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Featuring two distinct styles inspired by Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

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The WEWOREWHAT x Joe’s Jeans Spring 2026 collaboration just launched this past week, It is a Western-inspired denim capsule built around festival and vintage Americana styling.

Designed with Joe’s Jeans for the soon-to-happen festival season…and everything beyond. Denim that takes you everywhere. Effortless, lived-in, and just a little undone.

The brand describes the collection as “denim that takes you everywhere. Effortless, lived-in, and festival-ready.”

This is their second major collaboration with WEWOREWHAT /s Danielle Bernstein and Joe’s Jeans.

The 17-piece collection ranges from $60 classic cotton tops to a $900 showstopping leather fringe jacket.  The whole capsule is now available to shop for on the Joe’s Jeans website.

The post WEWOREWHAT x Joe’s Jeans Collaboration first appeared on Denimology.

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Get the Size Wrong, and There’s No Fixing It

I love shrink-to-fit jeans. Most of the one I’ve worn fit brilliantly. But I’ve also made mistakes. 

In the early days of Denimhunters, I convinced Levi’s to send me a stack of LVC 501 jeans—different years, different fabrics—that I had readers wear them for months to see how they shrank and broke in.

Why? I wanted to understand how shrink-to-fit works. 

Because even when you think you’ve got it figured out, unsanforized denim doesn’t behave the same from one pair to the next. And that’s where most people get it wrong.

The Problem with Shrink-to-Fit

“Just size up, and they’ll shrink to fit.” That’s how shrink-to-fit is often framed—including by Levi’s Vintage Clothing: buy ‘em big, and they’ll shrink down to fit.

But it’s not that simple. Some pairs shrink down to the tagged size. Others start oversized, so you need to size down. And some even require you to size up just to get a comfortable fit.

So when Bryan suggested we should do a shrink-to-fit selvedge guide, I didn’t have to think twice. Because if you don’t know how a specific pair behaves before you buy it, you’re just guessing—and with shrink-to-fit, there are no second chances once they’ve been soaked, you can’t return them.

We’ve rounded up more than a dozen of the best shrink-to-fit selvedge brands—and, more importantly, broken down how each of them shrinks and whether you need to size up, down, or go true to size. This guide helps you get that right the first time.

The Challenge of Getting the Right Size

Tagged size used to match actual measurements—what’s known as true-to-size (TTS). So a size 34 would measure 34 inches in the waist.

That changed with vanity sizing. Today, a tagged 34 often measures 35, 36 or even 37 inches, depending on the brand. Heritage selvedge brands—especially Japanese repro makers—tend to stick closer to TTS, but there’s no universal standard anymore.

With shrink-to-fit, it gets even trickier. Now you’re not just dealing with whether a brand uses TTS or vanity sizing—you also need to know whether the tagged size refers to the jeans before shrinkage or after.

With that little explainer out of the way, I wanted to share my two cents on a few of the brands in the guide that I’ve actually worn myself.

Indigofera’s No. 2 “Shrink-to-Prima-Fit” Selvedge

This is one of those cases where the “size up one” rule actually works—if you know your size in the first place.

I’ve owned several pairs of Indigofera’s No. 2 denims—Clints, Kirks, even the Burg & Schild collab. It’s a 16 oz. selvedge with a lot of character; natural slubs and small imperfections. One of my first pairs has two clear weaving flaws, and it’s that kind of detail that makes it even more special to me.

In terms of sizing, you should size up one and expect them to land where you want. I wear a 31 in Indigofera’s sanforized jeans, but I go with a 32 in their shrink-to-fit pairs, and that’s worked consistently for me.

That said, this denim isn’t something you’ll always find in stock. Indigofera doesn’t offer it as a permanent part of the collection, so you need to catch the No. 2 when it’s available. And at this price point, you also want to be sure you’re getting it right.

Iron Heart Ultra Heavy Raw (UHR)

After wearing Indigofera more or less exclusively for 4–5 years, I got into Iron Heart in 2018—and, of course, I had to try their unsanforized UHR too.

I got mine in the same size as my other Iron Heart jeans, and that turned out to be the right call. Even though it’s loomstate and supposed to shrink, I didn’t find that it changed all that much in practice.

So rather than sizing up and relying on shrinkage, you’re better off starting close to where you actually want them to end up.

That’s worth keeping in mind, because this is one of those pairs where you might expect a dramatic change after the first soak—but don’t necessarily get it. The denim is incredibly dense, and whatever shrinkage happens doesn’t fundamentally change the fit.

It’s also worth noting that Iron Heart calls this “raw” for a reason. Most of their jeans are rinsed, so if you want truly unprocessed denim from the brand, this is it.

