Does anyone know how to make your jeans look and feel worn? I don't want to pay $50 and $60 for a pair, I'd like to create my own and make them unique.

Hm... How about washing them repeatedly?
Or you could buy used. It only costs a few dollars. I like to buy jeans from the local thrift stores, that way they're already soft from the previous person. then I wash them really well to get rid of the previous person.

Anais

Washing jeans with bleach will lighten the color.  

The "real" way to distress jeans is to wash them with sand and rocks. Back in the 70's we would put the jeans in a canvas bag with rocks and sand.  Then fill a washtub with hot water with bleach, throw the bag in the tub and agitate - for a day or two!

The thrift shop, Goodwill or other used clothing store is probably a lot easier!

Good ideas by Anais and Biker Braid. The thrift store is great if you want new/old jeans different than you already own. And the rocks and sand idea is perfect for changing a pristine version of your own jeans.

On a side note, a little sand paper will wear the the fabric, especially attached to a belt-sander or drill. Not only will the fabric wear, but it will become softer.

Good luck and please, let us know what you ended up doing. :)

The worn look that I've seen in the stores recently looks kind of like the sandpaper method because the worn areas are isolated.  The rock method will give an overall worn appearance I believe (haven't tried this.)  My cousin did the bleach method on my jeans, and tied my jeans up in knots first.  So the effect in the end was tie-dyish.

When I was in high school, the big thing was holes.  We used a razor to cut holes, and then pulled the threads out to make it look "natural".  After making a hole, we sometimes sewed color or leather patches behind it.  

Cynde

This is another '70s fix: I remember buying jeans, lots of salt and a hard brush. Then, sitting with the jeans on in a bathtub with warm water, salt all over the legs, scrubbing away with the brush. The salt took the color out, made the jeans look worn and we sat in the water with the jeans to kinda "preshrink" them to perfect size.

But I have to concur: go for the 2nd hand store or something similar. A good wash (or 2) will make sure that the previous owner smell is gone.
:)

Wear 'em and work hard on the farm or garden or garage - wipe grimey hands and tools on them often.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  ;)

This is so Texas but funny.  When I was in my 20s the big thing here was "distressed" jeans so we gave all our new jeans to our friend who lived in the country and let her shoot them with her shotgun.  It worked but we did blow a few zippers out ::)  Aaahh, the folly of youth.

wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2005 at 1:22pm:

This is so Texas but funny.  When I was in my 20s the big thing here was "distressed" jeans so we gave all our new jeans to our friend who lived in the country and let her shoot them with her shotgun.  It worked but we did blow a few zippers out ::)  Aaahh, the folly of youth.

:o  :o  :o

wrote on Aug 23^rd, 2005 at 1:22pm:

This is so Texas but funny.  When I was in my 20s the big thing here was "distressed" jeans so we gave all our new jeans to our friend who lived in the country and let her shoot them with her shotgun.  It worked but we did blow a few zippers out ::)  Aaahh, the folly of youth.

ROFL!!  That's one way to go about it!  :D

Cynde

I can't sew a straight hem to save my life but I am great with a zipper foot ;D

Would that be Texas-Two-Step sewing, ChiliPepper?  :D

;D

This is rather funny. I'm not after the look of old worn jeans but every pair I own gets this way within three months! :-[

Think the trick is NOT to pay $50 for jeans. Get the cheap stuff at $10 $15. They wear quick!

Finding a nice pair of jeans to go out on a Saturday night? HA!

wrote on Aug 24^th, 2005 at 11:04am:

Would that be Texas-Two-Step sewing, ChiliPepper?  :D

LOL!!

wrote on Aug 25^th, 2005 at 1:33am:

;D This is rather funny. I'm not after the look of old worn jeans but every pair I own gets this way within three months! :-[ Think the trick is NOT to pay $50 for jeans. Get the cheap stuff at $10 $15. They wear quick! Finding a nice pair of jeans to go out on a Saturday night? HA!

Come to think of it, I've bought some good and cheap distressed jeans at Target.

OK - old lady hat on, I think, but maybe not.

