Six months, one cold soak and a lot of sitting down. The bench's honest guide to your first raw pair.
Raw denim arrives stiff, dark and a little shiny. That is the point: every crease you put into it over the next few months becomes a fade you keep for years.
Wear them more than feels sensible
The first two weeks are the hardest. Wear them every day, sit in them, cycle in them. The waist will give about two centimetres and the knees will start to soften.
Wait before the first wash
We say six months, or until they genuinely smell. Washing early sets the creases before they are deep, so the fades come out soft and blurry.
Wear them every day for six months. Then soak them cold, once.
The first soak
Turn them inside out, soak in cold water with a spoon of gentle detergent for 45 minutes, rinse and hang. No machine, no dryer. The colour will lift a little and the fades will snap into focus.
If you blow a knee or a crotch along the way, send them to the bench. Repairs on Marlowe jeans are free for life.
