Although jeans with holes, whether earned or added on by an AI, are a surefire way to upset those older, at least in mindset, than you, they’re a fashion statement nonetheless. But they probably weren’t that way at first. Someone slipped and fell, and their knee forced its way through the fabric. Boom, distressed denim. Realizing it wasn’t worth the trouble, neither financial nor physical, to fix or replace them, said person wore theirs, with its own newfound badge of honor, around town.
Others likely followed suit — especially when cooler folks were doing it. When musicians representing rock’n’roll or grunge gutted their jeans on stage or while skateboarding, the kids that looked up to them took scissors to theirs, transforming a slight tear into a complete blowout. Over time, distressing turned into a tool for designers seeking to separate their styles from others — even though rips and tears were once something jeans only inherited with actual wear.
How to Pick the Right Pair
Imitating blue collar or broken-in clothing’s been high fashion for a while now, though. It’s why Carhartt and Dickies endure; it’s why vintage clothes (and especially vintage Levi’s jeans) are so sought after. Nowadays it’s easy to find jeans that look like they’ve spent long nights in the studio or years on the legs of someone perfecting kick flips (with plenty of falls) — and at nearly every price.
But, here’s a bit of priceless advice you should heed pre-purchase:
- Don’t overdo it on the holes.
- Don’t buy a pair with impossible embellishments.
- Never let more than two square inches of skin show through.
