You may be familiar with this: you just bought a new pair of jeans and after only one hour of wearing your new pair has gotten too big on all sides. The result: too big on the knees and the jeans sag at your bottom continuously. Very annoying, since the jeans had the perfect fit when you tried them on in the shop. It’s commonly known that jeans stretch, but no one seems to know how much exactly. In the Denim Guide, we discuss everything about jeans. This time: how much do jeans stretch?
Why do jeans stretch?
Sometimes you just don’t understand: a cheap pair of jeans that still fit perfectly after washing them ten times, while the expensive pair is stretched within an hour. The price of a pair of jeans doesn’t say anything about how much or little they’ll expand. It’s essential to look at the composition of your jeans. A pair that that contains a lot of elastane may have the perfect fit, but chances are they’ll expand within hours. Elasticity will get lost over time, and, as a result, your jeans will no longer fit your curves.
But not only a lot of stretch in your jeans is a culprit. Even conventional jeans that have no elastane will stretch quickly. The coarse cotton ensures that the jeans won’t easily form to your body. Therefore, once they’re expanded, the jeans won’t ‘bounce’ back. Stretching occurs when you, for example, kneel or sit down. You’ll be more likely to suffer from stretched-out knees and a wider hip-width when it comes to jeans without elastane.
How much do jeans stretch?
How much your jeans will expand, depends on the composition of your jeans. You’re good with a pair of jeans that contain 2% elastane; chances of stretching are less compared to other jeans. Do your jeans have more elastane, then your jeans will probably stretch to half a size or one size up. With jeans, the difference between two sizes is about 1 or 2 inches. If your jeans stretch to more than one size up, it has become 2 inches wider since you bought them.
How much jeans stretch depends on the model as well. Boyfriend and mum-jeans are less likely to get stretched out knees since these are loose-fit models. On the contrary, skinny fit jeans are very likely to stretch since they have a snug fit.
How to prevent your jeans from stretching
Like grandma used to say: Better be safe than sorry. This saying goes for modern-day jeans as well. Everybody knows how annoying stretched jeans are, but with these tips expanded jeans will be history.
- When you buy a pair, pay attention to the materials the jeans are made of. The perfect jeans are made of 92% cotton, 6% polyester, and 2% elastane. This combination provides enough stretch for a perfect fit, but won’t expand. If you do not want to risk expanding jeans, then please choose a pair that contains no more than 2% elastane.
- Always buy your jeans a bit too tight and never too big. Jeans stretch, just keep that in mind. When you buy a new pair, make sure the button and zip can be closed with effort. Your jeans will fit perfectly after wearing them a couple of times.
- Don’t wash your jeans too often since they’ll lose their natural fit. With every wash, the quality of your jeans slightly reduces. The more you wash them, the more likely it gets your jeans will stretch. We understand that washing your jeans not too often does not sound very appealing, but there are plenty of tricks to avoid nasty smells.
- Always wash your jeans using cold water. Just like washing your jeans too often, washing them at a hot temperature is bad for your jeans as well. It damages the yarns in your denim resulting in your jeans losing their fit. Preferably wash your jeans using only cold water or put them in the freezer to kill bacteria.
- Never put your jeans in the dryer. Having your jeans clean and dry within two hours sounds perfect, but your jeans really won’t like it. It’s especially bad for jeans with elastane. Your jeans will expand quicker once the elastane in them breaks.
What you can do once your jeans are stretched
Sometimes, you just have bad luck, and you have expanded jeans despite all the prevention tricks. No worries, this is what you can do to get your jeans back to their perfect fit.
- Wash your jeans using a warmer temperature. The heat will make the threads retract to cause a more snug fit. Only use warmer temperatures if your jeans are stretched too much, and a cold wash just doesn’t do the trick.
- Throw your jeans in the dryer. Although we just said that you should never do this, it’s the last resort when they’re stretched too much. The warmth of the dryer will make the vessels shrink and tighten your jeans. Only do this with jeans that have no elastane, since elastane doesn’t like warmth at all.
- Have your jeans gotten too big, and are they sagging off? An elastic band does magic. Sew an extra piece of elastic in your waistband, and your jeans will stay on.
- Take a nice hot bath together with your jeans. The greatest advantage is that the vessels will shrink, and the jeans will form perfectly to your body. The biggest disadvantage is that after you’re done bathing, you have to keep them on until they’re fully dry.
The best offers on jeans
