Kim Kardashian is no stranger to controversial trends. Camouflage cargo pants. Latex bandeau tops. You name it - she's pioneered it. And for her latest fashion manoeuvre, she's set her sights on bringing back something you might have toyed with (in quite a major way) circa 2004: ripped jeans. Spotted at her son's basketball game, Kim wore an entire outfit that looked like it had been strategically shredded. Her white tee was tattered, with a hole at the neck which meant it hung off her right shoulder, while her jeans were artfully ripped.
Distressed denim has fallen out of fashion in recent years, perhaps because, historically, it involved production methods like chemical washes and sandblasting, which, according to Eco Watch, can be lethal to both workers and the environment. (A lot of brands now use the much more sustainable technique of lasers to create a 'worn' effect.) But also because excessively ripped jeans - which conjure memories of companion pieces like halter-neck tops, peep-toe pumps and shoulder bags with a distinctly 'Baguette' flavour - are just a bit naff. With the overwhelming shift towards straight-legged jeans, the denim mood has also become more minimalist. (Toteme, the brand behind that cult scarf coat that keeps doing the rounds on Instagram, is also known for its killer selection of jeans, none of which have any rips.) Denim was, after all, always intended to be a durable uniform for workers.
Having said all this, Y2K is the trend that (flat-out) refuses to stop trending on TikTok. I still remember my collection of jeans from Miss Sixty, which looked very similar in silhouette and sheer extra-factor, as Kim's. Would I be tempted to wear them (if they still fit)? Probably not but, that's the thing about trends, even the most controversial ones come back around.