Abstract: Improved methods and apparatus are provided for altering fabric finishes on a garment to give the garment a "lived-in" or worn appearance before the garment is actually worn by the user. According to the method of the present invention, a batch of garments is preferably stone-washed to generally fade and abrade the entire garment. The garment is then inflated by passing air through an inlet port in the garment and by substantially sealing one or more exit ports in the garment to create a greater than atmospheric pressure within the garment. The inflated garment is then sprayed with a low-strength bleaching solution on selected exterior portions to provide an additional fading or worn appearance on those portions of the garment. Thereafter, the garment is placed in a neutralizing liquid to chemically counteract the sprayed bleaching solution. A plurality of garments may be each suspended from a common air duct interconnected with a blower for providing air to inflate the garments.

Abstract: Improved techniques are provided for giving new garments, such as jeans, a worn appearance by tumbling the garments with potassium permanganate impregnated pumice rock. Pumice rock is thoroughly and quickly impregnated with potassium permanganate solution by placing the rock in a sealed chamber, drawing a vacuum in the chamber, spraying a potassium permanganate solution into the chamber while allowing the vacuum to drop to a preselected level, then retrieving the impregnated rock from the chamber. The garments and impregnated rock are then tumbled in a perforated container. New garments are added with additional rock to replenish the reduced the reduced volume of the used rock, which need not be reimpregnated. A preferred stone-washed appearance may be obtained by the combined bleaching effect of the potassium permanganate and the abrasive action of the rock.