Bella Thorne Always Uses These Two DIY Tricks On Her Jeans

If you’re looking for a quick wardrobe refresh without spending a cent, Bella Thorne has a couple of ideas for you. When the former Disney star isn’t taking the naked dress to new levels on the red carpet nowadays, she’s probably wearing an extensively chopped-up pair of blues. (Next up career-wise, Thorne’s got a new show, Famous In Love, debuting in April; plus, she announced via Twitter that she’s got her fourth book on the way, and also she nabbed the a role in Assassination Nation.)

The star has lots of DIY hacks up her sleeve, as we learned when we chatted with her recently while she was shooting a new campaign for luxury activewear retailer, Six:02. Check out a behind-the-scenes shot, below; the campaign debuts in May. Ahead, Thorne fills us on all things activewear — she’s got some particulars when it comes to leggings — her go-to denim tricks, and more.

Why were you interested in working with Six:02 on this campaign, which has a “being unapologetic” theme? "It’s hard to find a brand that’s unapologetic and stands for the same stuff I do! I work out a ton — I’m always at the gym, and paparazzi will be around and stuff, so I still want to look cute. I’m really not into spending money, so I don’t buy a lot of expensive things. I usually wear a sports bra and leggings to work out in, and I like to mix non-workout clothes in.

Sounds like you’re living that athleisure life. “It’s how I dress on the daily!”

How do you feel about leggings in lieu of pants? It seems to be a pretty polarizing wardrobe choice. “I love leggings as a replacement for pants. It’s the best. It’s just so much more comfortable, and leggings show curves in all the right places, too. My best friend and I wear leggings instead of pants all the time.

Do you have any leggings pet peeves? “You know those leggings that cut off under your knees, midway down the calves? I never wear those. Never. I will only wear those if all my workout clothes are dirty and I literally can’t find anything else, which doesn’t really happen because I have so much workout clothing.”

Beyond workout clothes, what’s on constant rotation in your closet at the moment? “I go through phases; I’ll wear something all the time and it’ll be my favorite piece, and then I don’t wear it for months. Right now, I’m wearing lots of super-ripped, acid-washed, heavy-metal tees with holes in them. I DIY a lot of acid-wash stuff with my sister, too. We also tie-dye things, and use patches, pins, and stickers. We like making our stuff look a little crazy. We’re crazy people.”

Do you do much denim DIY-ing? “Denim is really, really hard to get right — cutting and sewing through such thick material is difficult. I don’t fuck with denim too much, but I do like cutting out panels from high on the thigh downwards — I’ll cut out the entire front of my jeans so I can rock fishnets, peeking out underneath. I also always, always cut the ankles off my jeans, to have a raw hem. I think ankles are really sexy; it makes your legs look longer to not have a thick hem at the bottom of your jeans.”

What’s your go-to fast fashion store? “Forever 21; I’m always pleasantly surprised by how much cute stuff they have. I wear a lot of clothes from the boys’ section, too, and I like their selection there.”

How would you describe your red carpet style these days? “'Bad reputation' is basically my life’s motto, so I tend to dress with that vibe — I don’t really give a fuck, but I kind of do. When I was growing up, I had a certain look that wasn’t very me, and I never got to pick my red carpet dresses. Now, I’m all about leather jeans, high-waisted things, super-ripped pieces, and cool metallics; it's very rockstar.”