How to: An Easy Way to Make a New T-Shirt Feel Vintage Soft

There’s nothing like a well-worn t-shirt, faded just so and perfectly soft from repeated wearing and washing. Many new shirts try to mimic this effect, with pre-cracked screen prints and ultra thin fabric just of the verge of tearing…but those end up looking like, well, brand new shirts with pre-cracked screen prints and ultra thin fabric just of the verge of tearing.

Fortunately, there is a better way to get your new shirts ultra soft.   Octane shirts came up with this easy technique: brine your shirts in salt water for three days.

I’m not sure as to the chemistry of what happens here, but it’s not unlike a few dozen days of sweating and repeated washings, so I believe it. Plus, I love that it’s goal is to simply soften the fabric, not prematurely age the design or wear out the colors.

I’m definitely interested in trying it on some of my next purchases.

For more ideas on aging new t-shirts, check out our friends Found Item Clothing’s test lab they performed last year:

Be sure to visit Octane to see more of their designs, and special thanks to my favorite neighborhood t-shirt shop, Homage in Columbus, Ohio, for the top photo.