When Dish Jeans president Gary Lenett was a kid, his mother used to wash his new jeans 30 times before he would wear them. It wasn’t until the 1970s that suppliers prewashed jeans so they were no longer so stiff that they would stand up on their own.

“Think about your old Levi jeans that came rigid, hard as a rock, then after three or four years they would become your favourite pair of jeans,” Lenett said. “Then you’d be mad at your mom for throwing them out because they had holes in them.”

Off-the-shelf, deconstructed jeans—holes and all—are still popular for this fall. It’s an easy look to accomplish on your own, especially with the right tools. Dish’s denim-finishing guide (available at www.dishjeans.com/deconstruct.html) offers some advice.

Throw the jeans in the wash after just a little deconstruction to get a better idea of your next move—and, most importantly, take your time.