jeansAmerica's sweetheart Anderson Cooper likes his jeans dirty. The CNN host told fashion expert Stacy London that his off-camera wardrobe is very simple and consists of a basic t-shirt and the same pair of jeans. No, but seriously, the same pair of jeans, every day. He explained that he only washes his denim four times a year, and to do so, he wears them in the shower.

Now before you assert that our dear Andy has done lost his mind, I will tell you, from first hand experience, that he is on to something.

To keep the integrity of the denim, many brands, especially Levi's, recommend holding off on washing them for as long as possible. The fabric will conform to fit your figure, they'll stay the right color, and they'll feel great -- washing them only strips your jeans of their natural abilities.

Mind you, we're talking about jeans without stretch in them here. Anything that has spandex or elastic in them is off the table. (I have plenty of jeans with stretch and find that washing them often is beneficial.)

Anderson's habit of showering in his jeans to give them a rinse is right in line with what Levi's recommends. They tell customers to live in their jeans as long as possible, then take a bath in them. I've witnessed a friend of mine sitting in his jeans in a tub, so yes, people actually do this. And it pays off -- the jeans stay looking great.

So don't listen to Stacy. She may know what not to wear (hehe), but it sounds like she's got a little to learn about the not-washing-of-the-jeans.

Oh, and pro tip: If you feel like your unwashed jeans are starting to get a little smelly, go ahead and stick them in your freezer. The frigid air kills the rank bacteria.

How often do you wash your jeans?

 

Photo via kazuhero keino/Flickr