Basic Definition

Patched jeans are pants that have a piece of fabric sewn on to either repair or add detail. The fabric can match or be of a different wash or material all together.
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History

Patches were originally used to repair a pair of pants and keep them in use longer. Now the trend has been to add patching as a decorative element. Contrasting patching, where the patched is of a different wash or finish from the majority of the pants, has been seen on the runways for the past few seasons.
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Style Advice

Patched jeans should be worn with restraint. You only need to have a few patches to be on trend. Patched jeans can be worn with anything, but a solid or subtly patterned top would be a nice combination to let the jeans be a star part of the outfit. This is also an easy DIY project; if you have an old pair of worn out jeans lying around just come some squares or rounded shapes out of them and attach to the pair you wish to have patched.
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Works Best For

Patches that are a different color from the jeans themselves should not be placed on areas you don’t want to draw attention to. If the patches are the same color as the jeans then their placement can be less calculated, they will only add visual interest not bulk.
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See Also

Who What Wear DIY: Patched Jeans
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References

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