The Denim Style I Quit Buying Post–Age 30

I wear jeans a lot, and I always have. In my 20s, my taste in denim styles didn't change much. I was primarily a skinny jeans girl until my mid- to late-20s when I started working in fashion and diversifying my wardrobe as a result. By the time I hit 30, my closet was virtually filled with jeans of varying washes and cuts. So where am I going with this? Stay with me.
I recently found myself pondering which pair of jeans I should add to my wardrobe to kick off the impending fall season, and I realized something about the options I'd narrowed it down to—not one of them had a rip in sight. The styles were varied, but ultimately, they were all clean and polished, with minimal distressing if any.
It's not that I never wore ripped jeans before I came to this realization. Up until I turned 30, I didn't discriminate against ripped jeans by any means. You probably wouldn't have found me in shredded jeans, but I never even thought twice about passing over a pair because they had a few rips in them.
So what does this say about my style as a 30-something? Quite a lot, I think. I'm very much of the to each their own mindset when it comes to post-age 30 style, but I fully condone finding new ways to add polish to one's wardrobe as we get older. For me, that's meant subconsciously moving away from pieces that I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing in my day-to-day 30-something life. So whatever your version of ripped jeans is (rhetorically speaking), embrace it, and let it help you discover new pieces to wear instead.
With that, read on to shop 18 pairs of jeans that I'd gladly give up my ripped jeans for post-age 30.
I love a good 100% cotton high-rise pair.
I'll take exposed buttons over rips any day.
These come in sizes 00 to 24.Next up, find out which fall shoe trend looks the best with skinny jeans.

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.
-
I Shop for a Living—These 30 Elevated Fashion, Beauty, and Home Décor Picks From the Amazon Prime Day Sale Have My Attention
Chic, practical, and affordable.
-
Hailey Bieber Already Wore the Denim Outfits That Will Define Fall 2025
She's always setting the trends.
-
Oh Wow, Hailey Bieber's Go-To Denim Brand Is on Major Sale During Amazon Prime Day
Don't miss out.
-
If a French Woman Shopped the Amazon Prime Day Sale, She'd Instantly Add These 31 Chic Picks to Cart
Effortless and affordable? Yes, please.
-
Hold the Skinny Jeans—These Are the Chic Denim Styles to Buy on Amazon Prime Day
On sale and on-trend.
-
The Highly Specific Denim Trend Even I Didn't See Coming
Danielle Haim is a fan.
-
The Expensive-Looking Sandal Trend Fashion Girls Are Wearing With Baggy Jeans and White T-Shirts
A highly chic outfit lies ahead.
-
There Are Over 500 Tops and Jeans at Zara, But Only These 32 Chic Picks Need Your Attention
I'll bet they'll sell out before July's over.