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Worn Identity: 10 Terrific (Slightly) Distressed Jeans

By Christopher Blomquist Published March 22, 2017

Although most denim purists are loath to wear any pair that is not constructed from raw selvedge denim that will age naturally with everyday wear and tear, there’s no denying that this process takes time, patience and quite a bit of washing and abuse to achieve that desired “lived-in” look on your favorite pair of jeans. But those of you who don’t have months and years to invest in breaking in a pair of jeans, designers and brands have you covered this fall. Distressed jeans and destroyed denim are definitely a thing these days and although the extreme versions of this look are probably best left to Kayne and his crew, subtler less over-the-top pre-distressed styles can lend a dose of casual, vintage-inspired flair to an outfit and allow you to rock this look without coming across as a trendy twit.

Here are ten pre-aged options for the time-crunched that are available now in a wide variety of prices. Consider donning one of them until that rare pair of Japanese raw denim you adore manages to age gracefully and organically – two or three years from now.

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Slim Straight Jeans in Destroyed Medium Wash by Abercrombie & Fitch, $39

abercrombiefitch_slim_straight_destroyed_medium_wash — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Skinny Jeans in Destroyed Light Wash by Abercrombie & Fitch, $39

abercrombiefitchskinny_jeans_destroyed_light_wash — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Holden Hybrid Slim in Nomad by Citizens of Humanity, $228

citizens_of_humanity_holden-in-medium-wash_1-coh-shareds-conflicted-copy-2016-02-16 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Rowan Relaxed Slim in Stockport by Citizens of Humanity, $258

citizens_of_humanity_rowan-in-stockport_1-coh-shareds-conflicted-copy-2016-02-16 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Snap in Light Stone Destroyed by Dr. Denim, $80

dr_denim_light_stone_destroyed — Image used with permission by copyright holder

501 CT Stretch Jeans in Hillman by Levi’s, $79.50

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Jake Slim Leg in Used Extreme Vintage by Mavi, $89.99

mavi_jake — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Federal Crescent Deconstructed Jean by Paige, $209

paige_federal_crescent-destructed_01 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Kinkade Jeans – Jah by Volcom, $75

volcom — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Raw Edge Jeans by Zara, $79.90

zara — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Christopher Blomquist

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Christopher is a native New Yorker who lives and works (mostly) in Manhattan. A longtime fashion journalist, he served as…

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