How to Fray Cutoffs

Give your cut-off shorts a worn-in look by fraying them.

Cutoff shorts are a staple of summer fashion. By shearing the legs off of an old pair of unused jeans or faded khakis, you can add a new pair of shorts to your wardrobe. While some manufacturers offer pre-worn cutoff shorts complete with fraying edges, these are often expensive. With a few household materials, you can fray your own shorts for that vintage, worn-in look.

Things You'll Need

• Wire brush
• Sandpaper
• Laundry detergent

Instructions

1. Lay the shorts on a flat working surface. Locate the hemline or edge of your cut-off shorts. Of course, there will be no actual hem because these are cutoffs.

2. Rub the hemline vigorously with a wire brush or piece of sandpaper. This will loosen the fabric at the hemline and begin the fray.

3. Make small snips along the hemline with a pair of scissors for a more severe, distressed fray. Angle the blade so that it is perpendicular to the run of the fabric for best results.

4. Launder the cutoffs as normal using your preferred laundry detergent.

Tips & Warnings

• The fray will become more distressed after several washes. If the fabric begins to run too severely, trim the strands with scissors.

• Add to the vintage look of your cutoffs by bleaching them or rubbing the fronts with coarse sandpaper.

References

• Crafting a Green World; Hemming Jeans 101: The Controlled Fray; Julie Finn; 2009
• Milano Exteriors; How to Fray Jeans; November 2010

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish