Following on from describing the many methods or processes in which people might break in their dickies pants, it is worth noting that some people prefer their denim to be crisp and hard.
The image of stiff denim conjures up the discomfort of breaking in a new pair of pants for the first few weeks.
They reach what is known as the “sweet spot” when they begin to adhere to the body and soften up.
On the other side, a different group of people does not desire this soft stage, and so they go on to make their dickies stiff and crisp.
“Why on earth would I want look to make my dickies hard and stiff?” a casual dickies or denim pants owner would wonder.
Some people starch their jeans to stiffen them up, just like they would to their khakis or a crisp dress shirt so that they always have neat lines and appear more “presentable” than beat-up.
One method to stiffen up those soft pieces of denim and make them crisp is to use starch.
Steps to stiffen your dickies with starch
- Step 1: Turn the dickies pants inside out
- Step 2: Smoothen out any lumps or folds
- Step 3: Spray the starch on your dickies pants
- Step 4: Fold your dickies
- Step 5: Take the dickies out of the towel and place them on the counter
- Step 6: With your hands, turn the dickies pants right side out
Step 1: Turn the dickies pants inside out
With both clean washed hands, turn the dickies inside out.
Place the dickies pants in the washing machine with an adequate amount of water in it and wash them without detergent and fabric softener on the rinse and spin cycle.
When you wash your dickies without detergent or fabric softener, the fibers in the denim fabric stay restricted.
To keep the fabric rigid, dry the jeans on medium heat in the dryer.
Step 2: Smoothen out any lumps or folds
Place a bath towel on a flat surface and smooth out any lumps or folds with your hands.
Remove the pair of dickies pants from the dryer with the insides facing out. Place the dickies on top of the towel with the front-facing you.
Step 3: Spray the starch on your dickies pants
Position the starch spray bottle 6 to 10 inches above the surface of the jeans and at a 45-degree angle.
Using a sweeping motion, apply one coating of starch to the front surface of the jeans from top to bottom.
Then, flip the dickies pants over and apply one layer of paint on the backside.
Step 4: Fold your dickies
Fold the dickies in half, bringing the left and right waistband corners together.
Place the dickies over the towel and roll them up for 30 seconds to allow the starch to sink into the denim fabric.
Pour three-quarter cups of water into the iron’s water reservoir, then set the iron to steam and cotton settings. After that, put it aside.
Step 5: Take the dickies out of the towel and place them on the counter
Fold the dickies pants in half and lay them flat on the ironing board, with the back of the right pant leg facing up.
For five minutes, slowly iron the back and front of the right side, from top to bottom. Then, with the back of the left pant leg facing up, flip the jeans over.
For five minutes, iron the back and front of the left side, from waist to ankle. Then you let the dickies cool down for two minutes.
Step 6: With your hands, turn the dickies pants right side out
Spray the front and back of the jeans with starch. By bringing the left and right waistband corners together, you can fold the pants in half.
Then, as directed in Step 5, put the dickies pants over the ironing board and iron them. Allow 15 minutes for the jeans to cool before wearing.
Why do people want their dickies to be stiff and rigid
The reason why people want their dickies stiff and rigid might surprise you. It turns out that newly bought dickies are mostly stiff as a board and that can be a bit uncomfortable.
But one way to feel more comfortable is to starch the dickies. Starching your dickies helps them to be comfortable to wear while keeping their shape.
- For stronger resistance to wrinkles
- To toughen pants
- Stiff or rigid dickies aren’t soiled easily
For stronger resistance to wrinkles
One reason why people would prefer their dickies to be stiff and rigid is that stiff pants or dickies have a stronger resistance to wrinkles.
Work pants are the most comfortable work attire, and they’re also known as riding pants. However, as the corporate lifestyle has grown more formal, people have tended to dress more formally.
But, after all, what can be more comfortable than a pair of dickies work pants and a t-shirt?
