Will Ripped Jeans Ever Go Out of Style?
The New York Times A reader asks how to learn to live with distressed denim, a trend that shows no sign of letting up.
I am perplexed by the ripped jeans looks. What initially seemed to be a fad has now been popular for at least 10 years. Women wear them to dinner in upscale restaurants, as well as for doing yard work. Will this ever end? Is there an age limit? And if not, how do you wear ripped jeans with style? Connie, Marblehead, Mass.
According to Glenn Martens, the creative director of Diesel, when Renzo Rosso, the brands founder, introduced distressed denim back in the 1980s distressed meaning ripped, faded and otherwise made to look old, even though the jeans were actually new he sent a box of his products to retailers in Japan. The retailers sent the jeans back. They thought he had made a mistake.
That was 40 years ago, and, as Mr. Martens pointed out, distressed styles have helped power Diesels parent company to revenues of more than a billion euros last year. Why? Mr. Martens posits that they symbolize disruption, empower the wearer and allow for the individualization of a core style.
