This story is from August 20, 2017

Get ripped!

Jeans that look like they lost a fight with a paper shredder are back to give your everyday style a leg up
Get ripped!
Get ripped!
Just when you were planning to throw out that ripped denim pair, Anushka Sharma tore in to the trend with a super distressed (bordering on destroyed) pair. Now, her latest movie may not have set the box office ablaze but her denims sure set fire to the comment sections of fashion websites. Some hated it, some found it funny and few loved it. That’s the thing about ripped denims – love it or hate it, it’s difficult to ignore it.
A reason it became trendy in the ’80s.
DISTRESSING TREND?
Fashion commentators argue that distressed clothing is as old as clothing itself. But in the 1980s, thanks to the rock, grunge and punk eras, it became a fashion statement, says celebrity stylist Esha Amiin. At that time, it was a way to cock a snook at tradition and style rules. Fashion blogger Gia Kashyap loves the trend and is kitted out in distressed denim most of the time. “It always looks super cool, effortless and has a young feel.” The current ‘ripped’ resurgence owes its popularity to Kanye West’s Yeezy season 3.
RIP: REST IN PIECES
Amiin says, “As this trend gets more popular, we are bound to see more variations – from a few rips and bruises here and there to carefully constructed all the way rips.”
If you want an in into the trend, pick an off-the-rack pair that now comes in all price points. Kashyap, who is not for super-ripped jeans, says that you must pick a good brand so that the denim doesn’t look cheap. You can even have a go with an old pair. But wearing one is not as easy as ripping one apart. Underplay the rips and it will seem like you didn’t notice that hole in your pants. Overdo it and you are in vagrant territory. The Holy Grail lies somewhere between ‘someone who has had a fall’ to ‘someone who eats at the soup kitchen’. For the workplace, go for dark washed denim with just a slash at the knee. Kashyap’s go-to look? Skinny ripped denims with a classic black T-shirt.

Distressing for the environment, too
One pair of jeans uses up to 10,000 litres of water. Moreover, the indigo colour and distressed denim look requires a chemically intensive and high water use processes, which harm the environment.
Style on point
  • Wear with a knotted blouse and pumps for an evening look
  • Leotards work best for a day out; wear funky flip flops
  • Kurti with high slits and brogues for an Indo-Western look
  • Crisp shirt and nude heels for semi-formal look
  • Oversized pants with a bikini top for holidaying
— Esha Amiin, stylist
Get ripped
(From left to right)
TOP TO TOE
Go full survivor chic a la Gigi Hadid with a torn tee and a ripped-at-the-knee pair, dressed up with a pair of heels
A CUT ABOVE
To avoid looking full-on sloppy, wear an uber-distressed pair like Anushka Sharma’s pairing it with a smart shirt and sandals
KNEE UP
Kanye West gave the torn denim a red carpet outing by pairing it with a custom-made Balmain jacket. This pair costs more than ₹50,000
TORN DENIM THREE WAYS
(From left to right)
TORN DENIM, THREE WAYS
Shilpa Shetty wears her pair with a bodysuit; Deepika Padukone makes it her travel outfit with a knotted shirt and Alia Bhatt is super casual in a T-shirt and sneakers
End of Article
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