To toughen pants
Dickies are designed to fit snugly without creases in the seat and legs for comfort when working, sitting, etc for long periods of time, therefore starch helps to toughen them and keep them from wrinkling during the day.
Nobody loves wrinkled clothes because they are unattractive. And, in order to look our best, we require wrinkle-free clothing.
Another reason is that stiff or rigid dickies aren’t soiled easily
Imagine never having to worry about your favorite dickies pants being stained again.
Many people are unaware that rigid dickies caused by starch are easier to clean because the dirt and dust adhere to the surface layer of starch rather than the fabric inside.
Starch prevents the clothes from stains by sealing the individual textile strands.
Because dirt and sweat attach to starch rather than your dickies pants, it’s easier to remove stains with less harm to your clothes.
It can also be used to protect any pants that can’t be washed with water, as well as to extend the time between dry cleaning excursions, which can be time-consuming.
Clothing may typically be worn two or three times before needing to be dry cleaned again, making it ideal for skaters, farmers, coal miners, or gardeners who might spend their entire day in the dust.
With this in mind, I think I might want to starch all the clothes in my wardrobe!
Another equally important reason why people may prefer stiff or rigid dickies pants is that it gives structure to your dickies.
Is it better to soften or stiffen dickies?
To soften or stiffen your dickies pants, which is better? Well, I think this totally depends on your taste – Different strokes for different folks.
Most people will fall for softer dickies pants because they have a comfier feel and are easier to move around with.
A lot of people prefer soft dickies pants to stiff ones because it’s comfortable and there is less chafing.
Stiffened-up dickies pants, on the other hand, has its pros, for one stiffened pants are said to look more professional.
If you don’t like to do laundry as often, then stiffened-up dickies will work well because it’s easier and simpler to clean.
The dirt and grime on stiff dickies through the use of starch sticks to the starch itself.
Stiffened-up dickies don’t also wrinkle easily, so you don’t have to worry about ironing or straightening them out.
To be fair, this might seem like a tough choice to make but you have to choose what style suits you. You may decide to try both and see what suits you most.
Stiffen up dickies pants or soft? What will it be? Well, you don’t have to think too hard, think of what you’re more inclined to. Do you feel more comfortable with stiff dickies or softened dickies pants?
If you do, then it is best you stay with stiffened dickies pants as they do have a crisp edge to them.
And seems to be more stylish that even cowboys tend to stiffen up their clothes using starch, just to get that extra crisps and have that affluent look.
But if you don’t want your dickies stiff or crisp, then a softened option might be good for you.
What you must check out for before deciding to stiffen your dickies
If you’ve decided to stiffen up your jeans, here’s what you should do before doing so;
Check out the fabric combination of your dickies
Some dickies are made of mostly cotton and polyester with differing percentages to each. It is most important to know what percentage of cotton to polyester or vice versa.
Polyester fabrics are easily stiffened, knowing this will enable you to make use of the right amount of chemicals or stiffening product to use on your dickies pants.
Choose the appropriate product
It is paramount that you choose the proper product to stiffen your dickies pants so you don’t damage the fabric with the wrong product. Choose correctly which product is safer on polyester and cotton fabrics.
Leave out the dark dickies pants
Research has shown that dark dickies pants or denim don’t easily get stiffed up by starch so you might have to let it be.
If you insist and try, you may end up adding too much or saturating them with starch, this may make it lose its quality and shine.
Turn the Dickies inside out before stiffening
If you’re going to aggravate your jeans to be hard and crisp, it’s best to turn it inside out. This will help to keep it looking in good shape after the stiffening process is done.
Read the manufacturer’s instructions: Before the process of stiffening, comes washing.
You need to read the manufacturer’s instructions to understand how this goes. What kind of temperature should you use on your dickies – hot or cold wash?
How long you should spin and more importantly, how long can your dickies stay in the dryer?
These are really important, so you don’t get to ruin your fabric entirely before you even get started with the processes.
Knowing these things will save you the cost of the unforgivable mistakes you might make to your special dickies pants.
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