A 500gsm hoodie is not a regular hoodie, and a vintage-washed tee is not a regular tee. The fabric is denser, the dye sits differently, and the wash treatment you paid for keeps evolving every time it hits water. Treated right, a SOL piece fades like a story. Treated wrong, it just fades. This is the short version of doing it right.
Washing heavyweight cotton (250–500gsm)
Cold water, always — 30°C or below. Heavy cotton holds more water and more heat stress than lightweight fabric, and hot cycles are the fastest way to shrink a boxy fit into a regular one. Turn pieces inside out, wash with similar colors, and skip the fabric softener: it coats dense fibers and kills the dry, structured hand that heavyweight cotton is known for.
Vintage wash, snow wash, and sun fade pieces
Washed garments are pre-aged by design, which means every one is chemically unique. Wash them inside out, cold, on a gentle cycle, and never with bleach — the wash already did the work. Expect continued subtle fading over time; that is the point. No two pieces fade alike, and the tenth wash should look better than the first.
Drying: where most damage happens
Hang dry, out of direct sunlight. A dryer on high heat is the single biggest cause of shrinkage and puckered seams in heavyweight fleece. If you must machine dry, use the lowest heat setting and pull the piece out slightly damp. Raw-edge and hand-frayed pieces should always air dry — tumbling accelerates fraying past where it was designed to stop.
Storing structured pieces
Fold heavyweight hoodies and sweatshirts instead of hanging them — dense fleece will stretch shoulder bumps into a hanger over months. Tees and long sleeves can hang or fold. Keep sun-fade pieces out of prolonged direct light in storage unless you want the fade to keep moving.
Quick reference
- Cold wash (30°C max), inside out, like colors
- No bleach, no fabric softener
- Hang dry; low heat only if you must machine dry
- Air dry all frayed and raw-edge pieces
- Fold heavy fleece, don't hang it
Care is part of the design. The fabrics are chosen to age — your job is just to let them age on their own terms.
