Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Suzy,

Faded jeans are the biggest thing out there right now. Here are a few ways for you to turn your new looking jeans into faded glories at home. However, fading is an inexact science, so I caution you to try these methods on a pair of old,"practice"jeans before you try them on a pair of new, pricey or favorite jeans, or you could have a sad mishap on your hands. Mistakes are common!

Bleach - Washing Machine Method: you can wash your jeans in the washing machine with a quarter cup or a half-cup of bleach. If they don't come out light enough on the first go-round, try a second time at the same strength or use a little more bleach the second time. Remember how much you used the first time so you can judge how much to use if you need to do it a second time.

Paint-on method: Do this in the backyard in the sun. Start with a solution of 2 tablespoons bleach in 1 cup of water. Using a paintbrush of whatever width you like, paint a design or words on your jeans. Experiment with the strength of the bleach solution until you get the strength to lighten the jeans the way you want them -- either subtle or dramatic effects. Remember that you won't see the full effect until the pants are completely dry!

Sandpaper: You can buy sandpaper at the hardware store. It's quite inexpensive. Using fairly coarse grit sandpaper, rub the sandpaper on the parts of the pants you want to lighten -- butt, thighs, calves,"whiskers,"which you might have to do while you're wearing the pants. Make sure you do both legs and sides of the pants evenly. You might need a friend to help you get some hard-to-reach areas of your pants. Remember to start slow -- you can always do more later if you want. And again, always experiment on a practice pair first.

Good luck with your project!

Sincerely, Fashion Girl