Q: My jeans tear at the crotch but I still really love them, what can I do?
The Cliff Notes —
Only use cold water when washing your denim!
Skip the dryer and hang dry your jeans
Patch before holes develop
Service Recommendations:
Denim Therapy
NYC and New Jersey drop-off locations, or ship your items.
Williamsburg Garment Co.
Repair services can only be ordered online from anywhere in the USA. Based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.
This is a very common problem!
Why it happens:
Fabric is worn down by friction, and the friction of your thighs rubbing together as you move throughout the day is slowly wearing on the fibers of your jeans. Over time, this makes your jeans thinner and weaker in these high friction areas. Eventually causing them to tear, and you’re left with rips in your favorite jeans. There’s no way to avoid the eventual wear in areas that are always rubbing together, however you can be proactive about the inevitable tearing.
It’s best not to wait for holes to develop —
Before you start wearing a new pair of jeans, I recommend having patches sewn into the upper thigh/crotch, to add an extra layer to the area. Also it’s important to have the area patched as soon as you feel it thinning. It’s better to patch them before a tear, so the patch can adhere to the existing fabric, maintaining the original shape of the garment.
*Also when washing denim always use cold water, and avoid putting your jeans in the dryer! The heat will break down the fibers of the denim faster than if you were to hang dry.
If you have denim that needs mending —
Have your jeans patched by darning them (also called re-weaving). This method uses a soft gauze fabric, a blend of cotton and polyester threads carefully selected to match your denim, and a sewing machine to essentially create new fabric with thread. A special attachment is required to do this technique, so it’s best to go to a denim specialist.
Another DIY option is to use a Japanese patching method called Sashiko.
DIY Option
If you want to patch your jeans yourself, there’s a traditional Japanese embroidery technique called Sashiko. All you need is a needle, thread, and a fabric patch.
One of my favorite resources is Mending Matters By Katrina Rodabaugh
Professional services:
Denim Therapy
Denim Therapy is a service that can be used by anyone in the U.S, because you simply mail your jeans to them for repair, and then they are sent back to you. They are especially good at darning or “reweaving” as they call it.
Williamsburg Garment Co.
Williamsburg Garment Co. is a tailoring shop in Brooklyn, NY that works exclusively on denim. They offer a wide range of alterations as well as custom made denim. What makes them unique is the machinery they have, which allows them to keep the same finishes as the original denim, making the alterations nearly undetectable. They also offer a mail-in service if you’re not in the NY area, so anyone in the US can take advantage of their services.
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