What would we do without the humble jean, eh? Besides the, ahem, tracksuit bottom, it's been a pretty solid wardrobe staple this year when the world's seemed topsy turvy and the furthest commute you've made is from your study to your living room. We hate to admit it, but whacking on your favourite pair of jeans of a morning can really start the day on the right note. Must make a habit of upgrading the WFH look more often....
But what about ripped jeans? You know, the distressed denim look worn by the likes of Meghan Markle, Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus? You might think it's not for the faint hearted, but actually, distressed denim has had a bit of a renaissance in recent years.
Ripped jeans no longer mean 101 holes that your Grandma makes fun of: no, no, ripped jeans can be the epitome of subtle chic. Trust us when we say, a slight graze on the hip or some tethering at your trouser hem can give the simplest of outfits an upgrade.
You can shop distressed denim at brands like Levi Strauss, Paige and Grlfrnd, but, fun fact: ripping jeans at home is actually super easy if you know what you're doing. That's why we've enlisted the expert help of fashion stylist Chelle Shohet.
Here, she breaks down the history of the ripped jean and shares exactly how to get the distressed look from home - without ruining your jeans. Trust us, if you're considering ripping your jeans, you'll want to read this.
What are ripped jeans?
The clue really is in the name with this one. As above, ripped jeans are any pair of jeans that have a distressed look or feel to them, usually around the hips or knees.
"Some people will pay a small fortune for a well made pair of them," shares Chelle. "I recall a client purchasing a pair from Harrods in excess of £1000 a few years back." Rather a lot for a pair for jeans..
So what about ripping your jeans at home? Is it (and can it?) be done, and would Chelle recommend it? In a word: yes.
"If you go on to YouTube, you'll find video after video showing you how to rip and distress denim. There are hours of them," Chelle shares. But be warned: not all YouTube videos are worth your time. "Plus, not all jeans are created equally, so when you're planning a DIY job, you should bear this in mind," she recommends. But more on that later.
When did ripped jeans come into fashion?
According to Chelle, the first jeans were designed back in the 1870’s by a guy you'll likely have heard of - a certain Levi Strauss. "He founded the Levi denim brand that's world famous today," she expands.
But it wasn't until the 1970’s, during the early punk era, that distressed and ripped denim emerged as a trend.
"In the early days of the punk movement, ripping jeans was a sign of rebellion. They would take mass-made products and tear them up as a demonstration of their anger," Chelle explains. Essentially, wearing ripped jeans - or ripping jeans at all - was a political statement. Bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols and Iggy Pop all showed their political stance in denim form regularly.
During the '80s, pop stars like Madonna and Cher made ripped jeans more popular for the mainstream audience.
As a result, ripping your own jeans at home became pretty normal. "It didn't take the denim industry long to cotton on to this," Chelle explains. "Nowadays, the denim industry is worth in excess of $80 to 90 billion globally, and distressed denim has a big share of that," she adds.
So when did distressed denim come back into fashion? When the 80’s fashion revival hit in 2010, according to Chelle. "Throughout the past decade, regardless of the changing trends, distressed jeans have been pretty much a staple. There are now distressed jeans for all: distressed kids jeans, distressed plus-size jeans, and distressed maternity jeans, too," she explains.
Which celebrities wear ripped jeans?
Basically all of them.
We jest, but the likes of Meghan Markle, Kim Kardashian and Miley Cyrus all wear distressed denim regularly. Plus, it's not just a female fashion trend, as history highlights. Kanye West and The Jonas Brothers are regular ripped denim wearers, too.
"So many celebrities wear ripped jeans that I doubt this trend or style of denim will disappear any time soon," Chelle shares.
How do I rip a pair of jeans? Your step-by-step guide
Feeling inspired and want to have a go yourself? Read these expert tips first to make sure you don't end up with, ahem, shorts instead.
Mark the jeans
Put the jeans on and either look in the mirror or ask a friend to help you, Chelle suggests. "Mark on the jeans, with either chalk or a pen, where you would like to distress them."
Top tip: look for the naturally distressed areas of the jeans as this will give you a natural place to start, or, take a look at where designer brands place their tears, if you'd rather take the guesswork out of it.
Cut along your marks
- Take your jeans off and lay them flat.
- Take the scissors and carefully cut along the mark you have just made on the first leg.
- Take the edge of the scissors and drag along the edges of the cut in order to get the frayed effect.
- Finally, finish by using some sandpaper to distress the rip and the surrounding denim further.
Don't like the sound of that or have sandpaper to hand? Try this .
- Carefully use one side of the scissors to drag across your marks. This should slowly fray the denim.
- Once the denim starts to fray, you can use your hands to manipulate the tear to your desired style.
Move on to leg two
Moving on...
- Carefully use your scissors to cut two parallel lines above and below the mark you made.
- Make sure to make the top line slightly longer than the bottom line.
- Drag the scissors along the edges of the cuts and pull away the first few threads.
- Then, with a pair of tweezers or a thread puller, unpick the vertical threads.
- This is a little time consuming and can be fiddly, but you will be left with the designer thread distressed look you get on more expensive styles, Chelle reassures.
Try on and wear out
There you have it - your very own pair of ripped jeans, ready to go. "It's the simplest way to revive old, worn-out jeans and inject some new life into your wardrobe," Chelle shares.
Which jeans should I rip?
As Chelle mentioned earlier, not all jeans are made equally, so it's important you're mindful of which jeans you're choosing to rip pre-starting.
"The more expensive denim is usually much heavier and thicker," she points out. This means that if you try to DIY distress them, it'll take a bit more effort and possibly a bit more time. "But, they will look amazing, and are far more likely to withstand the distressing without the jeans losing their shape and integrity," she adds.
If you're distressing a cheaper pair, they'll have more elastin in the thread blend, she explains. "This means you have to be careful with how far you go with the distressing," she warns.
Plus, remember: if they've already lost their shape and the support they had at the beginning of their life, distressing won't change that. "If you aren't careful, it could be made worse," she explains.
12 pairs of ripped jeans you'll wear again and again
Wednesday's Girl Curve high waist mom jeans with ripped knees in black wash denim
CITIZENS OF HUMANITY Liya classic-fit ripped high-rise organic-cotton jeans
L'Agence High Line cropped distressed high-rise skinny jeans
A stylist's top tips for DIY distressing:
Choose a pair of jeans you're willing to lose
Scary, but essential. "Then, if it does go wrong, or they don't last the distressing process, you haven't faced a big loss," Chelle says. Word from the wise..
Remember you're not a designer
"The distressed jeans you see on the catwalk and in designer shops have been created by people who's profession it is to design clothes," Chelle stresses. Yours most likely won't look the same, but you can still use them as inspiration and try your own style, she adds.
Practice, practice, practice
...makes perfect, right? Chelle advises practicing anything on old denim pre the real deal. "That way, the first thing you're tearing into or distressing isn't your jeans," she explains.
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