Ripped Denim: A Style That Will Never Run Out Of Fashion

Image Credits: Men's Health

“Less is more with ripped jeans” is rightly said. Your ripped pair of jeans is a staple to your wardrobe. The obsession with the distressed denim is still on.

The first pair of jeans were designed in the late 1870s by Loeb Strauss, a German businessman who changed his name to Levi and founded the denim brand. Using a twilled cotton cloth, he created durable trousers that would suit the working man. Indigo — a dye extracted from an Indian plant — was used to turn them into dark blue, which was thought to be more practical for the working environment.

The ‘ripped’ trend came later, emerging in the cultural punk movement of the Seventies. The rips signified rebellion: early punks tore apart consumer goods as an expression of their anger towards society, and denim became a key part of this political statement.

Celebrity devotees included The Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop and Bros, while stars such as Bananarama and Madonna helped popularise the trend for women. Fans began to copy the look by ripping their own jeans at home, and denim manufacturers soon caught on.

In 2010, ripped denim made a comeback — rebranded as ‘distressed’ denim. Designers such as Diesel and Balmain showed the look on the catwalk, and high-end stores such as Harrods and Fenwick started stocking them.

Experts say this coincided with an Eighties fashion revival, marked by the return of jumpsuits, high-waisted trousers and culottes. Today, ripped denim has become so ubiquitous that even M&S stocks them including some with patches under the rips so the wearer doesn’t get chilly knees.

So why does today’s consumer buy pre-ripped rather than do it themselves? The answer is denim now is less likely to rip than the lightweight fabric of old. Most jeans today are made of thicker and stiffer fabric — which is far harder to rip.

Here are some cool ways to style ripped denim for both men and women:

A kurti and a ripped pair of jeans just adds in to the indo western look.

Image Credits: Pinterest

One can also style themselves with a blazer and ripped jeans. The ripped jeans and blazer combination works with t-shirts, dress shirts and can be paired with high-end sneakers in perhaps white or black, otherwise, a simple brown Chelsea boot will also work nicely. The blazer/jacket and ripped jeans combination is perfect for a night out, concert hopping or drinks at an upmarket establishment. Hell, even do it for date night.

When the weather is warm or you’re simply out of fresh ideas then a t-shirt is your saviour. Couple it with ripped denim and you are good to go. Plain coloured t-shirts are your staple, then consider some branded luxury t-shirts if the budget allows.

When Winter hits, it’s time to layer up. You may be thinking, ‘then why am I wearing jeans with holes’, to which we agree but it’s fashion. So suck it up.

The black denim and camel overcoat is a solid option as too is the blue denim and black overcoat. Acne is making some great overcoats in different hues to suit all shapes. Layer up with a t-shirt and sweatshirt or think knit from the likes of Uniqlo. Keep the colours basic and let your overcoat do all the talking.

For the cooler Spring and Autumn evenings, we would recommend pairing your denim with a bomber jacket. Here you can afford to play with colours, patterns and prints.

Denim has always been a classic. You should be full of great ideas by now but here are a few more to ensure you leave this page feeling like you’re ready to style your ripped jeans for every occasion.

Shraddha Lath

Shraddha Lath is a communication student from National Institute of Fashion Technology and is based at Kolkata. She loves to explore and learn new things. She has a keen interest in styling and journalism and has a passion for writing since high school.

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Shaylee Packer says:

6th November 2019 at 7:33 pm

I liked how you said that less is more with ripped jeans, I didn't know that the trend started as far back as the seventies. That just proves that trends come in waves, they come and go and come back again. I also did't realize that it started out as a punk movement and now it is the high end look. Thanks for the information.