Do you have a ketchup stain on your t-shirt or a gaping hole in your jeans? These signs of wear, once considered deal-breakers, are now the new symbols of luxury. These garments, survivors of countless urban adventures and bearing the marks of your active life, possess a charm that brand-new pieces lack. Through their stitching, they tell a story: that of a more tolerant and vibrant fashion.
Worn-out clothes no longer look out of place
On the Fashion Week runways, the major fashion houses are championing a more rustic and less idyllic style. While for years they accustomed us to sharp silhouettes, crisp blazers, tailored trousers, and immaculate dresses, today they are ushering in the return of distressed leather, ripped T-shirts, and yellowed jeans. They are embracing vintage charm, fabric slashes, and faded effects. The pieces showcased on the catwalks defy the sacrosanct ideal of perfection and the eternal rules of good taste.
At Prada, for example, the men's shirts and jackets give the illusion of having been dragged through dirt or rubbed excessively against the office floor. These deliberately ingrained stains, incorporated into the design, are conceived as motifs in their own right. At Chanel, the bags are intentionally dented and misshapen, as if they had been squeezed too tightly against their owner's arm. Miu Miu and Acne Studios celebrate distressed leather, while Balenciaga revisits jeans ripped to the extreme, leaving almost nothing but tattered remnants. This isn't a visual cacophony, but a new perspective on fashion. Clothing is no longer a static material; it's a talkative storyteller, a blank canvas just waiting to be filled.
Holes, stains, and other aesthetic imperfections are no longer seen as flaws to be corrected with a needle or stain remover spray, but as added value, as proof of life. Except that, wearing worn clothes still seems to be the privilege of an elite: those who indulge in designer pieces. In other words, not everyone can pull off a Banksy-esque wardrobe transformation.
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Adding a touch of soul to your looks
Just a few years ago, every fashionista strolled by in pristine bubble dresses, pastel slip dresses, and flawless ensembles. Today, they trade their crisp garments for wrinkled clothes, faded jeans riddled with countless snags, and splattered tops. They no longer simply let a strap casually fall off their shoulder or feign effortless chic; they embrace the fate of their clothing.
And to everyone's surprise, they don't come across as needy or destitute. These signs of wear are like scars on our skin: they tell stories of accidents, flaws, and rushed days. They conceal a whole world. These clothes, which we would have hastily mended, become open books. They possess a sensitivity more than an aesthetic.
In theory, this more down-to-earth approach to fashion is quite positive, but in practice, it's not so affordable. Major fashion houses imitate vintage styles on new clothes and appropriate thrift store aesthetics for items costing several million dollars. They deliberately commit textile crimes without allowing the garments to age naturally, which somewhat undermines their initial principles.
What this says about current fashion
On the other side of the dressing room or behind the bathroom door, the habits have completely changed. A few months ago, we were careful to keep our makeup minimal and natural, we adjusted our shirt collars with millimeter precision, and we scrutinized our outfits, looking for the slightest imperfection. Now, the philosophy is reversed: distressed clothes are as coveted as exquisite creations fresh from the atelier. And this isn't some kind of whimsical fad or just another buzzworthy trend. It's a sign of a more primal, less photoshopped fashion, a more expressive and less codified style.
Wearing a deliberately wrinkled shirt or faded jeans is almost a symbolic gesture. We're no longer trying to hide the passage of time or the wear and tear of things. On the contrary, we're highlighting them. As if clothing becomes an extension of a kinder, more self-compassionate mindset. Less control, more authenticity.
Do you have to be Kendall Jenner or Mary-Kate Olsen to succumb to this trend of deliberately worn-out clothes? Not necessarily. To adopt this style, which would make even the most prudish fashionistas cringe, buy secondhand. These vintage-looking garments guarantee a look that exudes character.
