Get the Perfect Distressed Denim Look with These 10 Simple Tips
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Introduction
Distressed denim is all the rage right now, and it’s easy to see why. The look is effortlessly cool and can be adapted to any style. If you’re looking to add a touch of distressed denim to your wardrobe, but don’t want to spend a fortune at the store, we’ve got some simple tips for you! In this blog post, we’ll show you how to distress denim at home using everyday items that you probably have lying around your house. So read on and get ready to create the perfect distressed denim look in no time!
Table of Contents
Get the Perfect Distressed Denim Look with These 10 Simple Tips
Start with quality denim
Pick the right tools
Get creative
Add patches
Take your time
Fade the dye
Unravel the seams and hems.
Bobby pins can be used to create smaller holes
Cut-and-pluck technique.
Gently rub with sandpaper
Conclusion
Get the Perfect Distressed Denim Look with These 10 Simple Tips
1. Start with quality denim
Make sure that you start with a good quality pair of jeans or shorts for the best results. This will ensure that your distressed denim looks professional and won’t fall apart after just a few wears.
2. Pick the right tools
Depending on the look you’re going for, you’ll need different tools to distress your denim. For a more subtle look, use an emery board or pumice stone to lightly sand the fabric. If you’re going for a more dramatic effect, use scissors and an awl to make larger rips and tears in the fabric.
3. Get creative
Have fun with it! You can create unique distressed patterns all over your denim with scissors, an awl, and some imagination. Just be sure to keep the pattern symmetrical and consistent.
4. Add patches
If you want to add a fun touch to your distressed denim, why not try adding some patches? You can find lots of different designs online or make your own using fabric scraps.
5. Take your time
Distressing denim isn’t a quick process, so take your time and be patient with it. If you rush the job, you won’t get the perfect look that you’re aiming for.
If you fancy jeans that look like they’ve seen some wear, rather than going through the laborious process of washing them for two years straight, we have a more doable solution:
Mix 50-50 water and bleach. Then take a brush and apply it to your jeans to get an appealing streaky effect. For best results, concentrate on the knees as this is where most fading occurs with time.
To get the lightest shades possible, let the bleach water soak overnight; however, keep checking on them every hour or so to make sure you’re getting your desired level of fading. An hour before washing and drying them for good measure, repaint the seams with bleach – that’s where jeans usually hold onto colour most intensely – to ensure an even fade across all areas.
For an all-over lightning effect without a paintbrush, submerge your jeans in a combination of water and bleach. However, if you seek to specifically lighten certain sections only, this method won’t work for you – but don’t worry! You can always opt-out of bleaching altogether if the current colour suits your taste.
7. Unravel the seams and hems.
Achieve a frayed effect on your jeans faster than ever with a disposable razor or even sandpaper! These brilliant tools will work wonders, especially when going over the zipper area, waistband, and pockets. All you need to do is scrape the razor or press the sandpaper back and forth for that distressed look in no time. Plus, these items can also be used to make edgy patches all around your denim jeans!
8. Bobby pins can be used to create smaller holes in whatever you’re working on!
If you want to add subtle distressing, then bobby pins with a blunt metal edge are the perfect tool for it. Just pick and scrape at the denim in order to create tiny holes.
9. Create larger threaded holes using the cut-and-pluck technique.
For bold and striking distressing, try these steps: Cut horizontal strips about half an inch apart in the length you want for your hole. Utilizing tweezers, pluck out all of the blue threads from those strips – remember that white threads typically run horizontally while blue ones go vertically in denim fabrics! By taking away only the blues strands, a distinctive horizontal striped pattern is created. To make it even more dishevelled looking, tear off some of the white strings as well!
10. Gently rub with sandpaper to achieve desired softness.
For your jeans to have that lived-in look and feel, give them a good rubdown with some sandpaper. The rougher the grit on the paper (the coarser it is), the more holes you’ll create in your denim. To keep things subtle and make sure only softness comes out of it, go for one of medium or low coarseness instead.
Conclusion
Now that you know the simple tips to get the perfect distressed denim look, go out and experiment! Mix and match different styles until you find what works best for you. And don’t forget to have fun with it! After all, fashion is all about expressing yourself.
