Jorts & Distressed Denim: Why Vintage Jeans Are Back
Introduction: The Unexpected Comeback of Jorts
Do you remember the days when jorts (jean shorts) used to be comedy fashion mistakes? By 2024, they have taken over runways, TikTok streams, and, it seems, even luxury look books. Diesel walked shredded denim shorts in the SS20 runway. Vetements introduced the exaggerated, knee-grazing jorts with purposeful frays. Even Bella Hadid cut an old pair of Levi on Instagram Live, which triggered a trend of doing it yourself.
What occasioned this? Put it down to the fact that Gen Z have gone Y2K crazy and can no longer stand perfect fashion after being conditioned with the idea that imperfection is cool. Vogue Business reported that vintage jorts searches on Depop have increased by 72 percent this year alone. This is not a fad, it is a cultural shift that is taking place.
From Dadcore to High Fashion: The Jorts Reinvention
Jorts used to be left exclusively to suburban dads and the 90s sketeboys. Nowadays, they are a fashionable icon. Levi reported a 35 percent increase in the sale of denim shorts and luxury brands such as Prada discarded artisanal versions of denim shorts going down 1,200 dollars with their stitching part-filled with patches made by hand. The difference? Intentionality.
- Case Study: bleached, lopsided jorts became all the rage in SS24, with ERL SS24 jorts being sold out within hours.
- TikTok Trend: #DIYJortsChallenge has over 200M+ views and people making their own jorts out of thrifted jeans.
According to Dr. Rebecca Arnold, a fashion historian at Courtauld Institute, jorts are an absolute irony in their uncool-made-coolness rejection of following the established rule of being called ‘polished” in terms of fashion.
Distressed Denim’s Raw Appeal: Imperfection as a Flex
During the Spring 2024 show, Balenciaga presented jeans that were torn to practically nothing. Miu Miu had patchwork denim that appeared to have gone through a demolition derby. It does not only refer to aesthetics, it is a revolt against algorithm style.
- Data Point: Depop searches of distressed vintage jeans increased by 60 percent in 2024.
- Sustainability Angle: Re/Done is one of the brands that employs deadstock denim making it attractive to the eco-buyers.
The society demands authenticity. A well-shredded knee? Boring. Chance denudations of wear? Its yellow color, adds Aja Barber, fashion sustainability critic, is termed gold.
Thrift Culture & the DIY Boom
The contribution of the emergence of the thrifting and upcycling is immense. Denim therapy Instagram upcycler has over 500K followers who partake in recreated jeans-turned-jorts. In the meantime, Zara and H&M scramble to copy the appearance – but the critics dub it as fast fashion cosplay.
- Real-World Example: A viral post on TikTok by a user who wore some thrifted jeans that she turned into jorts outperformed shein hauls.
- Market Shift: The market of secondhand denim will be increasing 15 percent of thousand per year (ThredUp 2024).
Celebrities & the “Ugly Cool” Effect
Harry Styles caused an 85 percent spike in searches with his baggy paint-splattered jorts (Lyst). Emma Chamberlain wore them with a blazer and this makes them office-acceptable. Even Fenty by Rihanna gave up the oversized distressed shorts and combined streetwear and luxury.
Aside to donning jorts, celebs are making them desirable, says Tiffany Godoy, Vogue Japan editor.
The Dark Side: Fast Fashion’s Copycat Problem
Shein makes jorts that cost $12 to buy and it claimed that they were made in days, which begs the question of labor and sustainability. Does this phenomena make thrifters more powerful or is it only pouring fire over the overconsumption?
- Expert Take: Rips that were mashed up are soulless. According to Barber, real vintage has a story.
Final Takeaway: Are Jorts a Movement or a Moment?
It is not only an issue of denim but a non-conformity to perfection in a filtered environment. Make them yourself or go to the high end and buy designer models, either way, the message is the same: Fashion is fun.
So, which side of the jort revival are you on or is the trend too been there, destroyed that? Put your ideas in the comments.
