Because we all own at least 10 pairs of jeans (and that is a conservative estimate girls – believe me, I know), not to mention jackets, vests and skirts, it’s important we know how to take care of our denim. We’ve spent all that money acquiring them, the responsible thing to do is to properly care for them. The MKIAs, with help from the June 2010 issue of InStyle magazine and some other reliable internet sources, are here to tell you how. Follow these easy steps to prevent the fading, shrinking and general demise of your denim:

1. Don’t wash them every time you wear them. The general rule of thumb is every four wears but the longer you can go the better. So if you only wear them for a few hours, you can count that as half a wear.

2. Protect the color by washing them inside-out. The color in denim washes off when it rubs against another material so doing this actually protects all your clothes.

3. Wash them in cold water and on the gentle or hand wash setting. If you are treating “jeggings”, it’s best to wash them by hand.

4. Ideally hang your denim to dry but if you don’t like the way they feel without a little fluff from the dryer – tumble dry on the lowest heat. Omitting the dryer cycle is most important for dark denim, as that is where the majority of fading occurs.

5. Taking it a step further, you can buy detergent designed to care for denim. Our recommendation is The Laundress Denim Wash, an eco-friendly and non-toxic rinse that gently softens the denim while preserving the color.

6. Before altering and hemming – wash and dry in a high temperature to maximize the shrinkage…especially for pant legs.

By following these guidelines, you will prolong the life of one of the most abundant and important elements of your wardrobe. We know you can’t live without them so we hope we’ve helped you learn to care for them.

xoxo Melina