I have a vague memory of standing in Old Navy as a child, in the boy’s department, shopping with my mom and my older brother. My mom held up a pair of jeans to show my brother that were distressed – they actually had frayed edges and holes in them. She put them back as we laughed about how ridiculous it was that they already looked worn out. I remember thinking what’s the point of buying something that looks worn out already? Well, fashion is never completely straightforward and doesn’t always make sense, and before long I found myself wearing distressed jeans. Fastforward over a decade later, and I’m still wearing distressed jeans! (although not the exact same pair, I might add). The distressed denim trend arrived in the early 2000s, faded away for a few years but never completely disappeared, and is back this year in full force. Distressed jeans and jean shorts are everywhere. There are so many options available that you can choose a) a pair that is distressed and will show minimal wear and tear the longer you wear them (basically as sturdy as a regular pair of jeans), or b) a pair that is distressed and has holes and frayed areas in pressure points that will expand the more you wear them and the more you move around in them (I have both, as I’ve found I like different things about both types). Here are a few examples:
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