We get so excited about fashion here at The Reece Boutique that it can be hard for us to define our focus from time to time. Whenever we see a new style that we love we get amped up about adding it to our collection and showing it off to our valued customers.
Even though we offer such a great assortment of trendy looks, it’s still worth it to take a step back from time to time and give a style or two the limelight, and that’s what we’re going to do today. Today, it’s all about a ripped sweater. Why we love them, what you can do with them, and where it all goes from there.
Classic Look in an Unconventional Package
Something great about a ripped sweater is the fact there are so many elements wrapped up in the design of one that just doesn’t seem to go together. Many modern distressed sweaters are made to bring impeccable elements together into a look that is intentionally jarring.
That is to say, sweaters that are purposely ripped, frayed or distressed are made to look so. There is an undercurrent to their character that suggests propriety and fitness. At the same time, there is the overt fact that they have been intentionally worn. It gives them a duality of character that allows you a great deal of freedom in how you want to dress and what type of outfit you want to put together.
There are a few ways you could analyze this broad stroke of appeal that a ripped or worn sweater lends. There is always the chance that it comes from the practice of repurposing old garments when there was no other alternative. The allure might come from a sense of romance for a bygone day that is no longer in living memory. All that remains is the intrigue that centers around hand me downs and the need for such things.
Now that the matter is not an imperative, modern consumers can step back and appreciate that they have the choice to accessorize with a look that was once a less than flattering mark if they so want to.
Then there might be the possibility that the appeal of a ripped or worn sweater largely comes from the fact that there is so much incongruity wrapped up in the design. What this means is that on the one hand, you have a sweater that would look beautiful if it were not distressed. Give it a sense of wear and tear, albeit artificial, and you’ll end up with a look that is simply incompatible with itself. Although this sounds like criticism, it isn’t. If anything, the aura of discord given off by a worn sweater is a pleasant feeling, almost nostalgic.
Ultimately, what most people probably like about a ripped sweater is how they can express so much freedom with one. There are so many ways you can make your own impression with one that you’ll end up wondering why you didn’t sooner!
The best part of this for you is that after you’ve become inspired by some of our ideas, you can go on and make your own look with some of our styles. For that, you’re in just the right place, because here at The Reece Boutique, we are all about bringing out the best new looks for our customers!
Dressing in a Ripped Sweater
A ripped up sweater will give you a lot of freedom in the way you want to express yourself and in the kind of outfit you want to create, but you’ll still have to make a tough decision. Do you want to pick out a sweater you love and build the outfit around it, or do you want to settle on a look you want to create and then backform the outfit around that vision?
There’s no right or wrong answer, so we’ll take a look at each of these options before we set you free to create your dream ensemble. Whether you start with the sweater or start with the trend, you’ll be able to create a look with which you personally identify in no time.
Set the Stage
The first thing you can do is figure out how you want your finished outfit to look or feel. That is to say, the first step, in this case, is to settle on a vibe for the outfit or a school of fashion that you want to emulate before you pick out the individual parts of the ensemble.
This is a short list, and there are plenty of other trends that you could follow to craft and tune your vision, but these are some of the more popular ideas. Start with the style and then you can put together the rest of the outfit from there.
Vintage Style - Old is new again with vintage fashion sense, and tons of looks that were once popular are coming back once more. With a ripped up sweater, you can give yourself a vintage look, provide that the sweater itself doesn’t look too new and isn’t paired with glaringly contemporary designs.
Think of it this way; if it’s something you might find in an antique store or something you’d see in a black and white photograph, then there is a good chance that it falls into the vintage category.
Bohemian Style - Everyone loves Bohemian style! Well, they might not, but they should. It’s one of the most inclusive styles out there, and almost anything that doesn’t fit neatly into another category can be called Bohemian.
It’s rich in natural earth tones of sky and verdure, and you can find floral and exotic animal prints aplenty in Bohemian style. In addition, Bohemian clothing is flexible with mismatching the cut and fits of clothing, so you can put together almost any two garments and get away by calling it Bohemian - that’s just a thought.
Chic Style - Chic style is an interesting mix of overstated and understated elements. In some ways, chic is like Bohemian but without any bright colors that Boho fashion might bring into the fold.
