Distressed jeans continue to flourish in the fashion world. They have become so popular that we come to expect these rips as commonplace in denim wear. But make no mistake, these jeans give a look and fit that is anything but common.

Part of the allure of distressed jeans was always the work and life told in the rips, somewhat like the way facial wrinkles are reflections of years of joy and sadness carved in the skin. Pre-torn jeans are like filler: They plump things up but never look quite right.

Indeed many designers are currently transforming the whole idea of “distressed” into something of an art: patching, splicing, shredding and otherwise taking jeans to a place they’ve never been before