Gregory Gordon | 3D Art Director with his partner, Lee Gonzales
Gregory: When a pair of jeans starts to get holes in the knees, I look at it and say, “Am I the holey jeans guy, or are these shorts?” I’ve also bought jeans specifically to be cut-offs, because sometimes the fit will be weird, but the finish is dope. With a darker wash, I might do a shorter cutoff. With a faded destructed pair, I may do a little longer. Cutoffs aren’t about being perfect — they’re about the next life of a pair of jeans.
I have five pairs of cut-offs. One of them is this pair I share with Lee. They’re vintage — we got them a year and a half ago. They fit each of us so differently. They’re big on Lee and fit me great.
Lee: I used to wear everything very fitted when I was younger. But nowadays, I prefer something with a bit more wiggle room. The pair I share with Gregory are two or three sizes bigger. I just paper bag them.
Gregory: What I love about cutoffs is the relaxed versatility that you can dress up with some classic menswear, or down with a tunic or a camp shirt. It definitely portrays a relaxed California style. These are always in my rotation of my favorite three pieces.
Lee: Hell yeah, we’ve wanted to wear them at the same time! There have been many times. We fight over them.
Melissa Lau | Menswear Designer
I got these shorts at a vintage store four years ago. They’re just right — short enough that they can be flirty, but not so short that they’re scandalous. They’re slim in the waist, but they’re roomier in the hips, so they accentuate my curves.
I have two main pairs of cut-off shorts: these and a black pair. I wear the black pair when I want a slightly more grunge look, but these are my favorites. I’ll literally wear these until I’m 40 or something. I can even wear them later than that depending on how my body looks — I just don’t know how my body’s gonna look yet.
Michael Giordano | Men’s Stylist
For cut-offs, I stick with 501® jeans. I have a lot of them, and for me, that’s the quintessential cut-off: the original jean being turned into something else. I mark them with a sharpie, then snip right across with a pair of large shears.
These lighter wash cut-offs were really big on me, so I made them shorts. Notice how they’re frayed? That’s one way to wear them. But what’s popular right now is the razor cut. A straight line with very little fraying, like the cargos.
I’m tapping into my modern hippie vibes with the frayed jacket and the high-viz hat. And I’m mixing prints by pairing the camo cargos with a high-viz, tie-dye top. When you’re wearing cut-offs, jackets add a point of view.
Maria Montgomery | Graphic Designer
I take scissors to all my clothes. When I first started making cut-offs, Daisy Duke shorts were in. I’d cut off too much, and then I couldn’t leave the house in them. You can always take off more fabric, but you can’t put it back.
I bought black 721s a couple years ago. They were my favorite jeans. First, I cut out the knees and cut off the ankles. Bike shorts were the natural evolution.
The blue shorts are from Wedgies that came out last season. I love them. They’re definitely on the shorter side, but they’re good for festivals. It’s a classic look, and they’re very flattering.
The button fly is great with shorts, because when you wear a crop top, you can tuck your midsection in.
Gem Mateo | Senior Graphic Designer
The first time I turned jeans into cut-offs was out of necessity. It was high school — my friends and I were going to go to a water park, and I needed to look cool.
Most of my jeans are 511™ or 512s, so I work with what I have to give them new life. But these are Levi’s® Workwear. They’re my first white pair. They were too baggy at the bottom, so I cut them.
I’ve been wearing them a lot lately with a printed collared shirt for a Hawaiian feel. If I want, I can also wear loafers and dress them up.
Charlotte Ekberg | PR Manager
I don’t think I’ve ever turned jeans into cut-offs. When it comes to any other part of my closet, I’m pretty ruthless. But when it comes to getting rid of my jeans or even cutting them, I’ve always avoided it.
But I do buy cut-off shorts — I probably have 15 pairs. I’m on the PR team, so the past four years, I’ve gone to Coachella with Levi’s®. We always get cut-off shorts, because it’s the festival uniform. But I really only wear these now. I bought them in New York City five years ago. I like them a little loose, and to hit a little above my waist. A lot of tees I have are a little cropped, so these are perfect.
They’re something you can wear all day, then throw on a cute top and sandals and immediately change the look. I’ve always been a jeans girl — when it’s summer, that means cut-offs.
