How to Make a Jean Jacket Look Worn

Jean jackets are stylish and versatile. They can be dressed up or down and customized to your liking. These jackets are sometimes pristine in color and shape, but they often look even better when they appear to be worn. A jean jacket can be distressed lightly to make it more comfortable and soft, or it can be distressed heavily with items such as an X-ACTO knife and bleach.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Lightly Distressing a Jean Jacket

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1
Use a sanding tool on the seam. Insert 220-grit sandpaper into a handheld sanding tool and gently apply the tool to all of the seams on your jean jacket. Use long swipes in order to gently distress the denim and avoid damaging the fabric.^{[1]XResearch source}
- It's okay to hold the sandpaper in your hand if you don't have a sanding tool.
- Sanding tools can be bought at a home improvement store.
- Do not press down too hard with the sanding tool or you may pop the topstitching.
Once you've gone over the seams, make long, sweeping motions with the sandpaper all over your jacket. Go over the sides and back of your jacket to create light marks. If you want more apparent marks, push down longer and and harder with the sandpaper.^{[2]XResearch source}
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Use a long piece of cardboard or a sleeve board to keep the sleeves stiff as you apply sandpaper to them. Gently use the sandpaper over the length of the sleeves. Focus on the elbows because this is an area that becomes naturally distressed over time.^{[3]XResearch source}
Once you've finished the distressing process, wash and dry the jacket as you normally would. Washing the jacket will remove loose fibers that were created during the distressing process.^{[4]XResearch source}
5
Try the jacket on. Put on or take a look at your jacket when it is finished drying. It should look softer and well-worn.^{[5]XResearch source}
- If you want it to be more distressed, repeat the process.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Holes in a Jean Jacket

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Put your jacket on. Then, note where your elbows are in the jacket when you bend your arm. Use a pencil to mark this spot on each elbow.^{[6]XResearch source}
2
Put a thick piece of cardboard inside of the jacket's arm. Make sure the cardboard is underneath the elbow of the jacket. This will prevent you from making a hole all the way through the jacket.^{[7]XResearch source}
- You will use this piece of cardboard for other areas of the jacket that you distress as well.
3
Go over the marked spots with an X-ACTO knife and sandpaper. Once the cardboard is in place, use your X-ACTO knife to make cuts in the fabric. You can make the cuts as small or as large as you'd like, depending on how distressed you want the jacket to appear. After you've made the cuts, roughen them up by rubbing heavy-duty sandpaper over them. Repeat this process on the other arm.^{[8]XResearch source}
- The cuts should go through only one side of the fabric, not both sides of the jacket's arm.
Put the cardboard underneath the front pocket on the inside of the jacket. Use the X-ACTO knife to make cuts around this area. Alternate between deep and shallow cuts to create variety. Be careful to only make cuts through the pocket and not through the back of the jacket. Go over the cuts with the sandpaper. Then, repeat if there is a pocket on the other side of the jacket.^{[9]XResearch source}
Flip over the jacket. Make sure the cardboard is underneath the denim. Then, use the X-ACTO knife on the upper back area of the jacket. You can make larger, wider cuts that span all the way across the jacket. It's also an option to make small cuts if you prefer. Use the sandpaper to roughen up the cuts you've made.^{[10]XResearch source}
Wash and dry your jean jacket as you normally would when you're done with the distressing process. Look at the finished product when the jacket is done drying. Repeat the process if you want the jacket to look more distressed.^{[11]XResearch source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Bleaching a Jean Jacket

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1
Protect yourself from the bleach. It is important to protect yourself from inhaling or getting the bleach on your skin. Wear a mask that protects your nose and mouth when dealing with bleach. Put on gloves to protect your hands. You can make the process even safer by wearing goggles to protect your eyes and an apron to protect your clothing.^{[12]XResearch source}
- It is best to handle bleach outside or in a well-ventilated area.
Use a bucket that can easily fit the jean jacket and bleach solution. If you don't have a large bucket, you can use a large basin or bathtub. The water's purpose is to not only dilute the bleach, but add enough liquid in the bucket so that the jean jacket can be fully submerged.^{[13]XResearch source}
Put your jacket into bucket filled with the diluted bleach. Make sure that it is completely submerged in the water. Let it sit for 25 minutes. Stir the solution with a plastic stirring stick a few times during the 25 minutes.^{[14]XResearch source}
After 25 minutes, carefully remove the jacket out of the bucket. Take note of the color. If you're satisfied you can hang it up outside to drip dry. If you want the jacket to appear even more bleached, leave it in the solution for a few more minutes.^{[15]XResearch source}
Even after the jacket has drip dried, you need to wash it to remove the smell of bleach and prevent the chemicals from interacting with your skin. Wash your jean jacket like you would normally. If the bleach smell is still present, wash it again. Hang it up to dry or put it in the dryer.^{[16]XResearch source}

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How do you bleach clothes with spray bottles?
Stephanie Fajardo
Professional Stylist
Stephanie Fajardo is a Personal Stylist based in Portland, Oregon. Stephanie has over 17 years of styling experience in personal consulting, television, photography, and film shoots. Her work has been featured in Esquire Magazine and Portland Fashion Week.
Stephanie Fajardo
Professional Stylist
Expert Answer
Spray the jacket with bleach instead of soaking it to speed the process up. Mix about 1/8 of a cup of bleach in a gallon of water and pour that into a spray bottle. Spritz the bleach mixture all over the jacket, let it dry, and then wash out the bleach.
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