As cold, wet weather begins to cast a shadow on our summer wardrobes, many fashionistas will find it increasingly difficult to continue making edgy statements through the holes of their pre-tattered pants while also staying warm and dry enough to look nonchalant about it.
Some will compromise with base layers beneath their extreme cut-out jeans while others may find themselves questioning whether to give up on tastefully torn pants entirely… at least until next spring. But if celebrities are still wearing them, why should anyone else stop?
To be sure, some recent so-called “sustainable fashion” campaigns have raised a few ethical objections to pre-distressed jeans. However, exciting new advances in laser technology are enabling conscientious manufacturers to mimic that glamorous worn and rat-eaten look more accurately than sandblasting and chemicals ever could—with the added bonus of less harm to factory workers and the environment. A win-win for everyone, really.
Let’s not kid ourselves, though: the whole point of buying distressed clothing in the first place is to demonstrate our commitment to fad over function and aesthetics over ethics. Factory-ripped jeans and duct-taped shoes are an invaluable social currency that helps us identify ourselves with the upper echelons of style while also conveying down-to-earth authenticity. Surrendering these noble values to a little cold weather or some moral quibbles is, quite frankly, absurd.
So rather than dilute the strength of your poverty-chic wardrobe with tacky compromises for a bit of extra warmth or a lighter conscience, why not consider taking the look to its most spectacular, winter-ready form?
Perhaps best known through Mugatu’s groundbreaking 2001 Derelicte collection, “homeless chic” has continued to make a major splash in fashion circles around the world via other influential designers such as Vivienne Westwood, by icons such as Brother Sharp, and, more recently, in Daisuke Obana’s fall 2017 runway show.
But whereas other trends in poverty chic have been heavily dependent upon ornamental stains, mud, and holes, these tastemakers have achieved that much sought-after “poor look” through careful layering and accessorizing.
Yes, just as you can channel the spirit of countercultural authenticity through artificially decayed pants, so too can you craft a cozy, vogue outfit inspired by the spectacle of homeless survival, all the while returning to your warm home and bed at the end of a frigid winter day.
What more could you want?
Next up: “Clear jeans: too far, or not too far enough?”