How to Distress Denim Yourself

 Hello beautiful people! Denim trends may come and go, but when it comes down to it, jeans are an unbeatable wardrobe staple, no matter how often colors, hems, and shapes change with the times. Jeans can go with almost anything!

The latest look to break through the denim market? Distressed jeans- to the point of gaping rips and tears- which have been seen EVERYWHERE, from celebrities to street style stars, to the most popular fashion stylists. Retailers and designers have been quick to jump on this bandwagon, and you'll find this majorly beat-up styles from Nordstrom to Forever 21. (Prices range from $$$ to $)

Unlike most trends though, this one is extremely easy to DIY if you have a little time on your hands. Read on to learn how to make these fashion forward jeans at home!

How to Distress Your Denim

What You'll Need: 

• A old or new pair of denim jeans or shorts
• Fabric scissors (or really sharp scissors)
• A pen or chalk
• Tweezers
• A razor (a disposable one does the trick)

Step 1: Put the jeans on and mark where you would like the holes to be with the chalk or pen. The best places to aim are around the knee. Avoid getting too close to the crotch area...(no one wants to see that)

Step 2: Take the jeans off and cut parallel, horizontal slits on the marks with the scissors. The wider you make the slits, the bigger the holes.

Step 3: Begin to pull on the white horizontal threads. This may take a few tries, but once you get the hang of pull out the threads every thing goes a lot quicker.

Step 4: To create even larger holes, remove some of the white horizontal threads altogether.

Step 5: Use the tweezers to pull out the blue vertical threads.

Step 6: Take the razor and rub back and forth on the denim to create a more worn out look.

Step 7: Throw your jeans into the wash, send them through the dryer, and when you take them out, the rips and tears will look like they were made naturally. They will continue to look even better with each wash and wear.

Keep in Mind

Distressing denim works on both shorts and long jeans, but if you are going the shorts route, I recommend going with a higher waist pair to avoid too much skin. For distressed jeans, I suggest a lighter color and a slimmer leg. Boyfriend jeans are not flattering on everyone. A slimmer leg is flattering for most body shapes and has a very modern feel.

For those of you who don't have the time to DIY a pair of jeans, you may want to check out some hot trends from Nordstrom ,Forever 21 , or GAP .

Thank you for reading, and I hope that these distressed jeans inspire you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new!

xo,

Maria Elizabeth