I'm distressed by "distressed jeans"

Extracts from
When Expensive Jeans Unravel
Denim made to look like it's falling apart may do just that.
Some women are paying hundreds to repair their "distressed" denim.
by Rachel Dodes for the Wall Street Journal
September 24, 2005
Abercrombie & Fitch's "premium destroyed boot" model, sold for $168 under its new Ezra Fitch label, has an average of seven holes in the legs and four on the back pockets ... True Religion's $216 "destroyed wash" jeans, a top seller at Neiman Marcus, are rubbed raw from knee to hip so slits of skin show through when viewed from up close.

As jeans become more distressed, some wearers are turning to their tailors to repair new holes that develop or reinforce existing ones. Sometimes costing $200 or more, these repairs can surpass the price of the jeans themselves.

Distressing on premium jeans is generally done by hand: At factories used by Abercrombie & Fitch, workers may use grinder stones, small power tools, sandpaper, bleach splatter and razors on various pairs of jeans, according to the company.

Judy Wasserman, a Dallas homemaker who describes herself as "over 50 but extraordinarily chic," has spent more than $200 repairing a pair of distressed jeans she bought two years ago. Last month, she purchased a $160 pair of AG Adriano Goldschmied jeans with holes in the knees and upper thigh. Before wearing them, she spent $30 at the tailor, who carefully shortened the jeans without sacrificing their intentionally frayed hems.

Some women spend as much as $300 for repairs on a single pair of distressed jeans, says Dallas tailor Bea Harper, who charges $30 per half-inch repaired.

... Mr. Yaghi encounters another type of client as well -- those who feel their jeans are not distressed enough. For them, he will custom shred new jeans for up to $200.

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