No fabric ages better than denim. What begins life as dark indigo woven cotton evolves with every wear and wash to slowly gain a unique light fade. Then it starts ripping and tearing and loose threads begin spilling out as the normally dense fabric softens and thins. After a while, it’s time for personalized repairs in the form of patchwork, machine darning, or, for those with an affinity for traditional Japanese craft, sashiko stitching.

Now we’re really getting to the good stuff, as Levi’s and BEAMS concur.

The American denim giant and Japanese mega-retailer are dropping a prescient reminder that all denim deserves to be destroyed. After making Levi’s denim extra-wide last year, BEAMS is turning its jeans extra-tatty. 

The duo’s new 501 Loose jeans accurately recreate the patina of worn-to-death pants, complete with white frayed rips held down with stitching that zig-zags wildly down the trouser leg at will, as though hand-repaired rather than the work of professional jeans-makers.

And this ripped-up legwear, released July 17, arrives directly after a fashion week where faux-repaired denim ran rampant.

Ralph Lauren’s newest collection layered patches of denim in various states of decay while JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2027 jeans are similarly patched-up and Prada’s cleanest denim is pre-dirtied. 

This is, of course, not a news flash for all vintage heads, longtime Kapital fans, and fellow Kurt Cobain fashion obsessives, but rather a reminder of a sacred style rule: Denim gets better when damaged. 

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