Jeans are as long-lasting as they are versatile. If you’re like a lot of people, then you loathe to let go of a good pair of jeans. However, there does come a time where they’re looking less on the distressed side and more like they’re in dire need of help. However, jeans are one of the easiest garments to keep updated and upcycled. If you don’t want to get rid of your favorite denims then here are a few ways you can keep them living for longer.

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Sew them up

The first step you should take is to see if you or a friend of yours can sew them up first. Minor rips can be sewed pretty easily and even if you have to buy the thread and needles to start from scratch, you’re still likely to save money on what you would have paid if you bought a new pair of jeans, instead. There are plenty of beginner tutorials for sewing up rips in jeans online, so it shouldn’t be too hard to learn how to get started.

Make it look intentional

Are your jeans starting to look a little tatty in places? You don’t have to throw them out just yet. The distressed jeans look is very much a part of denim fashion, but most of the time, people usually go out and buy jeans that are designed to look like they’ve been worn for years. You already got the job part of the way done, you can finish it by using a sandpaper block (amongst other things) to give it the perfectly faded and tattered look without tearing it to a pile of useless shreds.

Take care of those cuffs

The cuffs of your jeans are some of the easiest parts to start going a little awry. This is especially true if they’re a little longer on you and have gotten caught a few times. However, while you can simply turn up the cuffs, you can make sure that it looks more like an intentional style choice rather than simply you trying to make the best of a bad situation. After you turn them up, add some shiny studs to them so that they can bring a little bling and a little sparkle to your outfit.

Make good use of a bad hole

Sure, the occasional strategically placed hole in a pair of jeans can really contribute to that experienced look. However, if you leave it too long, it will start to grow and look a little more tragic with each passing day. However, with the help of craft glue guns, you can use a little lace to plug it right up. All you have to do is turn the pair of jeans inside out, and place the lace over the hole, sticking it on with the gun and waiting for it to dry.

Get them ready for summer

Maybe you’re never going to get your jeans back and they’re not going to work well as a normal pair of jeans again. Does that mean that they have to be thrown away? Not at all! People will pay all sorts for a good pair of cut-offs, but the reason we call them cut-offs, to begin with, is that we would cut them off ourselves, originally! There are different ways to turn a pair of jeans into a pair of cut-offs, but perhaps the simplest way is to use a pair of fabric scissors for cutting as well as tweezers to deal with the stray fabrics.

Patch it cute

You don’t necessarily have to let the holes look like holes if you don’t like how distressed denim looks. You can’t quite cover up the fact that your jeans are ripped, but you do have some choice in how you cover up those holes. If you’re a decent sewer, then you should take a closer look at some of the cutesy patches you can add to your jeans. You can cover up the holes while adding a little bit of personalization that might not be there otherwise.

As with all pieces of clothing, there will come a time you have to say goodbye to your beloved jeans forever. However, with the tips above, hopefully, you can keep that day way off in the future for now while adding some new style to old favorites. What’s more, by keeping your jeans living for longer, you can save the money you would otherwise spend on replacements.

Thanks for reading Jade x