Casual
Casual jeans are usually styled in a way that’s appropriate for the workplace. They’re free from holes, and they don’t appear well-worn. Some people feel that darker jeans are more formal than light-colored jeans are.
Cuffing
Cuffing is a term that refers to rolling up the bottom hem of a pant leg. Some jeans are already cuffed, such as cropped or capri jeans, or you can cuff them yourself by folding up the hem so the interior of the pants faces outward. You can do a single cuff, double-cuff or deep cuff, which is a few inches tall.
Destroyed
Destroyed jeans have holes, ragged edges, worn-out edges and scuffed sections that make them appear older and extremely well-used. This can happen naturally, or you can buy destroyed jeans. Destroyed jeans first became popular in the mid 1980s when designer Katharine Harnett put a model on a catwalk wearing jeans.
Distressed
Distressed jeans are ripped and abraded, and they often have a vintage look. Frayed hems and seams are also common in distressed jeans, which are a step before destroyed jeans.
Faded
Faded jeans are heavily washed to create natural fading of the indigo dyes in the fabric. Even when they’re brand new, faded jeans look well-worn, but they aren’t actually distressed.
Flocked
Flocked jeans are texturized. The process of flocking deposits lots of small fiber particles - called flock - on the surface of the fabric to create a soft textured feel.
Frayed Hem
Frayed hems are usually destructed to the point of showing the white cotton warp strings of the denim. The fraying can be extreme, such as you’d see on a heavily worn pair of cutoff shorts, or it can be just a few strands of thread. The threads and strings hanging from frayed hems sometimes, but not always, vary in length and thickness.
Hand Sanded
Hand sanding, also known as emersing, is a process that softens denim, giving it a smoother feel and and creates a worn-in look in specific areas. Jeans are usually hand-sanded to mimic natural wear pattens, but sanding can also be used to emphasize natural curves.
Laser Distressed
Lasering is a dry finishing process used to add distressed wear patterns or other designs to a pair of jeans without requiring as much water or labor as traditional washing, hand sanding or distressing. This method creates patterns like dots, lines, text and even images which are executed through computer managed process.
Patches
Patches are swatches of denim used to reinforce worn areas or behind holes. Patches can be decorative or they can be utilitarian and match the color and style of the jean.
Released Hem
Jeans with a released hem, which is also called a busted hem, are those where the stitching on the hem of the leg opening has been removed. Jeans with let-out hems look naturally distressed, because of the crease lines and unfinished edges that typically feature loose threads hanging down.
Resin Coated
Resin coating is a finishing technique that lends a shiny appearance to laundered denim; in some cases, it’s used to make them softer, as well. Resin coating on jeans slows fading because it’s layered over the fabric to prevent friction and stiffness.
Ripped
Ripped jeans can fall under the distressed or destroyed category, depending on the nature and size of the tears in the fabric. Ripped jeans, which gained popularity in the late 1980s, can feature holes at the knee and other locations.
Rolling
Rolling is a style technique often used with jeans. Similar to cuffing, rolling can involve one or two folds measuring about 1.5 inches each. Rolls look more carefree than cuffs do; they aren’t supposed to be perfectly formed, like cuffs are. Rolls work best on straight-leg jeans because they feature standard, non-enlarged leg openings.
Whiskered
Whiskering, or hige, is a pre-fabricated pattern crease that resembles the whiskers of a cat. These thin, faded lines generally appear near the front pockets on jeans. Most commonly, lasers create whiskering.