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If your jeans don't look they've just been dragged through a hedge backwards, then artfully distressed with a pair of scissors and a cheese grater, then you've no business wearing them. Because distressed denim is back, it's full of holes, and it's coming to a leg near you (if it isn't already on your legs).
Why? Please, allow us to count the reasons. Beginning with the obvious:
**1. You can own the 'shabby chic' look **
When you've worn and loved jeans for a decade, they start getting worn around the knees, and it becomes time to say goodbye. No longer. Now, if anything, they're even more relevant than when you first bought them. Take advantage of the wearing in the knees by ripping them, using a cheese grater to fray those edges, and enjoy how fashionable you are while not even trying.
Obviously if you don't have well-worn jeans, or you don't trust yourself with sharp implements, then go and buy a pair. Tu have some excellent distressed pieces in their latest denim collection that won't make you cry when you check your bank balance.
2. It works in winter as well as summer
You'd imagine that all those holes would cause some serious chill, but Gigi Hadid recently showed us that the distressed denim look is as much for winter as it is summer. Just wear with chunky trainers and a big winter coat to combat the small hole near your knee. Or, even better, make like Kendall Jenner and wear fishnets under the jeans, for double the fashion points. If you're really cold, stick a pair of coloured tights on!
Anyone who can work coloured tights or fishnets into a casual daywear look deserves an Oscar, regardless of the fact that the Oscars traditionally celebrates achievements in film.
**3. They can be dressed up or dressed down **
Ripped clothing tends to be a fairly casual look. But while it's almost impossible to look like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley unless you were borne from the gods and made of shining light, you can certainly take a leaf out of her distressed denim look; she tends to team hers with pale court shoes and paler silk bomber jackets. Which actually looks pretty adorable.
Or, maybe you're the type that will always choose leather over pearls. In that case, team your distressed denim with trainers and a black velvet bralet. Suddenly, you're the queen of 'dressed down.'
**4. Go baggy, go tight **
When you think of jeans, you often think of skinnies - but boyfriend jeans were made to be distressed. And are a lot easier, and flattering, to wear. Jessie J is the purveyor of the ripped boyfriend jean (a fashion singular for you there), and often pairs them with bright coloured heels, a simple white tee and a long coat. Maybe try that if you're concerned that holes in skinny jeans may equal a sort of sausage effect on your legs. It's certainly something that happened to us, (me, it happened to me, Stevie, who is writing this.)
5. It's not just jeans - distressed denim works well on jackets AND skirts
Big, slouchy distressed boyfriend denim jackets were all over the Spring '17 runway - yep, boyfriend denim jackets are a thing. Apparently, you just take something that's for a woman, and if it's really big, you imply it's her boyfriend's. Easy. Anyway, if you're not into the idea of ripped jeans, but still want to get into the ripped trend, then simply buy into the denim jacket trend. You can double denim it up with your non-ripped jeans (double distressed denim is potentially a shade too far), or use it to toughen up a fancy schmancy dress. Denim skirts have also been making appearances at Fashion Weeks since last Fall, which is, again, an easier way to slide into the trend if you're not into distressed jeans.
For anyone interested, the Britney-style denim trilby is not back. Apologies. Please don't start wearing this.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.