maybe put a little bleach on them, that might make spots, but it seems to me that a lot of new pants have this in the design. Martha Stewart did a segment about fading jeans by hand, you could look for it on her website.
I would just admit that you dislike boxing, not make a huge deal of it & quietly read a book. It is rude to be so engaged in the book that you don't pay attention to people talking to you, also you shouldn't read in a different room from everyone that makes you seem stuck up & unnaproachable