While most consumers want their jeans to last, many are unknowingly “loving them to death” with their laundry habits, according to a new survey.
FatFace surveyed more than 2,000 UK adults and found that 40% of those who wear jeans are washing them after every single wear, or every two to three wears – far more often than necessary, according to experts.
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Nearly a quarter (23%) shared that they regularly wash their denim above 40°C, despite experts recommending 30°C or below to preserve colour, shape and fabric performance.
Everyday jeans should be washed every five to 10 wears, where possible, while spot-cleaning for marks and airing out between wears is advised, according to FatFace’s experts.
“One of the biggest mistakes when caring for denim is washing it too often and on too high a temperature,” explains Ellen Bowman, garment technologist and denim expert at FatFace. “Both will cause the colour to fade faster, break down the fibres more quickly, and distort the stretch, changing the fit of the jeans over time.”
The research also highlights that consumers want their denim products to last. 32% of those surveyed said they invest in quality denim and would choose to spend more on jeans than continually replace cheaper pairs. 16% said they owned a pair of jeans more than a decade old.
However, 45% said they had never found a truly perfect pair of jeans, with fit (44%) and inconsistent sizing (52%) cited as the most common obstacles.
Women were the most likely to struggle with fit, with 19% sharing that they need to try on four or more pairs before finding one that works, compared to just 9% of men.
Despite the search for the perfect fit, 32% of consumers admitted to owning jeans they’ve never actually worn.
FatFace was acquired by UK retail giant Next in 2023 and has previously worked with data-driven fit personalisation platform True Fit to offer a more digitalised shopping experience for its customers.
