Trashion - Wear it, Tear it, Rip and Repair it

Tearing and shredding is incorporated into fashion jeans as part of a new original design not just to emulate vintage but to create fresh originality using denim as the vehicle.   No other fabric looks as good frayed and destroyed as denim.  Shapes are wide to allow the shredded threads rooms to breathe.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye L: Demi Denims

Head to toe denim has never had it so good.  Each piece having a life of its own due to post make creative finishing.  

Strategically placed laddered holes combine with pigment printed messages and laser finish effects. Mix and layer the effects of destruction and message.

Centre: ©Christopher Shannon Right ©Xander Zhou

Bleach plays a big part in this new ripping and repairing trend which helps to take Trashion into top end fashion with a price tag to match.  The cost of destruction finish is as much if not more than the cost of the original garment itself..

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Luxe repairing with lacing, zippers and bleach patched holes combine with old crinkle effect denims. New and old effectively mix as well as 80's black with indigo combo.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Worn out faded vintage ticking stripes plus brilliant indigo patched real vintage jacket are worn with pride alongside massive engineered holes with grinding at edges to prevent haphazard fraying. Stripes both old and new are enjoying another day in the sun.

L-R: ©Brain & Beast, ©James Long, ©Christian Dada

By contrast geometric patching and piecing and Mondrian image pigment printing plus crazy messages have become a part of Trashion shifting the trend into a more strictly contrived and less down at heel style.

Trend Alert: Trashion

Anti Fashion=fashion=Trashion

Take the jean and trash it.  Ripping and shredding continues to fascinate.   Accompanied by bleach and paint splashes we use our jeans as a canvas to create our own image.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye, Front Left ©Fear of God

The denim underneath is masked by surface activity but it is the old style vintage crackle open end denim looks that are most appropriate for our blank canvas.    Rigid non stretch denims are the best canvas for destruction - simple cotton with no lycra threads shred more naturally. 

Trash fashion is old vintage with attitude.   We have fallen in love with old denim and jeans, they are pre-loved, they have history which manifests itself through the rips, tears , fades and tints.   Replicating the originals is where today's Trashion began but now we have taken it to new levels of destruction.  Massive holes barely held together by loose threads creative bleaching has given new life to dark jeans.  Tints will change the original colour of the jean or make it look dirty and well used.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Creative patching has achieved a life of its own bearing no relation to any holes beneath.  Use different colours of denim or contrast fabric and threads - add rips on top - keep layering - keep adding interest.  Create your own personal craft jeans.   

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Make shredding a feature of a simple denim shape - both indigo warp and white weft threads combine to create a sustainable  "fur" appearance.  Embellishment and creative destruction supports  huge businesses with many success stories from small time creators alongside the great brands such as Levi' customised tailoring.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

90's Grunge reappears mixed with iconic brand identities such as here The Adidas three stripe creates a new sport/street vibe.  Art School attitude of old 70's flares plus paint splattered silk and black leather achieves a casual bohemian attitude. 

Rodeo influences On - THE NOW

Lariat ties and decorated yokes - a fresh new trend from the label But a. The Designer is Arthur Yates.

©toga

Toga brand has amazing examples of fringed yokes, lariat ties, narrowed hem jeans and decorative cowboy boots.  The shirts are a must have item, hard to choose which.

Antonio Marras and Victoria Beckham are right on trend with symmetrically matching yoke decoration in sumptuous fabrics taking the Rodeo look into the couture arena.

©Gucci

... and of course inevitable Gucci does it best of all with over decoration and individual pieces that would enhance any wardrobe.  This Western black trucker jacket decorated with buttons, studs, rivets and sequins, this may be over the top but still a must have piece.

Bohemia

The decorated waistcoat and jeans evolved to include more fringing and braces for girls as well as cowboys. The indian influence becomes apparent with braiding of leather and hair shifting the original Rodeo concept to a Bohemian western look.

©Current Elliot A Denim Story

Rodeo and Rock n Roll evolved from a prescriptive way of dressing to a more Bohemian relaxed spirit. The Poncho once a garment with essentially practical origins became and now is a cover up with decorative opportunities.  Teamed with well worn jeans the original poncho was an essential now of course we customise the ripping and repairing of the denim and create wonders in creative weaving for the once essential cover up  which is now a statement of casual chic.

©Denim From Cowboy to Catwalk

The worn and torn jeans that cowboys originally took for granted as their daily jeans we now re-create for a Bohemian vibe.  Both in shorts and jeans of every fit and shape. 

©Current Elliot A Denim Story

Relaxed styles in denim and work inspired oversized shapes demonstrate just how far indigo denim has evolved since the days of the original Rock n Roll Rodeo.  Then the wearers of the on trend shirts and jackets at the time thought they were supremely casual and daring, particularly the girls, now however the relaxed and casual has taken on a whole new attitude.  Less decoration more destroyed. Less buttoned up, more oversized and free.

L-R ©Current Elliot A Denim Story, ©Mih

Work inspiration for denims from Current Elliot and pretty floaty dresses from MiH jeans for the more feminine look.

