You see ripped jeans in every store, from budget brands to high fashion. This trend has lasted for decades, but you are not sure where this idea of deliberately damaging new clothes actually came from.

The trend of torn or ripped jeans¹ started in the late 1970s with the punk movement². It grew in the 80s with rock bands and then exploded into a mainstream fashion phenomenon in the 1990s, driven by the grunge scene.

As someone who has been making jeans for over 20 years, I find the story of ripped denim fascinating. In my factory, we spend so much time making fabric strong and perfect.

Then, a designer asks us to spend even more time carefully destroying it. This process, which we call "distressing," is now one of the most common and detailed jobs we do. Let's look at how this trend started and how it has changed over the years.

When did torn jeans become popular?

You know the trend started with subcultures, but when did it cross over? You need to know the moment ripped jeans went from being a niche statement to a must-have item for the average person.

Torn jeans became widely popular in the 1990s. While rock stars wore them in the 80s, the 90s grunge movement made them a global fashion uniform for millions of young people who wanted a rebellious, anti-fashion look.

The journey from a small subculture to a global trend took about two decades. In the late 70s and early 80s, you would only see ripped jeans on punk rockers.

For them, the rips were often real, a sign that they didn't have money for new clothes, and a visual rejection of mainstream society.

Then, in the mid-to-late 80s, hard rock and heavy metal bands like Guns N' Roses and Bon Jovi adopted the look. Their ripped jeans were more of a stage costume, a symbol of a wild rock-and-roll lifestyle.

The real explosion happened in the early 1990s. This is when the trend hit the mainstream. Suddenly, it wasn't just for musicians. It was for every high school and college student.

This is also when my world, the world of denim manufacturing, really got involved. Brands started asking us not just to make jeans, but to make them look old and worn out. We began developing the first industrial techniques for ripping and distressing denim to meet this massive new demand.

Did people wear ripped jeans in the 90s?

You see 90s fashion³ making a comeback and wonder if ripped jeans were a big part of it. Understanding the specific style of the 90s helps you see how today's trends are inspired by the past.

Yes, ripped jeans were a massive and defining trend of the 90s. They were the key piece of the grunge look, worn by everyone from rock stars on MTV to kids at the mall. The rips were often large, especially at the knees.

The 90s was the golden age of the ripped jean. I remember this time very clearly in the industry. The look was very specific. The jeans themselves were usually a light-wash, straight-leg, or baggy fit⁴, like the Levi's 501.

The damage was not subtle. It was all about big, gaping holes at the knees. Sometimes the thigh area would be shredded too. The goal was to look like you didn't care about your clothes, that your jeans were old and had been worn for years.

In the factory, we had to figure out how to create this "I don't care" look on a massive scale. It was an interesting challenge.

The process was very manual at first. Workers would use industrial sandpaper, wire brushes, and even small hand-held grinders to create abrasions and holes. We had to make the damage look natural, as if it happened over time from skating or going to concerts.

The 90s established ripped jeans not just as a piece of clothing, but as a statement of effortless cool.

90s Ripped Jean Style	How We Made It in the Factory	The Message It Sent
Big Knee Holes	Patterns were cut, then edges were frayed by hand or with stones.	Worn-out, active lifestyle
Shredded Thighs	Fabric was sliced and then washed aggressively to create threads.	Rebellious, anti-establishment
Frayed Hems	Hems were simply cut off and left unstitched.	Unfinished, casual, "I did it myself"

Who made ripped jeans fashionable?

You know that trends are often started by influential people. You want to know which specific musicians or celebrities were responsible for taking ripped jeans from the street to the stage and into stores.

While early punk bands started the trend, it was grunge icons, especially Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who made ripped jeans globally fashionable in the early 90s. His authentic, anti-fashion style was copied by millions and legitimized the look.

No single person can invent a trend, but a few key people can make it explode. For ripped jeans, there are a few important figures.

1. The Punks (Late 1970s): Bands like The Ramones and The Sex Pistols were the pioneers. They wore torn clothes as a political statement against consumerism and the establishment. It was raw, aggressive, and authentic.
2. The Rock Gods (1980s): Artists like Slash from Guns N' Roses took the ripped look and made it glamorous. It was part of the over-the-top, rebellious rockstar uniform. At this point, it was more about costume than authentic wear.
3. Kurt Cobain⁵ (Early 1990s): He is the most important person in this story. When Nirvana became the biggest band in the world, Kurt Cobain's personal style became the new uniform for youth. He wore simple, baggy jeans with huge rips in them. It didn't look like a costume. It looked real. He made ripped jeans feel authentic and cool in a way nobody had before.

After Kurt Cobain, high-fashion designers started to notice. They began putting ripped jeans on their runways. This was the final step. Once high fashion adopted the look, it cemented its place as a permanent style, not just a temporary trend.

Did people wear ripped jeans in the 2000s?

You remember the 90s grunge look fading away. You're curious if ripped jeans disappeared with it or if they just changed to fit the new decade's style.

Yes, people wore ripped jeans in the 2000s, but the style evolved dramatically. The trend shifted from the large, grungy rips of the 90s to more subtle, designer "distressing" on low-rise, bootcut, and later, skinny jeans.

The 2000s were a completely different era for fashion, and ripped jeans changed to fit in. The "I don't care" grunge look was out, and a more polished, pop-influenced look was in.

The jeans became tighter and the rise got lower. The damage on the jeans also became more controlled and deliberate. We stopped calling them "ripped" jeans and started calling them "distressed" jeans.

This was a big shift for us in the factory. The work became much more precise. Instead of just tearing a big hole in the knee, we were asked to create very specific effects:

• Hand Sanding: Gently rubbing the thighs and seat to create a soft, faded, worn-in look.
• Whiskers: Creating fine faded lines around the front pocket area that mimic the creases from sitting down.
• Grinding: Using tools to carefully fray the edges of pockets and an hems without creating a full hole.
  The rips were smaller, more strategic, and looked more like a design element than accidental damage. Pop stars of the era were the new style leaders, and their jeans had a clean, expensive, but slightly edgy look. Ripped jeans had successfully transformed from a symbol of rebellion into a carefully crafted fashion finish.

Conclusion

The ripped jean began as a genuine sign of wear and rebellion. It was then adopted by musicians, became a 90s uniform, and evolved into the highly detailed "distressed" finishes we see today, proving its lasting appeal.

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