How to Make Old Jeans Look Stylish - Budget Living 101

Do you have old jeans that you don't want to get rid of, but they no longer fit the style? Here are a few tips for making your old jeans look stylish again without dishing out the cost of a new wardrobe.

If you're like me, buying a new wardrobe whenever styles change simply isn't an option. You have perfectly good clothes, they're just not in fashion anymore or no longer fit your personal style. I've learned some tricks over the years for updating your wardrobe on the cheap, and making old clothes look cool again.

If your jeans are in good condition, but they're really faded, you can try dying them. Powdered and liquid dye only cost about $3, and you can do the dye job in your washer or in a basin. It's a great way to get bright colors back into your clothes. Of course, those old faded jeans might be more in style than you think just as they are. I've seen "aged look" jeans sell for $40 or more a pair. Bright, solid colors aren't as in fashion as they once were.

If your jeans have holes, you can try adding patches. There are iron-on and sew-on patches that go both inside and outside of a hole. The ones that go inside will allow a color to show through the hole or shredded area. Patches that go on the outside of your jeans will completely cover the damage. You can get a lot of cool embroidered patches at fabric stores , places like Hot Topic or online. Patches can be a great way to show off what you're into and your personal style. Of course, much like faded jeans, shredded jeans are coming back in style and cost a pretty penny, so you might want to wear them as they are.

Patches aren't the only way to dress up your jeans. You can find embroidered designs like swirls and florals that can be sewn onto your jeans. Also, since "bling" is so big these days, you can pull out your old Bedazzler and go to town with it. Craft stores and fabric shops are also selling updated versions of the jewel-adding device, and there is a much wider variety of studs and jewels that can be added to clothing. I have actually seem some really pretty arrangements for sale, even at the local Wal*Mart. It's definitely something worth trying, as I saw some rhinestone-studded jeans on television that were $80 a pair.

Another way to update your jeans is to turn them into shorts. You can cut off just a little, re-hem them and turn them into pedal-pushers (sometimes called clam-diggers), you can cut off more and have long shorts, or cut off a lot and turn them into standard shorts or Daisy Dukes. The remake of The Dukes of Hazard and Jessica Simpson's wearing of the iconic denim gear have brought Daisy Dukes back into style.

If you want to get really creative in updating the look of your jeans, you can try splatter bleaching, adding designs with fabric paint or adding chains or lace. The more unique the final item is, the more likely people will think you've got something really cool. Jeans are never going to go totally out of style, so have fun updating the ones you have, and never ditch the ones you buy. Sooner or later, they're going to be in fashion again.