Distressed, Deconstructed and Frayed Jeans

BLUF (bottom line up front): What's this post about?

• What is distressed denim? Jean fabric that wears naturally or is hand-distressed to mimic natural wear and tear.
• What is deconstructing in fashion? During the creation process, certain features are left unfinished, such as hems and seams.
• Why is deconstructed fashion so popular? It's rebellious and nonconforming. It looks dope.
• What is frayed denim? Fraying occurs when fabric starts to unravel and become tattered along tears, seams and hems.
• Where can I find distressed, deconstructed and frayed jeans? 

What Does Distressed, Deconstructed and Frayed Denim Mean in Fashion? 

Why is distressed denim so popular? Historically, ripped, torn, shredded and frayed jeans were a symbol of rebelliousness, nonconformity, and self-expression. Distressed jeans deliberately rebelled against the perfectly tailored, dark-dyed-and-pressed designer jeans of the '70s and '80s that were more about status, conformity and mass-production.   

Frayed denim has been a statement of rebellion, independence, and nonconformity. Like flakes of snow, no two pairs of frayed and distressed jeans are exact matches. Much of the distressing process in designer denim is done by hand, and as you wear the denim, your frays, rips and tears take shape to match your body and lifestyle. 

Our designers have introduced a new trend in distressed denim, where rebellious overlaps with bougie. They've taken the distressed, destroyed and frayed denim techniques and, instead of randomly placed rips and tears, they've created intentional patterns and designs. The result? A rebellious look that is more polished and put together. You're still a rebel, but you like your defiance to be a little organized.  

What Are Distressed Jeans?

Distressed jeans means, in fashion terms: Distressed fabrics either have natural wear and tear or the clothing maker used special techniques to treat the surface of the fabric to make it look faded, wrinkled or well-worn. The style typically applies to denim, especially jeans. It's equally popular among male and female styles, especially for streetwear aesthetics, hip-hop and grunge, as well as boho-chic.

Photo 166338488 | Clothing | Apimook Pornsurin | Dreamstime.com

The degree of distressed ranges from small holes, rips and snaps to full-on super-distressed, spider-like shredded jeans. 

Shop distressed denim for men

Shop distressed denim for women  

What Is Deconstructed Clothing?

Deconstructed meaning in fashion: A deconstructed garment adopts an unfinished look, as if the designer or clothing-maker left the work incomplete. The deconstructed fashion trend includes raw hem jeans, where the fabric is left loose to fray naturally. You also see the deconstructed look at seams, where excess fabric is left to linger on the outside, almost giving an inside-out appearance.

Photo 194030217 |  Elena Chelysheva | Dreamstime.com

Deconstructing clothes and take two approaches. The first is to simply leave hems and seams unfinished during the sewing process. There may be some additional techniques where the edges are roughed up and frayed by hand. The second is where the garment is sewn "normally," with neatly stitched hems and seams, then put through a washing and fading process to age the material. After that, the hems and seams are deconstructed, creating a well-worn look.

Photo 41320634 | Clothing | Olgany | Dreamstime.com

The deconstructed hem is popular among stacked jeans, which you can find in RSO's online hip-hop and urban clothing shop.

Shop deconstructed stacked jeans for guys

Shop raw hem stacked jeans for ladies 

What Does Frayed Mean in Fashion?

Frayed jeans meaning: Frayed refers to fabric that has been worn or shredded at the edges, either through natural wear and tear, or by design. Today's urban hip-hop denim takes a more deliberate and orderly approach to frayed denim, which you can see in our newest arrivals. The difference between distressed and deconstructed clothing is that the fraying technique follows patterns and appears intentional. Deconstruction and distressed clothing appears more natural and unintentional. Of course, you will find blurring between the definitions of frayed, distressed and destroyed, as we fashion designers adopt and use terms to fit our needs at times! 

Shop frayed jeans for men