water
Hot from the tap is enough. Turn the jeans inside out.
Soak for thirty minutes
Weigh them down so they stay under. The water will turn blue.
Hang them to dry
By the waistband, out of direct sun. Do not wring them and do not use a dryer.
Wear them
For a few weeks, before you decide anything about the hem.
The inseam, and the hem
About an inch of length goes with the first soak, so allow for it. If you wear a 32 inseam, the two honest choices are the 34, soaked and then hemmed to your length, or the 32 worn a little short.
Hemming is free on request, through our repairs page. Do it after the soak and after you have worn the pair in, never before: a hemmed pair is final sale. It cannot be returned or exchanged, because we cannot sell it to anyone else.
A pair of raw jeans can be exchanged while it is unworn and unwashed. The moment it has been soaked, it is yours. So decide on the size dry, and on the length wet.
The rest of the denim
- Slim Taper Stretch Jean: pre-washed, so it does not shrink. It is snug at first and relaxes about half a size with wear. A snug first try is the right fit.
- Women's High-Rise Wide-Leg Jean: rigid cotton, already washed. It fits firmly at first and gives in the waist. Between two sizes, size down one.
- Denim Trucker Jacket: in Raw Indigo it shrinks in the sleeve. Between two sizes, take the larger.
Why sell raw at all
Because some people want it. Raw denim fades where you bend and sit, so after a year a pair is a record of how its owner wears it. It is more work and more risk, and we would rather explain that plainly than sell a surprise. If none of this sounds like fun, buy the One Wash. It is the same jean.
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Jeans
Straight Selvedge Jean
A mid-rise straight leg in 13.5oz Japanese selvedge, in Raw Indigo that shrinks and One Wash that does not
2 colors
$168
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Jacket
Denim Trucker Jacket
A classic trucker in 13.5oz selvedge with pleated front panels, sized for a sweater underneath
2 colors
$198
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Belt
Leather Belt
A 35mm vegetable-tanned leather belt with a solid brass buckle, made in Oregon
2 colors
$78
