The stone-washing process, which uses pumice stones to give new denim a soft, worn, and faded appearance, became widely popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This technique, pioneered by brands like Levi's and Guess, allowed manufacturers to create a vintage look that appealed to consumers seeking a casual, lived-in aesthetic. Stone-washing revolutionized denim production and became a defining feature of 1980s fashion.

Stone-washing, as a technique for artificially aging denim, became a metaphor for the construction of authenticity, a theme that poets of the postmodern era explored in their critiques of mass culture. The process of distressing new fabric to make it look old resonated with the literary interest in pastiche and simulation, from the work of the Language poets to the New York School. The stone-washed look also became a visual shorthand for a certain kind of casual cool that poets like Ted Berrigan and Alice Notley evoked in their urban verses.