Who doesn't love a good pair of distressed jeans?? But where does the line fall between too distressed/not distressed enough...I think that jury is still out. For me personally - working in a elementary school makes that determination relatively easy. I wanted to find a way to create a subtle distressed denim look that was work appropriate but could also give a certain outfit a bit of an edgy feel.
For this project I decided to go with a tried and true brand of jeans. I love Old Navy rock star denim! It is wearable, stretchy, comes in a variety of colors and is a great quality of jean for the price. If you haven't tried their rock star denim collection - please do yourself a favor and get to Old Navy a s a p.
There are a couple of ways to go about this process. For me, keeping the distress at the ankle is my preference. Especially for work because it is office appropriate. I also choose a dark color jean because I think it is more flattering than light wash jeans. I also think that darker denim is easier to transition from a more casual outfit to a more dressy look for night time.
Before you really get started I would suggest doing some research for the type of look you are going for. Here is the Pinterest inspiration that I found before starting.
Let's talk about the process. It is fairly easy to do - just grab a pair of sharp scissors and begin cutting off the bottom hem of your jeans. This pair of jeans hit me perfectly at the ankle so I didn't need to take them up any more. If your pair of jeans is a little long you can adjust the amount you cut accordingly. I always say less is more - you can keep going if need be but you can't go back if you cut too much off. If you need to put them on and mark with a fabric marker where to begin cutting that can be helpful.
After cutting off the hem the fun part begins. I like to take the blade of the scissors and run it along the edge of the cut to expose the frayed pieces of the seam. I do this until I reach the level of distress that I am looking for. There are so many different ways to add character to your jeans.You could grab a piece of fine sand paper and rub it along the bottom of the jeans to give it more texture. I used a super fine piece on the bottom of my jeans after I use the scissors to give it a more "lived in" look.
Here are some other ways to customize your distressed denim:
Uneven hem is all the rage right now so cutting the back of the leg longer than the front could be an option.
You could also make a diluted bleach wash with 2 parts water and 1 part bleach and use little droplets to create an even more distressed look. This method also works with white paint. Using the two together gives a really unique look to your jeans. Just dip a brunch into the solution and flick it onto the pants for a really organic look.
The best part about this project is that you can totally customize the jeans to the the look you want for free. You do not have to pay the extra cost of a great pair of designer denim when you use some imagination a DIY attitude. So grab a pair of jeans that you probably already have in the back of your closet and get to distressing!
Happy DIYing
Xo
Elizabeth
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