How to Make Jeans Look Vintage or Worn

A little wear and tear makes jeans more comfortable for some.

There once was a time when stained, faded or torn jeans were considered good for nothing except yard work. Today, many fashion-forward consumers pay high prices for stylish jeans with a faded "vintage" look. Though many die-hard denim lovers prefer the satisfaction of creating a pair of well-worn jeans the old-fashioned way--through time and wear--distressing jeans is a creative, enjoyable process that results in a comfortable pair of soft jeans that are faded, torn and worn exactly the way you like them.

Things You'll Need

• Liquid softening rinse
• Tennis shoe
• Water-proof tarp
• Cardboard
• Sandpaper
• Bleach
• Rubber gloves
• Plastic container or bowl
• Sponge
• Paintbrush
• Scissors
• Coffee
• Bucket

Instructions

Aging

1. Wash your jeans in hot water and liquid softening rinse. Dry them in a tumble dryer with a tennis shoe. Repeat this three times to soften the denim and make it more vulnerable to distressing techniques.

2. Cover a flat work surface with a water-proof tarp or tablecloth. Lay your jeans out on the work surface.

3. Place pieces of cardboard inside the legs of your jeans to protect the side you are not working on.

4. Scratch the jeans with a fine-grit sandpaper to create subtle, worn spots. Use a heavy grit if you want a more dramatic effect. Experiment with a cheese grater or brick to achieve different distressing effects.

5. Cut one or both knees of your jeans with a utility knife if you prefer a severely distressed look. Gently slice the material in a horizontal direction with the knife, then rub the cut with sandpaper to create a more realistic "time-worn" effect.

Staining

1. Paint or sponge brewed, cooled coffee onto your jeans to create detailed stains. Allow the coffee to set for 24 hours.

2. Pour three to four cups of brewed coffee into a bucket and immerse the jeans into the liquid for a random overall effect. Let the jeans soak for 24 hours. Remove them from the bucket and wring out the excess liquid.

3. Wash the stained jeans in cold water and dry them in a hot dryer to set the stain.

Bleaching

1. Put on your rubber gloves and mix one part bleach with two parts water in a plastic container.

2. Dab bleach onto the jeans to lightly fade specific sections, such as knees or hip pockets. Apply the bleach solution with a paintbrush for an overall effect

3. Turn the jeans over and repeat the process on the other side. Allow the bleach to process for no more than 20 minutes. Wash and dry the jeans in a normal cycle when you have completed distressing them

Tips & Warnings

• Do not place additional laundry items in the washing machine with bleached or coffee-stained jeans during the initial washing.

• Do not allow bleach to process for longer than the recommended time. If left on too long, bleach can eat through the denim and cause a hole. It is better to achieve the desired amount of fading in several careful applications than to over-bleach and ruin your jeans.

References

• Jeans Hub: Destroying/Distressing Jeans
• Urban Elements Denver: Distress Jeans

Resources

• OKI-NI: Denim Washes and Finishing Process