“Did you buy them like that or did you rip them yourself?” The age-old question put to trend-led Gen Z by puzzled boomers. Abhorred by grannies and beloved by street style aficionados, of course, we’re talking about ripped jeans.
The deconstructed denim bottoms have flip-flopped in and out of fashion, making their mark most prominently in the 2010s. During this period, Topshop’s ripped Jamie jeans reigned supreme - every step allowing for rebellious flashes of (then-cellulite free) flesh.
But it seems there has been a recent development in the garment's evolution. Courtesy of one Taylor Swift, ripped options have been budged out of first place in the rankings for pensioner-repelling pieces - usurped by ‘slit jeans.’
© Getty ImagesAllow us to explain. On Wednesday night, the Cruel Summer singer sat courtside with her friends Alana and Este Haim and Law and Order star Mariska Hargitay for the New York Knicks game. For the evening, she donned a cobalt blue T-shirt that read ‘Stevie Knicks’, in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Fleetwood Mac legend. She paired the look with high-heeled sandals, a gold chain necklace and Area’s Slit Jeans - which currently retail online for £413.
Crafted from 100 per cent cotton and featuring a detachable crystal cupchain trim with an ‘A’ logo, a straight leg silhouette with a mid-rise for a relaxed fit, Taylor’s jean of choice made for a striking courtside statement.
© ImaxtreeThe star is no stranger to a cut-out design, having been known to champion Area denim in the past. Back in 2023, Taylor famously stepped out in LA for a dinner with good friends actress Margaret Qualley and her husband Jack Antonoff wearing a pair of straight-leg jeans from her hero brand Area featuring a butterfly-shaped crystal cut-out.
The difference between ripped jeans and slit jeans? Slits offer a cleaner line, one devoid of frayed or raw hems. While ripped jeans appear as if they've endured a particularly aggressive encounter with a pair of scissors, slit jeans promise a more intentional, polished finish.
© Imaxtree
© ImaxtreeMs Swift isn’t alone in her divisive penchant for cut-out denim. For its autumn/winter 2026 runway collection, Acne Studios championed slit skinny jean silhouettes, which were neatly tucked into white knee-high boots. Similarly, Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, Isabel Marant and Zadig & Voltaire funnelled classic ripped options down the catwalk. Meanwhile, over at Dior, Jonathan Anderson clad his models in blue shredded slacks for the maison’s Resort 2027 collection.
Love them or hate them, it seems like Taylor might be onto something for autumn/winter 2026. And who knows, perhaps these precisely slashed bottoms could finally unite generations and their contrasting opinions on denim.
