Jeans have always been seen as wardrobe basics of a quite careless nature; never really prominent in high fashion until fairly recently. Now, they’re no longer ostracised as hillbilly attire, nor are they confined to the class of “casual”. Instead of grabbing any old pair from your local budget department store, jeans have become something to splurge on, with fashion houses such as Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana offering up their own designs.
Seasons of late have brought back a blitz of new, or rather old, blue jeans, quite accurate in the labels “mum jeans” – slouchy, saggy, ripped and ratchet; somewhere in between low-rise and high-waisted, with slightly awkward crotches and intentionally cuffed hems.
Be it a brazen style rebellion or natural retreat to what’s basic and comfortable, denims are in for the long haul, and will continue to be socially acceptable among the highest of fashion ranks for at least a few more seasons to come. You wouldn’t blink twice today if a fashion editor showed up to a meeting in torn and ragged denim, a slouchy white tee and trainers, topped off with a black blazer to at least allude to workwear. It’s a textile that’s thrillingly liberating.
Don’t mistake my delight over denim to be an endorsement of the basics, though – keep those bootleg cuts buried. Instead, look to more innovative ways to tackle the trend.
For spring and summer, experiment with different types of embellished jeans. Sequins, studs, patches, crocheted flowers, embroidery, lace and pearls are just some of the things slapped onto jeans for this season. Pick out a pair that speaks to you, and wear them with a slogan tee for fun, summer-loving style. Brands like Ashish, House of Holland, Christopher Kane, MSGM and Sass & Bide are sure to have some great finds, but if you find the realm of overstated and bejewelled jeans to be too juvenile for your liking, settle with the distressed denim available in almost every store on the HighStreet.
Given my personal devotion to three-dimensional design, I don’t think it’s possible to go wrong with embellishments – too much will rarely ever be too much, since the base of all jeans is down-to-earth denim, thus grounding the overall garment.
Regardless of the season, if you need some outfit inspiration, then white, button-down, over distressed denim is always a classic. Pick out a plump bowler bag and printed flats for a casual look. Dress it up with pointed heels and a camel-coloured trench or blazer, or dress it down with a pair of old trainers and baggy tee – dispassionate and dishevelled as it may sound, I assure you, it’s a look you can get away with.
For autumn and winter, lines are less blurred and cuts are more clean and tailored. If you’re going for a bell-bottom, I say go all out. Channel the 1970s and choose an ultra-flared design, such as those seen on the autumn/winter runways. Also, with the culottes silhouette being a cutting-edge trouser trend at the moment, why not try out a pair in denim?
Speaking of cutting-edge trends, if you haven’t yet tried wearing denim-on-denim, I suggest you start now – it gets addictive.
