How to Rip Jeggings

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 16, 2022 References Tested

Jeggings are tight jeans that can be ripped to add a fun, casual vibe. It's easy to distress jeggings with a pair of scissors and some tweezers. The process should only take a few minutes. When you're done, you'll have a fun new pair of jeggings to wear.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Wearing Down the Fabric

1
Put your jeggings on. It's hard to estimate exactly where distressing lines will fall if you're not wearing the jeans. Prior to distressing, slip the jeggings on so you can pinpoint the spots where you want your jeans to rip.^{[1]
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2
Mark the areas you want to rip with pen or chalk. While you're wearing the jeggings, take a piece of chalk or a pen. Mark where you want to make your ripping lines.^{[2]
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- Common areas to rip include the knees, just above the knees, or near the back pockets.
- Don't worry about staining the jeggings, as you'll be ripping up the fabric around the line anyway. The line shouldn't be noticeable once you're done ripping your jeggings.
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3
Sand the jeggings with a nail file. Before you take off the jeggings, it's a good idea to wear down the fabric a little. This will make them easier to rip. Take a nail file, or a similar device like a pumice stone, and gently rub it along the areas where you'll be making tears.^{[3]
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4
Push a piece of cardboard under the area you're ripping. Take off your jeggings. Slip a piece of cardboard, keeping it flat, into the jeggings, positioning it just under the lines you drew. The cardboard will give you a hard, flat surface to work on while you're ripping your jeggings.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Tearing Your Jeans

1
Cut horizontal lines in the jeggings. Use an x-acto knife or a pair of scissors. Scrape the blade of the knife or scissors along the lines you drew earlier. Cut a series of horizontal slits in your jeggings.^{[5]
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2
Tweeze the threads along the edges of your tears. Once you've cut your horizontal strips, you want to add a natural, frayed look to your jeans. Take a pair of tweezers and gently pluck the loose threads surrounding each line you made. Fray the ends until the jeggings are ripped to your liking.^{[6]
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- How much distressing you do is up to you. Some people prefer lightly frayed tears, while other people want the jeans so torn only thin strands of thread remain.
3
Run your jeans through the washing machine. After you rip your jeggings, there will be a lot of loose tufts of fabric collected on the jeans where you ripped them. Run them through a gentle wash cycle in your washing machine to clean them up before wearing them.^{[7]
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4
Air dry your jeggings. As ripped jeggings will be a little fragile, it's recommended that you let them air dry rather than running them through a dryer. You should always air dry your jeggings after washing them.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Avoiding Common Mistakes

1
Do not make vertical cuts. Stick to horizontal cuts when ripping any type of jeans, including jeggings. Vertical cuts are harder to maintain and can result in your jeggings splitting apart with time.^{[8]
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2
Minimize distressing on the side seams. If you want to distress jeggings on the side, only make small cuts near the seams. If you distress too much near the seams of your pants, they may split apart.^{[9]
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3
Stick to small amounts of distressing. Less is generally more when it comes to distressing. Rips tend to get bigger on their own over time. If you make too many rips right away, your jeans may split apart prematurely.^{[10]
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