With a heavyweight 360g/m2 canvas, your Tough Trousers and their five pockets will hold the fort for a while. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a hand every now and then. Here’s how.

A few things to bear in mind before you bung your trousers in the machine for a spin...

• Unbutton the pocket flaps and the fly to avoid unnecessary tension on materials.
• Turn your trousers inside out to avoid any marking to the smooth outside layer.
• Only wash these guys with similar colours, certainly the first three times, when even our rugged dye is considered a flight risk.
• We recommend opting for liquid detergents, organic if possible, and without bleach to protect the colours.

From then on your classic 30°C cycle, preferably with a touch of liquid detergent, should do the job nicely.

You can push the spin cycle up to 800/1000 rpm, but check with your other clothes first. They might not be as hardy than these guys.

Purists say that washing machines and premium fabrics (like this lovely canvas) don’t mix. Instead, they recommend soaking your trousers two or three times a year with a drop of detergent so as not to stress the fabric. If you opt for this approach then 15 minutes in lukewarm water should suffice, and there’s a bonus: it will lend the canvas a nice patina over time. At the very least we recommend airing your trousers on the regular to freshen them up, these things get about.

However you choose to wash your Tough Trousers, just leave them out to dry in the shade. Direct sunlight can accelerate colour loss and they won’t be thanking you for a boost in Vitamin D intake. Lay them out flat or hang them by the legs, whichever you fancy.

A quality canvas like this one has a rich, rustic texture. To keep that intact you’ll want to avoid excessive ironing. If ironing is your thing, and that’s totally fine if so, you can give them a gentle press inside out, on a low heat (max 150°C), before they’re totally dry to make the process easier down the line.

While these trousers are pretty much indestructible, you’ll still want to keep an eye on the stress points: the inside leg, the side seams around the thighs and seams around the knees and pockets... If you see something starting to give, best act fast and call in the local dry cleaner for backup, before a small hole becomes a big pain.

Since 1 January 2024, the New French environmental legislation known as The AGEC Law stipulates transparency from our lot in the fashion industry so that you can make an informed purchase. As you can imagine, this is something that we fully support at Asphalte. So here's some additional information about our Tough Trousers:

• They’re 100% recyclable after being dismantled, which means that the day their services are no longer required every component can be fully recycled. If you stop wearing them for whatever reason, you might want to consider making someone else happy by passing them on to a friend, family member or donating them to a charity. The best way of reducing an item of clothing’s impact is by keeping it in circulation, and only recycling it when there really is no life or use left in it.
• No microplastics are released during washing. Unlike many garments, our Tough Trousers have been designed to not release any microplastics. Plastic microfibres are tiny particles of plastic that are released when worn or washed and have a negative impact on aquatic and land ecosystems.
• They do not contain any hazardous materials. They’re manufactured in compliance with strict standards aimed at eliminating the use of harmful substances and other chemical nasties.
• They do not contain any recycled materials. We try to incorporate recycled materials whenever we can, unfortunately, it hasn’t been possible to do so with the Tough Trousers.

So, you now know everything there is to know about looking after your Tough Trousers. If we've missed something or you have any questions hit us up in the comment section below or here: help@asphalte.com

We'll be back in touch in a couple of weeks to see how you're getting on.

Until then,

The Asphalte Team: