Trend: Ripped Jeans

I remember wearing my first pair of ripped jeans back in 1990.  I felt SO freakin' cool and hip. 

Every musician on Mtv was wearing them, so, of course it was cool.  'Blue jeans' were invented by Jacob Davis & a company called Levi Strauss in 1873.  Believe it or not, they were originally designed for cowboys & miners - then out of nowhere.... greasers in the 1950's started wearing them.  And of course...BAM! .... a new trend was born.  Let's face it, denim is historic & no matter where you go in the world, someone is wearing jeans.

Ok, lets fast forward to 2014.... the popular ripped jean.  This is a trend that comes & goes and I admit, I'm all over it!  Especially in the HOT summer days, when you need some ventilation on those legs.  I HATE wearing tight skinny-jeans when it's boiling hot out,  I mean if I have to wear pants when it's hot.... this is the way to go.

Ripped jeans look great with just about anything & I tend to like the natural-looking tears as opposed to the store-bought rip or the b-a-d DIY job some people do!!  Know those jeans???  Below are a few ways to wear ripped jeans this Summer & of course in the Fall.



Simple guide to ripping your own pair of jeans. 


  • Best to start this project with jeans that you've already worn + a more distressed looking jean will give it an overall better look.  For example, stay away from dark washed jeans.
  • To start, you can rub sandpaper over the marked areas to make them appear more distressed or you can just go ahead & start the cutting. To cut, use super-sharp small scissors, an x-acto knife, or a box cutter.  Pick the areas you want the holes to appear in & mark them with a pen. I would stick to the knees and the tops of the quad area.  Also decide if you want massive holes, or gentle fraying. Stay away from butt tears....please.
  • With your cutting tools, cut horizontal slits where you made your pen marks. 
  • Start pulling on any horizontal thread that is white.
  • Go ahead & start removing some of the horizontal threads, and then make sure you can pull out all the blue vertical threads. So remember you're going to start with horizontal then vertical.
  • Throw them in the wash, the more they're washed, t he more natural looking the tears will look. Which is the way I prefer it!

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images: top to bottom: sincerelyjules // dulceida // unknown // me // hawt celebs // unknown // john lamparski/getty images // songofstyle // any image above not credited & you know who it belongs to, I would love to know& credit it here.





-post by jen ramos



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7 comments

  1. This is a great idea for an old pair of jeans! Thanks for the tips.

    -Sayeh, The Office Stylist
    http://theofficestylist.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rock it Jen! LOVE this look 365 days of the year :) Loved that pic of you on IG rocking the red cropped top...sooo sooo pretty!
    Linh
    http://www.abeautifulrawr.com

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  3. Love it!

    http://wlyder.blogspot.sg/

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  4. AnonymousJuly 29, 2014

    Love your tutorial! I have a question, I have ripped jeans in the past (more on accident haha) but the rip seems to just get larger and larger making them impossible to wear, do you know how to fix this?

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  5. thank you Linh! ripped jeans look good with almost anything in my opinion. You can go dressier or more casual depending on where you're going.. :)

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  6. SIFT WITH STYLE: i would suggest that you do not wash them as often, and if you do, dont stick them in the dryer - the heat can sometimes weaken the fabric...You can also try iron on patches to close the holes..

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  7. AnonymousJuly 29, 2014

    Great Tips! My favorite way to wear jeans these days :)

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