Every time I see my dad, he eventually tells me, “you know, your pants have holes in them”. Yeah, dad, thanks. I get it that you are totally old-school, but they’re supposed to look like this. I bought them that way. “What?! How much did you pay for pants that are ruined?!” He’s being funny, of course, but I can somewhat understand where he’s coming from.
On the other hand, I LOVE distressed denim. I know some of you out there prefer the really clean, dark washes that are easier to dress up. But I’d gladly throw on a pair of rugged, holey jeans every single day if I could. Maybe its the thing I had for Donnie Wahlberg (you know the ‘bad-boy’ New Kid) as a young girl or my love of all things rock-n-roll, but, regardless, I am a distressed denim kind of gal. And it can’t be just any distressed denim- I can not stand distressing that looks ‘manufactured’- symmetrical holes down each leg that scream, “I am trying too way hard!” Some companies, like Genetic Denim + Stitch’s, do get it right and some of my most favorite ripped in my closet jeans are from those lines. However, it would be a lie to say that I’m not partial to my denim that has distressed itself…
We’ve all had it happen: you’re getting in the car, bending down to pick up your kid, or, in my case, it was giving one of my pups a bath, and- poof!- the knee of your jeans rips out! Oh, the agony! But, rather than looking at it like you just lost your favorite pair of skinnies, look at it like this: now you NEED to go buy a shiny-new pair of ‘clean’ jeans and you have the opportunity to turn your old faves into ‘new’, distressed denim. A blessing in disguise, really…
So now here you are with 1 big hole in your jeans– here’s what you need to do to finish the look and create the perfectly-non-perfect distressed pair of jeans:
1. Sand paper: Awesome for thinning-out the denim and creating holes that don’t go all the way through. The rougher the texture, the more damage they’ll do (in a good way, of course). Rub the sandpaper along the edges of the pockets and across random spots throughout the legs of your jeans. Do long strokes down the entire leg to get the faded look.
2. Bleach: Be careful with this one- I’ve had too many bleaching projects not work out due to my tendency to get a little bleach-happy. A good option is using one of the various bleach ‘pens’ out there. Or pour some bleach into a small cup and use a small paint brush to splatter a few spots in key areas– near the hips, on the inner/ outer knee or down towards the ankle. If you don’t feel comfortable, skip it. It’s not necessary. If you aren’t scared- go for it!
3. Scissors: I am a fan of the tiny fingernail-sized scissors. They are awesome for creating tiny cuts and slits that will turn into nice, small frays after a few washes and wears.
4. Seam-ripper: Oh, how I love the seam-ripper. Use it to unravel the corners of your pockets- heck, take an entire pocket off and go for the ‘Chloe’ look. I also use the seam ripper to undo the hem at the bottom of my jeans– after a wash they look awesome and are a good 1-2″ longer.
5. The Post-op Wash: Absolutely necessary. Once you’ve worked your magic, throw those jeans in the washer AND dryer. You’ll love what you see once they are done.
Well, there you have it. The DIY distressed denim tips courtesy of Meringue Girl :). Now, spend your hard-earned $$$ on clean, dark, ‘dressy’ jeans and turn your old trusties into funky, edgy distressed denim. The best of both worlds…
Happy Halloween everyone!
