Raw Denim Art Project part 2: The Wash Recipe

I have been along this journey to becoming a denim aficionado for over a year or so with my A.P.C. Petit New Standard Jeans which I first mentioned in a post from last year.  I apologize for missing the opportunity to update the blog with pictures of the 6 to 8 months or so aging process but don't worry they will be included in this post.

Nevertheless today we will be once again highlighting my A.P.C. jeans after the first wash using the "seawater recipe" mentioned in the A.P.C. informational packet included with each pair of their raw selvage denim jeans.  I purchased these jeans in March 2014 and this wash took place at the end of May 2015.  I wore them somewhat frequently--up to four times a week.  I normally try to get at least two wears in them each week.  These jeans went through some custom tailoring and some in-home repairs due to a small, and then later, nasty crotch blow-out after a skateboarding accident.  The tailoring job was to increase the taper and slightly decrease the leg opening making them more of a true skinny jean.  You can see the tailoring and damage repair below:

After roughly 8 months of wear

The damage is mainly attributed to biking

Fixing the initial small hole

Once I got the fit right, I really got into wearing these frequently in my rotation along with a black pair of A.P. C. New Standards which I also took to altering.  They unfortunately suffered a much more severe skateboard accident that my amateur tailoring skills will not attempt to correct.

A.P.C. New Standard's all but destroyed (front)

A.P.C. New Standard's all but destroyed (back)

The jeans have endured countless bike rides on hot summer days to freezing cold ones in winter.  I skateboard in these and have even climbed a mountain (ok, really tall hill) in Montréal in these jeans.  They've been through quite a bit in 3 different countries.

Alas, we get to the subject of this post:  The Seawater Wash Recipe.  As most first-time raw denim buyers who purchase A.P.C. jeans, the idea of having wash recipes may seem daunting.  I read through each wash recipe--Machine Recipe, Semi-Extremist Recipe, Extremist Recipe, and Seawater Recipe--and thought which one best suits my personality?  I looked at the seawater recipe and said, "what does this even mean?" That was my queue to run with it.  I could sit here and explain it all, but here's a visual aid instead:

Finally here is a couple of the post-wash photos along with the a better view of the custom fit:

I like the way that they came out and look forward to more years of wear on these and the next raw denim addition to my line up.

- Keilon

Raw Denim Art Project

 So...in my never-ending pursuit to turn my life from one big sociology case study (long story...see the last 5 years of my life living in Chicago) into an everlasting exploratory art project, I am incorporating fashion and more specifically personal taste and style into an art project.  The feature--raw denim from the A.P.C. brand.

A.P.C.'s Petit New Standard Jeans

There are plenty of brands that make very high quality denim incorporating the world renowned Japanese loom process (see High Snobiety's piece on Japanese Denim), but I chose A.P.C. because they give you the opportunity to give your denim story a second life. Through their "Butler" program, customers are able to purchase and wear-in pairs of raw denim fit jeans in order to create exciting new wash and wear styles that could never be created through the pre-consumer wash and wear processes that machines do create the worn looks that popularize today's fashion trends.  After thoroughly breaking in and personalizing your pair of A.P.C. jeans you are then invited I return your unique creation to a store where, if eligible, you can resell for 50% off your next pair.  That's a pretty sweet deal.

I may not be a complete denim aficionado but I can definitely appreciate a good art project.  Also, the idea that my legacy can live on through someone else's experience is a rewarding notion to me.

The jeans are practically new in these shots:

I look forward to creating a very uniquely styled garment once I begin my particular washing recipe after I give them at least 6-8 months of wear.  I only hope that I'll still be interested in parting with them once the time comes. There will be follow-up posts on the development of this project and I hope that you all with enjoy this project with me.

More about A.P.C.:

Atelier de Production et de Création, better known by it's acronym A.P.C., is a French clothing brand founded by Jean Touitou in the beautiful year of 1987 (pardon my bias for my birth year).  The clothing takes a very minimalist approach. You won't find numerous logos and overly intricate designs.  With their pieces. Lately the company has been doing numerous collaborations with other brands and celebrity designers that have garnered it much notoriety as of late.

I initially discovered the brand back in college when looking for French style influences and again while looking for some better denim options. At the time, I chose to go with Nudies because of their more intricate and now famous back pocket detailing.  I think I was more interested in the world noticing what I was wearing as opposed to satisfying myself.

My personal style is constantly evolving with my maturity.

- Esoteric