What Should You Look for in a Quality Pair of Ripped Jeans?

Sometime in the 90’s, grunge was born as the underground music movement that shaped a generation (TY Nirvana!). Little did people know that grunge was soon to have its very own look and inspire the fashion industry, becoming the uniform for cultured-cool with a hint of bad-ass angst in the mix. What are the telltale signs of grunge fashion? Aside from Kurt Cobain tees, big in the ‘too cool to care’ look was the distressed trend on denimwear.

 

Albeit an old fashion trend, distressed jeans have been immortalized as cool pants no matter what demographic they are worn by. Appropriate for casual and nightwear, these versatile bottoms are a must-have for any fashion girl!

 

Considering getting a pair for yourself? You’re in good hands, as we are going over the key markings of a quality pair of ripped jeans.

 

1. The right amount of distressed shredding

 

 

We have to give it to the style pioneer who decided a few shreds on jeans were cool to see on the streets. You can tell a good pair of ripped jeans apart from those that easily break at the seams (literally) from the amount of shredding done on the pantleg. Go for a pair that has shredding but has strong threads that won’t bore a hole during the first wash.

2. Loose fit in the calf area

 

 

Achieve ultimate cool-girl status by choosing ripper jeans that have just enough breathing room in the calf area. E! Online shares that ripped jeans won’t look any good if you're too short or too tall for the "regular" styles. Keeping an allowance around the calf area will allow your body to adjust and the ripped details will fall flatteringly on either your knee or lower thigh, for a cheeky flair on your jeans. 

 

3. Less holes, more panels

 

 

BNY Jeans advises that while huge rips and holes are certainly head-turners, this is very daring style, and is extremely hard to pull off. Instead of buying a pair of overly ripped jeans (and fall victim of looking like a hobo), settle on a pair that is still wearable and strikes the balance between edgy and high-fashion. 

4. Faded coloration

 Denim wash has always been a favorite undone statement for fashionistas across the globe. Make sure your ripped jeans have a denim wash coloration to stay true to real grunge fashion. Washed out jeans are also good canvases! Stitch Fix shares that light wash jeans can be a base for adding your favorite on-trend piece such as a designer buckle belt, iron-on patchwork, and more.

Keep up to date with the latest fashion trends and tips! If you want to read more about the latest fashion on Cute and Dainty click here to be inspired by some of our interesting posts.