Founded in Osaka in 1993, FULLCOUNT has built its collection around high-quality, fully domestically produced denim. The brand uses rare, extra-long staple Zimbabwe cotton (organic cotton) for its denim, woven on rare shuttle looms in Okayama. The resulting fabric offers vintage-level fading and an unrivaled comfort so addictive it’s often said, “Once you wear it, you can’t stop.” Today, FULLCOUNT is highly regarded not only in Japan but also overseas as a representative of “Japan Denim.”
This time, we address a frequently debated topic among denim lovers:
Should jeans be washed, or not?
Having worked with denim for over 30 years, I, FULLCOUNT founder and president Mikiharu Tsujita, would like to deliver my long-considered conclusion on this debate, in the form of a message:
Who the hell said denim shouldn’t be washed?
Theme of the 2026 SS Exhibition
The 2026 Spring/Summer exhibition is coming up this September.
At FULLCOUNT, seasonal themes are not tied directly to products, but rather to my own feelings and moods at the time. This season’s theme is:
WHO THE HELL SAID DENIM SHOULDN’T BE WASHED!
It’s a phrase meant to provoke discussion.
The message is simple. Denim enthusiasts often say, “It’s better not to wash jeans.” But I’ve always felt a sense of discomfort with that so-called “common sense.”
Who came up with that idea in the first place?
As someone who has lived with denim for over three decades, I want to put an end to this debate. To be clear: I believe denim should be washed.
Here’s why.
—Mikiharu Tsujita, President of FULLCOUNT
The Origin of the “Don’t Wash Denim” Theory
In the early 1990s, the first vintage denim boom hit Japan.
The prices of denim from the 1950s and earlier skyrocketed, with mint-condition (deep indigo) pieces commanding especially high value. But when washed in a machine, these jeans could lose color dramatically—or even fall apart piece by piece.
This happened because, after decades, the fabric oxidized: the indigo dye molecules loosened, and the fabric lost strength.
To avoid customer complaints, vintage dealers began telling people, “It’s better not to wash vintage denim.”
I believe this idea was misunderstood and gradually expanded into the widespread myth that “all denim shouldn’t be washed.”
Would You Still Wear Jeans Without Washing Them?
Later, “replica jeans” like ours emerged in Japan.
These were created so people could enjoy the aging process without risking fragile vintage pieces. But the influence of vintage care methods remained, and as people started to love details like “whiskers” (creases near the thighs) and “honeycombs” (creases behind the knees), the belief spread that replica jeans also shouldn’t be washed.
Yet, denim worn unwashed for months—or even years—becomes heavy from sweat and bacteria, the fabric oxidizes, the strength deteriorates, odors develop, and it becomes unpleasant for others.
Would you still keep wearing them without washing?
Of course, jeans are not underwear, so you don’t need to wash them every time. Personally, depending on the season, I wash them about once every 5–10 wears. Even with that, I get excellent fades and jeans that grow more comfortable with every wear.
Customers often ask me: “How can I make my jeans fade like yours, Tsujita-san?”
My answer is always: “I don’t do anything special. I just wash them when they start to feel a little heavy.”
At the very least, FULLCOUNT jeans are designed to fade beautifully even after washing—so wash them with confidence. By the way, the jeans pictured here are my own, washed and worn as normal.
As someone who has loved and lived with denim, I say this with confidence:
Wash your denim.
WHO THE HELL SAID DENIM SHOULDN’T BE WASHED!