Ripped Jeans

The official start of spring is less than a month away and I am giddy with joy just thinking about warm weather, picnics, flip flops, and driving around with my windows down. But what about spring makes me more excited than anything? Why jeans of course!

I know what you’re thinking - jeans are exciting all year round. While I obviously couldn’t agree with you more, there’s something about light weight denim that adds a spring to my step.

So what can we look forward to this spring in the world of denim? This year, the warmer weather welcomes denim styles like ripped jeans. It’s a rugged look that more women are adopting, and spices up any outfit with a hint of rebellion in every tear.

Don’t worry about doing the ripping yourself: at indiDenim, you can customize your own ripped jeans to look as stylin’ as you see fit.

From runways to sidewalks, ripped jeans are already popping up all over, and as the weather gets warmer and you want to give your legs a little bit of breathing room this trendy look for Spring 2010 is the perfect way to emerge from your winter hibernation looking fierce. 

(Picture courtesy of Dear Frank)

posted by: deborah on February 22, 2010 at 3:34 pm
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TAGS: ripped jeans, custom denim, jeans trends

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Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, ripped jeans are back in style.

Ripped jeans  are as old as jeans themselves, but they didn’t become a trend until the mid 1970’s when icons such as the Ramones, below, began wearing them.

The Ramones are practicing what fashion nerds (such as myself) call “conspicuous outrage.” This term describes consumers who purposefully dress in a disheveled or shocking manner to offend the public. During an era when denim lovers reverently patched their jeans at the first sign of wear, the Ramones’ anti-patch attitude is definitely outrageous.

With frequent exposure to ripped jeans, the public gradually began to accept them and eventually admire them. Today, ripped jeans are so ubiquitous that we see them on everyone from celebrities to soccer moms, and from tots to teens.

Rhianna, the fashionista, shows off her ripped skinnies.

image courtesy of WhoWhatWear

Even toddlers can make a fashion statement with rips and tears!

image courtesy of Crewcuts

So don’t be shy, we know you want to…build and destroy  your jeans!

posted by: danielle on August 28, 2009 at 5:15 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | Add a comment
TAGS: skinny jeans, history of jeans, ripped jeans

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Ripped jeans have been worn as a fashion statement since the 1970’s. Many chose to deform their jeans in an effort to separate themselves from mainstream culture. Ironically, the mainstream eventually embraced ripped jeans.Today ripped jeans and patched jeans have become part of the fabric of American culture. Both styles are now welcome in places that range from the dorm room to the board room, the art studio to the art opening, and the vegetable garden to the garden gala.

The truth is, we just love to abuse our jeans. Since their invention, jeans have been ripped, bleached, shrunk, permanent pressed, cut off, torn, shredded, distressed, sanded, stone washed, and acid washed. On the other hand, they’ve been lovingly embroidered, beaded, patched, painted and sequined. We definitely have an intriguing relationship with our favorite article of clothing. Through the good times, and the bad ones, our loyal jeans still love us. And we still love them.

Which reminds us, in the 1970’s, during the height of the free love movement, the US also saw an outpouring of denim love. Americans were using their jeans to visually express their hopes, political views, and religious beliefs. In 1974, Levi’s held a denim art contest and received thousands of entries.

The worst part (or best part!) is that people actually wore these jeans. That’s right, take a look at these bad boys below . . .

images from:

by Richard M. Owens, Baron Wolman, John Burks

posted by: danielle on June 23, 2009 at 4:33 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (3)
TAGS: history of jeans, ripped jeans, patched jeans

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