Most of the time, we would say it’s pretty tough to pull off a chic look with a ripped sweater, but if you pair it up with the right bottoms to refine your sense of elegance, you might just be able to do it.
Casual Style - Casual style is one of the best ways to make a mark with a torn sweater, and it’s almost self-evident to the point that no explanation needs to be offered.
Casual is exactly what it sounds like - not overstated and very laid back. Imagine it’s the look you want to pull off when you are lounging around with friends. A torn up sweater is ideal for this because it’s exactly the kind of thing you’d wear if you were comfortable. Pair it with some comfortable jeans and sneakers and you have the style down pat.
Rustic Style - Rustic style can be a little bit of throwback and a little bit of casual style but made ‘more casual’ for lack of a better word. It isn’t quite vintage, but it’s old, but it’s a little more casual than casual.
Street Style - Street style is kind of like grunge and kind of like a rocker. You’re really going to find a lot more canvas jackets, leather and ripped jeans in street style than you’re going to find torn sweaters.
However, street style is what it is because it accepts worn out, mixed and matched old things that you might see out on the street or on the curb. That gives you a lot of freedom, especially if the ripped or distressed sweater you want to put into the look really is ripped up and has a bit of used feel to it.
A lot of ripped clothing doesn’t have a used feel, but if it does, then this is a great opportunity for you to make an iconoclastic look.
Artsy or Flamboyant Style - Artsy is like Bohemian but a little more urban and, possibly, a little more intentionally overstated. Pair up a ripped or worn-out sweater with almost anything you want some critics will call the style artsy.
Since arts are all about expression, artsy is one of the looks that give you the most freedom in design. There aren’t many trends to follow; create your own and it might be called artsy.
Are these the only styles of fashion you can use with your favorite ripped or worn sweater, or that you can use when you are working to create a look with a ripped sweater? Absolutely not! There are many other styles of fashion out there. A quick search of the internet will yield many more, maybe even hundreds more, and the way you choose to go is up to you.
We only intended to give you some of these inspirations as a guideline for some of the more popular ways to dress up in a ripped, worn, or distressed sweater. However, else you choose to go is your own affair. These are just some of the trends that will complement the look of one of these types of sweaters, or rather, be complemented by the look of such.
Pick out a Sweater
What you can also do is start with the sweater that you love, think about the feeling that you are trying to create, and build the outfit that way. There are so many great ideas for you to go with this option that you really can be unlimited in your execution.
Unfortunately, without picking out a specific sweater from our collection, it can be hard to give you ideas for inspiration, so we’ll have to start with one. Check out the Snowflake Ripped Sweater that you can find in our collection for some inspiration.
Cute, bright, and white, there’s no telling what you can do with a blank canvas like this. Pair it with a new pair of jeans for a prim and proper look. Go a different route and pair the ripped sweater with some ripped old jeans for a more rustic look. Because this sweater is plain white, you can dress more formally in it if you desire. Pair it up with tan or black pants and you can lean somewhere on the side of formal.
As you can see, even with a simple option like this, you’ll have to be fighting off the inspiration for unique ideas. There are too many to count and really you’re only limited by the power of your imagination!
Create Your Own Distressed Look!
In addition, you can also get a new sweater and distress it yourself, if that kind of trendy look is something you might be going for. All you’ll need is a new sweater, a seam ripper, and a lot of patience. With the right technique, you can create a completely unique look in a distressed sweater that you’ve created entirely on your own.
You can rip holes and lines in a sweater and even create a random pattern of fraying if you are patient enough. Simply take your seam ripper and insert one end under a stitch (or under several). Rip them, and then pull at the loose ends; they should want to start to come undone. Unwork the fabric until you have a pattern you like, but be careful not to overdo it since the stitch pattern can’t be restored once it is undone.
It’s as easy as that, and if you have any other questions you could always give us a call!
The Choice is Yours!
Whether you want to create your very own distressed sweater, stick with one of our ripped sweaters or pick out a school of fashion and then build an outfit around it, The Reece Boutique is here to help you make your fashion vision a reality.
Check out our collection of sweaters, tops, bottoms, accessories, and more and get to creating the best look you’ve never had before! Make sure you check our social media accounts - follow us on Facebook and Instagram for inspiration, and if you have any questions at all about our products or just want some inspiration for ideas, reach out to us at info@thereeceboutique.com!