Netizens tell woman upset over dark denims staining her designer shoes that this is normal

SINGAPORE: After one woman, upset that the pair of denims she wore to a recent Kate Spade event ended up leaving a blue mark on her white shoes, complained in a popular social media group, other members told her that this is not an uncommon occurrence.

In a post from earlier this week on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group page, the woman explained that she had been invited to the event, which took place at Marina Bay Sands on Oct 26.

“Donned their dark denim jeans to support the event only to have its dark blue dye transferred to my brand new Chanel white sneakers,” she wrote, adding that Kate Spade had later offered to cover the cleaning costs for her shoes.

However, since her S$1,800 Chanel shoes are made of calfskin and suede, this would not be “much of a remedy” as it would be “challenging if not impossible to reinstate it to its pristine condition.”

The woman was further upset because the brand’s regional lead had told her in an email that dark denim is known to cause this kind of colour transfer, which the post author claimed was not communicated to her when she bought the jeans from Kate Spade and added a warning to individuals who might plan on buying these in the future.

While a number of commenters were sympathetic toward the post author, she did end up getting a lesson on “indigo crocking,” which occurs when excess dye gets rubbed off on one’s skin or on other fabrics, including leather furniture.

According to one commenter, denim clothing with “indigo crocking” is “highly sought after by denim heads,” and that raw denim can frequently result in it, and does not speak to the quality of an item.

He further told her that she could check the label on dark denim items for the terms “Unsanforized” and “Sanforized”. If it says “Unsanforized,” indigo crocking is likely to occur.

Another told her that this is “exactly what to expect from brand new high-quality denim.”

Some advised her to wash clothes before wearing them. Indeed, clothing-care websites say that dark denim items should be left to soak in cold water with some white vinegar, preferably overnight, to prevent staining other fabrics or even one’s skin.

The Independent Singapore has reached out to the post author for further comments or updates. /TISG

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