How to Damage or Distress Garments

People express themselves through their clothing, whether consciously or unconsciously. Young people, in particular, usually feel the need to say something by the way they dress. They often embrace then reject different trends. Teens and young adults often want to be like someone they admire; this might start with the look. In fact, this might be more about an image than the actual person. You may think a person looks cool. You look at the way she dresses and notice that she has her own look,; that her clothes look almost a part of her. One way of creating your own personal look is by making your new clothes look old.

Instructions

1

Distress your shirts and T-shirts. Hang a black T-shirt outside in the sun until it fades to the shade you want. Cut away at the neck and armholes by creating a small nick with a knife or razor and then ripping with your hands. Use a coarse grit sandpaper to rub away at the collar edges and cuffs of shirts to create a frayed look.

2

Make your jeans look worn, by hanging them out in the sun for two weeks, until they become sun bleached. Bring them in and wash on the warm cycle. Use fabric conditioner in the rinse. You can use bleach on your jeans, but do this carefully, because you cannot undo it. Lay your jeans flat, preferably outside. Protect the other side by using plastic bags to separate. Dip a sponge in bleach and dab in areas, such as the knees and thighs. Rinse with cold water and wash separately.

3

Customize your jeans further by ripping and fraying them. Try the jeans on first and mark the areas you want to tear. Nick with a razor or knife and insert your fingers to rip them in a natural-looking way. Wash your jeans to make them fray more. Spray paint on jeans with a sprayer. Do not overdo your efforts, as a little goes a long way.

4

Distress your leather jacket. Saturate the areas you want to distress with rubbing alcohol. Work on the cuffs and collar with a coarse grit sandpaper. Use a wire brush to further distress the jacket.

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