Are torn jeans still fashionable in 2025?

The torn jeans have been with us for many decades in a variety of iterations; They do not seem to go anywhere anytime soon. “The distress jeans could return in 2025 as we saw on the spring / summer tracks, including Ralph Lauren”, explains the expert and fashion stylist Naina Singla. She adds: “This time, the look feels more effortless and intentional rather than too torn and relaxed.” If you’ve never been with a pair of denim that has tears, tears, offsets or even an effiloche side, it’s easier than you think of incorporating it into your wardrobe.

No more skinny jeans deeply in distress of ’00, replaced by more loose styles that have more strategic tears and tears that make them easier to wear. If you hope to try the trend by yourself or if you just need to know how to style them, read the rest.

The history of torn denim

The torn jeans were not originally focused on style, according to the fashion historian Einav Rabinovitch-Fox. “Jeans have long been associated with the working class and poverty. As it is a robust fabric, it was often worn like work clothes in mines and agriculture and even worn as prison uniforms. So torn jeans were often worn by poor who could not afford to buy new ones.”

In the 1960s and 1970s, however, torn jeans became a more clever look, embraced by hippie and counter-culture movements (Rabinovitch-Fox quotes James Dean and Marlon Brando as two film icons that wore style). “The torn jeans have become another declaration of rebellion, mainly by the punk movement but also in the United States as a rebellion against capitalism and the culture of consumption,” she adds. In the 1980s, the jeans designer jumped on the trend, notably Calvin Klein (like the distress shorts from their 1992 sportswear collection, illustrated above), Vivienne Westwood, Diesel and other luxury brands.

“The jeans themselves have become” fashion “and their rebellious association was marketed and turned into a luxury article,” explains Rabinovitch-Fox. “The torn jeans were now marketed in the form of” distress jeans “. During this same decade, she says that musicians began to adopt the look, using more extreme tears and tears to indicate a daring style, “she said.” Like any other fashion declaration that started in a political declaration, torn jeans were co-opted in fashion and became a trend. ”

In the early 2000s, torn jeans were generally an ultra-basic increase and strong distress, often worn with large belts and cultures. But their 21st century evolution was positive, according to Singla. “In the 2010s, the Skinny jeans remained dominant, and torn styles became more polite, with strategically placed genou slots and frayed hems. In the 2020s, the rise of relaxed and wide denim moved the look, with a painful increasingly subtle and intentional.” In its modern iteration, Singla calls which seems “more refined and portable” than during the decades.

The trend of modern torn jeans

Modern effiloche jeans is a more thoughtful stylistic choice, explains Rabinovitch-Fox. “It is actually a lot of work to create jeans in distress or natural tears, because denim is a fairly robust fabric, and you need a lot of stones and other treatments to make it soft.”

Thus, painful techniques have become more refined, explains Anne Seghi, the Stitch correction stylist. “The torn jeans have evolved with an extensible denim and a reinforced distress, making them more comfortable and durable while retaining their avant-garde look. The brands are now paying particular attention to the placement of tears, ensuring that they are elegant without compromising portability.”

Singla regularly reminds its customers that today’s torn jeans are very different from the versions that we have worn in recent decades. “Customers ask me if they can still carry their torn or distress jeans, and most of the time, they refer to lean or low height styles of the 2000s,” she explains. “My advice is always the same: if you like denim in distress, keep wearing it, but try to update your wardrobe with fresh silhouettes. Large, straight or relaxed legs are much more current.”

How to wear torn jeans

Torn jeans can add an additional dimension to your look, bringing a slightly disorderly and vintage sensation to the look. Associate them with more custom parts, such as elegant jackets or shoes, explains Singla. “An excellent way to wear the trend without looking sloppy is to associate the wide leg, a denim in relaxed distress with something more polite, like a cropped structured blazer and pointed toes. The mixture of relaxed and raised parts creates the perfect balance, keeping modern and assembled outfit without feeling in surpass.” You can also keep all the relaxed outfit with knitting and souchy sneakers, really supported on the discreet and oversized elements of the style, explains Seghi. “I love associating denim in distress with a chambray top for a denim-on-denim look, embracing an atmosphere of Western inspiration in accordance with one of the main stitch trends for 2025: Ranch Revival.”

It may seem obvious, but you will want to keep in mind the context in which you carry your torn jeans. “The torn jeans are super versatile, but they might not fly to formal events or in corporate environments with strict dress codes,” said Seghi. “If you are targeting a polished look, opt for a dark washing denim with a subtle painful, or completely limit the tears and respect a raw hem for a more refined socket.” Add Singla, “Distress jeans are better worn in relaxed or creative environments where a relaxed look is suitable. They are great for weekends, brunch, relaxed outings or even an evening when stylized with more polished pieces.” You can even select strategically washing: light with larger tears for relaxed, dark day outfits with more subtle penance for the night, explains Seghi.

You will also want to think about what your jeans mean for you and how to correctly honor materiality. “In the past, people have invested for a long time (painful of their jeans) or simply wore them until they become sweet and torn … a torn Jean naturally ” was a badge of honor; he loses part of magic,” said Rabinovitch-Fox.

To instill your meaning denim, you can buy economical parts (like the pair in the photo above), which are authentically more worn. You can also invest in quality rooms and wash them gently, which will help jeans keep their shape without enlarging tears and tears. Just be extra-war with them, and they will last you for a long time.