If there's one '80s trend we had to bet against coming back, it would have been the acid wash. And, we would've lost money. But looking at the acid wash now, with fresh eyes, it doesn't conjure the same, unfortunate hair metal associations of its predecessor. When we think of the first coming, we remember more the tragedy of the tail end, the rise of the heshers--cologne drenched, El Camino driving, mulleted losers that got the trend two years late, and hung on five years too long. But wait, there was a time when acid wash was revolutionary right? That's the time we forgot.

When acid wash first appeared, it was pretty cool. Then, after wearing out its welcome, it became repulsive. This new crop of Avant Casual acid washed jeans plays off the burnout to retrieve the original cool, plucking the outcast identity from expired trend and spinning it as daring with a defiant anti-mainstream edge. Acid washed jeans from Ksubi, Cheap Monday, and Grey Ant have us feeling good about bleaching again.

(left to right: Ksubi Van Winkle High Waisted Skinny Jeans , Grey Ant Etiquette Jeans , Grey Ant Braid Jeans , men's Cheap Monday Tight 34" Skinny Jeans , women's Cheap Monday Tight 34" Skinny Jeans )