How do you distress T shirts?

Answer 1

Usually denim is distressed when it is made but it can be done at home in the washing machine, the way it is generally done is the manufacturer will literally put the new clothing into an industrial washer with stones - that is why they call it stone washed. Of course this is not recommended in a home washer since the effects the stones may have on the machine are not known. Some other ways to distress denim at home would to lightly run a razor knife across the fabric in several areas - cuting small holes and creating long jagged cuts across the fabric or create a design then take them outside and use a couple of stones and pound the material between them in several areas like: the knees, the hems, the waistband, the poctets etc., then wash them several times with other jeans or heavy clothing on the regular wash cycle.

Answer 2

I work for a band t-shirt company so I get asked this a lot. It really depends on the type of fabric the shirt is made out of. A low-grade, 100% cotton t-shirt will not distress well. If the shirt has artwork on it, the artwork will crack and the paint will chip off (not in a good way). A ringspun cotton or cotton/polyester blend (think a super-soft material) will distress much better. One of the reasons vintage t-shirts look so much better than new t-shirts is because they're made of this type of material. The quickest way to "age" a shirt is to run it through the dryer a lot. You can also try laying the shirt out in the sun until it begins to fade.

Answer 3

I wouldn't try. Leggings today are made from fibers that can break down and you will ruin your leggings.