Other Pairs from the Guide I’ve Worn

While Indigofera and Iron Heart have been my main rotation for more than a decade—until I launched my own brand, Weirloom—I’ve also spent time with several of the other denims in the guide along the way.

Warehouse’s Banner Denim and Studio D’Artisan’s SD-101, both in their unwashed versions, are good reminders that even when you think you’ve got shrink-to-fit figured out, different denims still behave in their own ways. 

Mister Freedom is another case, where the jeans are designed to shrink down to your tagged size—which sounds straightforward, but still depends on getting the starting point right.

And then there’s Big John. I had the chance to pick up a pair of their RARE jeans more than a decade ago, when Brund first stocked the brand—but I didn’t pull the trigger. I’ve regretted that ever since.

Getting Shrink-to-Fit Right

If you’re getting into shrink-to-fit—or coming back to it—it’s worth taking the time to get it right.

Because when it works, it’s hard to beat. The fabric, the fit, the way it fades. But when you get the sizing wrong, there’s no fixing it after the first soak. 

To avoid the guesswork and find a pair that actually works for you, start with our shrink-to-fit selvedge guide.

The post Why “Just Size Up” Doesn’t Work with All Shrink-to-Fits appeared first on Denimhunters.

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Why Three Pairs of Spanx Jeans Might Be Enough to Replace All the Bottoms in Your Closet Modern fashion seems to be moving away from going overboard and more toward dressing with purpose. Rather than keeping lots of bottoms that barely ever get worn, many women are starting to go…

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A few months ago we introduced you to a new denim brand, DE;Part. We love that this brand is all about size inclusivity, ranging from 00 to 24.

For this Spring, the woman-owned and designed collection is a bold new voice in premium denim, offering high-quality denim in sizes 00-24. Each style has been specifically built to fit women of all forms.

Beginning with its core offerings of skinny, straight, bootcut, wide leg, slim and flare jeans in corresponding washes from its light Ellis, medium Sutton, and dark Gramercy. To correspond to this core offering, DE:Part also includes a range of tees and tanks, similarly developed for a variety of shapess.

Explains founder Christina Choi, “DE:Part is new to the scene but not new to the game. We wanted to create a collection that doesn’t limit who can ‘fit in’. Every woman deserves to feel good in their jeans and we are redefining what it means to wear confidence by design inclusive styles that aren’t just graded up but specifically made to fit the wide range of feminine shapes that exist.”

DE:Part is designed and produced in Los Angeles. Blending expertly adapted designs, with a meticulous eye for detail, DE:Part will is available in sizes 00 to 24 with prices ranging from $158 to $188 and is sold exclusively on the brand’s website.

Let us add just one more thing which we would like you to know. Their jeans are made of a heavier stretch denim which really holds yout “stuff” together. It’s nothing like those lighter weight stretchy denims you ususually find out there. Also good to know is the fact that their jeans run absolutely true to size while their t-shirts are oversized for a looser fit.

The post DE: Part – Denim For Every Body! first appeared on Denimology.

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Carve Designs was founded in 2003 by lifelong friends Thayer Sylvester and Jennifer Hinton after a surf trip to San Pancho, Mexico.

They realized it was nearly impossible to find board shorts for real women with real bodies and a genuine passion for adventure. Starting as a surf apparel brand selling rash guards and boardshorts,

Carve Designs has since evolved into a full lifestyle brand, offering swim, fitness, denim, and lifestyle clothing. Designed in California by female designers who test every piece themselves, the brand is dedicated to creating effortless, versatile clothing that reflects the adventurous, bold women who wear it. 

Sustainability

Sustainability is the foundation for Carve Designs. From the very beginning, the founders made sustainable practices core to how they built the brand.

Today, 100% of their line uses recycled or upcycled materials, 100% of their packaging is also made from recyclable materials and is recyclable, and zero toxic chemicals are used throughout production.

Carve Designs focuses on responsibly sourced fabrics, safe dyes and finishes, and reducing environmental impact through various partnerships. Their approach emphasizes clean fashion that protects both people and the planet. 

Carve Design’s denim is definitely worth having a look at. The brand is all about denim that fits like it was made for you.

Crafted from soft, sustainable fabrics with just the right amount of stretch for everyday comfort and confidence. And also, all denims are made from non-GMO, organic cotton.

Carve Designs denim is available to shop for on their website and at Nordstrom.

On a personal note{from your editor} – I really like the way they help you find your size on their website. Just go to the item you want and click on “find your size”

The post Introducing Carve Designs @ Denimology first appeared on Denimology.

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