5 Things We Hate About Buying Distressed Denim New

1. It causes silicosis

Because your denim is distressed, there’s a solid chance that it’s been made using undercover sandblasting techniques. Sandblasting causes the incurable, and often fatal, lung disease silicosis in distressed denim workers. In many outsourced factories sandblasting is the only way workers can meet production deadlines. By buying this denim, you’re funding the secret sandblasting cycle.

2. It’s expensive

Buying your distressed denim new will cost you an arm and a leg (not to mention the lungs of the worker who made it). Check out our handy price comparison for some thrifty thrifty alternatives to buying expensive new denim.

3. It’s fake

Stop buying jeans that pretend to be distressed. Levi’s say that “One of the reasons jeans remain so popular is that each pair takes on a unique pattern of wear and tear that changes over time. It doesn’t look old – it looks “lived in.” More personal. More “you”. Faking this sense of history and personality in new jeans, when your old jeans do it better anyway, is a waste of resources.

4. It’s terrible for the environment

From production to disposal one pair of jeans is responsible for 415 kilograms of carbon dioxide pollution (French Environment Agency 2014). Old denim contributes hugely to landfill and making new denim uses vast amounts of water and harmful chemicals. Check out this interesting article about distressed denim pollution in Mexico. Reusing old denim is an obvious solution to this problem.

5. Shopping is boring

Where’s the fun in buying a brand new pair of jeans when you could spend a satisfying day making them yourself? Especially when you can guarantee that no clothes shop will be streaming a playlist this good. Even if you’re a diehard shopper, spending your Sunday hunting for vintage denim gold at some chilled out markets is a far more satisfying option. Just think of the gozleme.

– Louisa