I have a jeans peeve (a bit off topic).  I really do not mind toned bellies showing, I don't mind people showing off their curves.  But I really do NOT comprehend why some people have no sense of aesthetics whatsoever.

Jeans, cut straight across, way down low, with a roll of hip hanging over does not look good.  It's not about how much fat you have on your either.  It's the shape.  If they are low they shouldn't squish the butt so that a person looks straight up and down with a sausage middle.  The idea is to look curvy I would think.  Loose and hitting on the right area, preferably some of the jeans cut so that they dip in front - so people can expose as much as they want without overhang squish.

To me, that style looks best on people who have a curvy middle i.e., hip/waist differential.  Instead, often you see a straight middle (or worse) and a teensy squished up little bit of a butt waddling below.  

I've had this rant coming for about five years of groaning so I apologize to the innocent victims of this blabbing  :-X... g

Dear gabi;
I'll join you with your old lady hat (might it be a red hat with a purple feather?).  Some fashion styles are not meant to be worn by some body types - regardless of age.  Rolls of fat, or even just a little love handle hanging over the top of the pants is not a good look.  

I'll add to the rant, pant that are falling off are not good looking either.  If you have to keep pulling at them to keep them from falling to your knees, they are not serving their purpose and do not look good.  OK, this was aimed mostly at the young guys that wear their pants BELOW their butt, but this "fashion statement" is one I will never understand. ???

Getting out my zimmer-frame to join the rant. I agree with both of you, 100%. There are too many lasses from young to middle-age that should not attempt to wear the ultra-low, hip hugging jeans. I mean do they not have a mirror in their house?

And as for the guys wearing these oversized pants and exposing their underwear...what is up with that? I really am not interested in looking at their underwear or butt-crack.

Whew! Okay, putting the zimmer-frame away.

With the guys and their low pants....

My son is one, but not the kind that have their pants down so the boxers show, just really loose.  Ever notice them when they run?  They all have that same run.  One arm pumping in double time, the other hitched up high holding one side of the pants.

Makes me want to yell out "Here! Catch!" And throw something at them.

And I absolutely DETEST female butt crack as much as male butt crack.   :P

Ick.

I have to agree 150% with Gabi and BB. I can't stand neither one of these two fads.
Really don't understand why it's so cool to show underwear  ???

And these fat rolls  >:( Nasty

But I have to give those fashion kids credit: their self esteem must be out of this world - they just wear the stuff and feel like the prettiest things on earth!   ::)

Two things:

I just read in the latest Lucky magazine that high wasted jeans are coming back in style.  THANK GOD!!

And: you have a lot of company under that hat.  My brother-in-law once got so annoyed at his son for wearing his jeans low and loose that he picked him up and shook him till he fell out of his pants.  This has become the family test for loose pants since there are only boys in the family.

When my son was in high school and the low-riders were starting in their popularity, the school dress code said that a gentle tug on the pant leg should not cause the pants to show any underwear.  I've always thought that was a reasonable rule.  But then the school probably wouldn't let me wear my red hat with the purple feather either.

I have fought the loose jean/boxer view styles with 2 boys.  My "test" is they know I may reach out and give their pants a downward tug whenever they walk by, so they'd better be secure :o  Having MOM see their boxers is not  8) lol

So, why, I wonder do girls styles have them almost falling out of their clothes, and guys go around with clothes almost falling off because they are so big ???  ???

I'll never understand fashion sense :'(

I guess it's a hormone thing?  My mom is a high school teacher, she blames everything on hormones.

"Ever notice them when they run?  They all have that same run.  One arm pumping in double time, the other hitched up high holding one side of the pants."

I had a chat with a cop after a felony arrest up the street where two dressed as such were arrested.

His words: "I love this style! They can't run and they can't put a gun in the waist of their pants!"

I'm glad baggy pants serve some useful purpose in society ;D

What a relief not to be the only fuddy duddy.  Of course I saw more sparkling examples today - teensy little squish butts with sausage exploding out the top.  Have you all noticed that there are skirts that do the same thing now *arrrgh*

I love the baggy pants run thing  ;D...g