Ripped Jeans was first popular in
1980s
Ripped jeans were popular in the late 1980s during the hard rock/heavy metal era and in the 1990s and 2000s during the grunge era. The punk culture also has been known to be fans of fabrics with various blemishes. There are primarily three types of ripped jeans. 1) Jeans ripped naturally be frequent use or age of the denim. 2) Jeans ripped on purpose by the owner of the garment. 3) Jeans ripped during the manufacturing process on purpose. Ripped jeans are denim jeans with tear or rip, often on the knees but possibly in other locations on the pant.
Source:http://www.apparelsearch.com/terms/r/ripped-jeans-history.html
