Why do new blue jeans look old on purpose?

Why do new blue jeans look old on purpose?

In “Blue Jeans: Articles of Interest #5,” Articles of Interest traces how blue jeans became an icon of durability and authenticity, then shows how nearly every part of them changed: natural indigo gave way to synthetic dye, customer-made wear gave way to factory distressing, cotton denim gained plastic stretch, and the environmental costs became harder to ignore.