It’s January, our bank balances are suffering with the blues, but we still want some new clothes – damn, what on earth do we do?

Well step away from the store cards and the hustle of the high street – you’re going to “mend and make do” 2016 style.

We’ve taken inspiration from the super stylish Leandra Medine (aka Man Repeller), Natalie Hartley (Fashion Director – Glamour Magazine), Erin O’Connor (Supermodel extraordinaire) and Emma Roberts (Actress, Niece of Julia and one hell of a lucky girl – her boyfriend is Evan Peters) who are all wearing raw edge denim jeans.

If you’re a hoarder like me, go and find that pair of straight legged jeans at the back of your wardrobe. You know the ones; you last wore them circa 2006 with a Siena-esque boho top, before skinny jeans gripped the thighs of the nation.

If you don’t have any jeans, don’t fret. You’ll simply have to raid the penny jar and take a trip to the charity shops. Save time by hitting the shops in the more affluent suburbs as the people who live in these parts tend to have wardrobe clear outs more often.

I visited just two charity shops in Muswell Hill, London and here’s what I did with my finds:

1. The Bowl Cut

These jeans are made from thin cotton and have a massively wide and flattering leg. There won’t be much fraying here so the focus is the width and the length. Take a decent pair of scissors, put on the jeans and mark (I used a bit of eye shadow) on each seam in the place you want the jeans to end. Next, take off the jeans and roughly cut from the outer to the inner hem of each leg. Do not worry about cutting perfectly; we want them to look raw!

2. The Mullet

These are made in a straight leg style with thicker and more fray-friendly cotton. As above, put on the jeans and mark where you want the front hem to land. Now take off the jeans and firstly cut the front of the jeans off, leaving the seams intact. Next, measure about 5cm down each of the seams and mark both sides again, finally then cut the back of the jeans off ensuring the back is longer than the front across the whole width.

Roughly run the sharp edge of the scissors across the raw edge of the denim until they start to fray. When you wear them, they will naturally start to fray, or if you want to speed up the process, stick them in the washing machine and finish them off on a spin cycle.

Et voila – your new season jeans!

Helen Majkowski

www.seekingbunty.com