Editing Jeans (section)

===== Distressed jeans =====
[[File:Recording artist Leigh Jones entertained troops at Fort Belvoir 090501 (4920457551).jpg|thumb|upright|right|Ripped jeans were worn by singer Leigh Jones in this promotional photo.]]

Distressed denim emerged from the cultural [[Punk subculture|punk]] movement in the 1970s. Early punks tore apart consumer goods as an expression of their anger towards capitalism and corporate greed.

Punks used [[Safety pin|safety pins]] in garments to encourage the youth to not buy endless, meaningless fashion, and thus fund corporations. Clothes manufacturers [[Gentrification|gentrified]] the notion by selling clothes with safety pins already in them, so the original meaning of punk was lost. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenewspaper.ca/the-arts/ |title=Distressed denim: a history |date=September 15, 2023 |access-date=May 22, 2017 |archive-date=May 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522152020/http://www.thenewspaper.ca/the-arts |url-status=live }}</ref> Denim became a key target of this politically fueled deconstruction, with both men and women donning torn pants and jackets, accessorized with safety pins and slogans.  

The trend became popular again in the 1990s with the emergence of [[grunge]] fashion. The grunge youth wore loose-fitting ripped jeans, flannel shirts or woolen [[Pendleton Woolen Mills|Pendletons]] layered over T-shirts. Their anti-conformist approach to fashion led to the popularization of the casual chic look, a trend which continued into the 2000s.