Denim wearers tend to fall into two camps. There are the pretentious selvedge aficionados, who religiously collect Japanese denim and freeze rather than wash their jeans to retain the shape and colour. And then there’s the rest, who still rely on Topshop’s long-serving Jamie stretch skinnies as their go-to. I’ve always been somewhere in the middle. I probably wear jeans more than any other piece in my wardrobe, yet I’m reluctant to invest in premium, particularly jeans that have holes or any form of “distressing” — unless you live in LA and your name is Kardashian, just don’t.
I am fairly consistent on style and material, though. High-rise is a must — when you have a body as long as mine, and persistent love handles, it’s the most flattering silhouette — in rigid, non-stretch denim (see above). Despite the fact that skinny jeans remain the most popular style, fashion folk will tell you they aren’t cool any more, and there’s a raft of styles — from “mom” and boyfriend to kick-flare and straight-leg — that you can get on board with. Even writing that sentence was complicated, never mind considering what shoes to wear with each.
On the catwalk, designers are fixated on recalibrating the meaning of denim entirely, and this season it is uncharacteristically smart. It started at Tom Ford, where denim jackets came smartly waisted, nipped in and worn with matching high-waist trousers. Dark denim suiting followed at Tibi, with chic mididresses and topstitch details at Fendi. My indigo jeans are made in London by the Cooper Collection, a selvedge-denim range by Lee Cooper. The raw, high-rise, vintage-inspired style is smartened up with polished layers. The wide, slightly bowed leg is a nice slimming trick, too. Meanwhile, the Vanessa high-rise straight-legs, by the New York label Khaite, are between a skinny and a straight leg. Launched in 2016, they sold out via preorder and had quite a waiting list before Khaite introduced more styles.
I’ve gone for a western-inspired look with a tonal denim shirt that’s not too vintage or trendy, but you could switch in a silk blouse and tailored blazer if the Canadian tuxedo (aka double denim) isn’t for you. Your jeans aren’t just for weekend lounging, then, but for Monday morning, too.
Tweet or Instagram me your fashion questions @jane_mcfarland
Advertisement
Hair and make-up: Fiona Moore at Terri Manduca Agency using Yves Saint Laurent
