Please enjoy this blog post featuring the many stages of my dog napping on my bed.
No really, this blog post is about distressed jeans, but my big cutie happened to be napping in the background when I was taking these pics!
Distressed jeans have long been a staple in my closet. The pair that started it was featured many times over in some of my first blog posts. They had holes in all the right places and made everything I wore with them look a little bit cooler. Last spring I tried my hand at distressing a pair of vintage jeans (aka adding giant holes) and was pretty pleased with the results. There is something about well-placed distressing on a pair of jeans that makes an outfit more interesting in a way few things can.
Today I wanted to play around with styling distressed jeans and see what kind of style principals I could come up with. I love daydreaming new outfit combinations, it’s probably my favorite hobby!
4 TACTICS FOR STYLING DISTRESSED DENIM
1. Simplicity as a tool.
If you are extra excited to show off the distressing on your jeans (and you might be if you put in the labor to do it yourself!), use simplicity as a strategy when creating your outfit. Let the jeans be the main star, and support them with something ultra simple like a white t-shirt or a chic white button up.
For this outfit (what I happened to wear on Tuesday), I tucked my t-shirt in to keep the focus on my jeans. I wore neutral slides and added a neutral cardigan in the same color family. Simple and easy to wear around the house, felt like my super cool badass self.
2. All over busy.
You can flip the above formula around and go for a busy-on-busy look. For this outfit, I went for a fun, frilly top with a lot going on (volume, print, gathered sleeves) and animal print, hair-on shoes. You can see it all together, paired with the jeans with multiple places of distressing, and the end result looks very balanced. The items all visually ‘equal out’ and pull together a cohesive look.
3. Juxtapose: formal with casual.
Employing contrast is one of my favorite strategies when building an outfit. A blazer is the ultimate complementary item to very distressed jeans! It is ‘polished’ on top, ‘party’ on the bottom! This outfit would look equally good with some black lace up boots! Or a black blazer and sneakers!
4. Juxtapose: girlie with edgy.
Another way to use contrast to your advantage is to pair distressed jeans with a feminine top. The jeans keep the top from feeling too girly, and the top keeps the jeans from feeling too edgy. It’s a fun sort of tension for an outfit.
KEY DETAILS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SHOPPING FOR DISTRESSED JEANS
// Denim composition // Stretch denim and 100% cotton denim act very differently when distressed. The weight of the denim should be accounted for too. Both of these factors affect how the distressing will wear. Thicker denim holds up better, thinner denim is more likely to wear out of tear into bigger holes over time.
// Position of the holes and distressing // In a nutshell, which part of your body do you want hanging out?? >< I have found the holes above the knees can make me look like a sausage factory. No thank you! Holes at the knees are about right, but this brings me to my next pointt…
// Type of holes // I’ve tried many styles of distressed jeans over the years, and I quickly learned many holes don’t keep their shape. If they are slits, they often tear open larger. If they have many white strings connected over the hole (like my first, beloved pair) those strings are delicate and don’t hang on for very long. It’s important to consider how your distressing, particularly the holes will last (or widen) over time.
In the market for distressed jeans? Here are a few styles I like:
Or if you want to try distressing a pair already in your closet, head to this blog post —> How I Bleached and Distressed my Vintage Denim
This blog post is not sponsored, but it does contain affiliate links and gifted items from previous partnerships. If you see something you like and make a purchase, Seasons + Salt may make a small commission. Thank you for your support!
These jeans look so good on you!! May I ask what size you find works best? I have another color in two different sizes (25 very fitted and a 27 for more of a boyfriend cut). Do you size down one or two sizes? Thanks so much for your help!! :)
Thank you!! I sized down 1x. I also have these in light wash with no holes, and sized down 1x, but these one seem a little smaller. I hope that helps!
That’s great to note, thanks so much!!