©Mih

MiH jeans twists the concept into original 70's inspired denims and shirts.  The Western influence with a dash of fitted Rodeo remains with overtones of youthful simplicity.

Rodeo Romance

Macho and grungy rancher guys in dirty denims contrast with the girly and the feminine- the demure frilled dress.   Inspiration comes from the early cowboy and gunslinger movies.  Whilst the rancher denims do not change the girls attire has a distinct 40's flavour.

©Little, D. (2007). Denim. 1st ed. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Pub. Ltd. ©Current, E., Elliott, M. and Walsh, H. (n.d.). A denim story. 1st ed.

Shorts, bib n brace with nipped waisted shirts accessorised with the ubiquitous cowboy hat and high boots.    The rodeo was a venue where macho man was pursued by sexy cowgirl.   

©Lhote, Gilles, and Christian Audigier. Jeans Des Héros. 1st ed. Paris: Editions Lincoln, 1992. Print. ©Current, E., Elliott, M. and Walsh, H. (n.d.). A denim story. 1st ed.

Girls versions of the Rodeo waistcoat combined with high waisted "Mom" jeans and original cowboy boots look as modern now as they appeared then.  Revivals of both items look enviably fresh. These influences on the "NOW" can be viewed later in the Rock n Roll Rodeo segment.

©StellaMcCartney

Our favourite Stella uses these original inspirations to create a fresh take on the Rodeo Romance.  Emphasis on the yoke and symmetrical decoration completed with the all important studding and rhinestone decoration.

Rock 'n' Roll

Rock n Roll being a flamboyant music style needed garments that were expressionist in equal measure.

Studs and applied decoration originally on Rodeo denims became essential onto rock leathers.

©The Black Leather Jacket

From Denim wearing rock legend Elvis the look morphed into trucker jackets and jeans in black leather.

©Denim from Cowboys to Catwalks

Stars such as Elvis spawned a black leather fashion trend that was in its infancy jeans style.

From rockers in leather evolved the punk black leather rock movement.  Decoration on both garment and body, tattooing and body piercing

©Denim From Cowboys to catwalks, ©Deadwood

Black rocker denims followed their jeans ancestors into anti establishment statements.

TREND ALERT: Rock 'n' Roll Rodeo

The Rodeo influence combines with Rock n Roll creating a natural home to worn in and worn out denim and its sexy spin offs.  Waistcoats, tie waisted blouses, decorated yoke shirts and the combination of plaids with denim are all key elements of this on trend look back at where it all started.

©Lhote, Gilles, and Christian Audigier. Jeans Des Héros. 1st ed. Paris: Editions Lincoln, 1992. Print. ©Current, E., Elliott, M. and Walsh, H. (n.d.). A denim story. 1st ed.

All American decoration.

The Texas Tux waistcoat combined original cowboy jeans with a bit of show off flamboyance.  Originally a mens trend it was quickly adopted by the cowgirls.  Such garments provided an opportunity for decoration and embroidery in this case patriotic.

Studded decoration highlights the yoke, collar, pockets and front placket. A classic 2x1 cowboy western shirt became a real must have item back in the day.  And of course today the influences of yoke and collar decoration on Western wear are enormous. Such an item if original, is a real collectors item.

©American Denim, A New Folk Art

Decoration abounds.  The Western shirt and jacket became a canvas for artistry and expression.  Given that the jean was the staple essential the top is where self expression created the fashion of the time with decoration such as  symmetrical yoke motifs, Indian inspired embroidery and freestyle artistry.

©American Denim, A New Folk Art

Fringing, studding and hand painting created wild garments for the flamboyant not for the fainthearted.  Glitz and glamour took the cowboy jeanswear into the arena of real fashion.

Jeans Legend: Hippie Trail

San Francisco was the spiritual home for the Hippie movement.  Synonymous with the cult was the flared blue jean; head to toe denim worn in and worn out.   Easy style; easy life; long hair for all, this was the birth of the free love drug culture.  It makes sense given that San Francisco was and still is the home of the legendary Levi Strauss.    The Hippie trail was in legend much more about the Levi Brand than any other although Lee and Wrangler jeans played a big fashion role. 

©Le Fabuleux roman du jean, levis story (1990), ©Denim from cowboys to catwalks, a visual history of the world's most legendary fabric (2002)

The Woodstock festival at Whitelake NY state galvanised the the peace and love hippie movement. Thousands of denim wearing hippies attended and clothing companies launched special editions for the festival.    Lee jeans launched their brilliant blue rainbow denims.   Levi's  limited edition decorated jackets are a great example of how the embellishment of the brand has evolved.

©levis.com , ©wrangler.co.uk

Embellishment and decoration has gone from strength to strength since the Woodstock days of anti - establishment denim messaging.  Hardly a jean exists without some embellishment or treatment even if it is only to emulate its being worn in or worn out. 

©levis.com

The great Levi's have revived the Summer of Love vintage.  Freedom, happiness and carefree.