Back in Blue: Denim Delights

I love denim. Alway have, always will. I have more jeans than I care to mention (26 pairs, since you’re asking). I only keep it at that amount because that’s the maximum quota my jeans drawer will allow, so I use the ‘one in, one out’ method to keep the numbers down when a new pair is taken into the fold. All my denim serves a purpose. We have smart jeans, cropped jeans, wide-legged jeans, jeans that look like trousers, lounging-around-the house jeans, short shorts, long shorts, coloured denim, spring jackets, summer jackets, shirts, blouses, you name it. I told you I was a denim fan.

I will do another dedicated jeans post soon as there are so many great styles to choose from, but for today we are doing a slightly broader denim outfits overview. If denim is not your thing, I would apologise but, really, who DOESN’T like it in some shape or form?

MIXED DOUBLE DENIM

It’s definitely white jeans season right now. Make the most of it, though, as there’s only a small window of opportunity. I know you CAN wear your white jeans at any time of year, but in reality it needs to be not too cold, not too hot and, most of all, not too muddy. But when you do have a nice day, I love the look of white and blue denim together. My favourite white jeans of the moment are these Free People ‘Good Luck’ barrel legs, but I know their exaggerated style is not for everyone. An easier pair to wear would be these from Whistles: clean, fresh and modern all at the same time.

NOT SO SHORT SHORTS

For more on shorts, please refer back to this post, and if you are looking for shorter shorts, then I highly recommend these from Mango (size up). But the big trend this summer is a longer Bermuda style. Cue all those with upper thigh fears breathing a massive sigh of relief. I have these from H&M in black and dark denim; they’re really good and, for me, true to size. They are also not just for holidays. I’ve been wearing these instead of jeans recently when the sun comes out as they give a more ‘city-appropriate’ coverage than the short shorts.

CLEVER CO-ORD

I had to include this set from Toast in my denim edit as it’s been following me around the internet for weeks. The clever (and slightly sinister) internet that KNOWS what I like and that shows me it at every available opportunity until I have no willpower left and have to to order it ‘just to see’…

BACK IN BLACK

Are denim shorts appropriate evening wear? I’m saying yes. Look for a more structured pair and team them with a nice top… ‘Just shorts and a nice top’ – could that be the summer alternative to JJ&NT? Again, I think that, yes, it could be. Add a blazer if it’s chilly and some simple, feminine shoes. Maybe even heels if you’re that way inclined.

DENIM DRESS DREAMS

Aligne is the place to look for the best denim dresses, as they seem to have cornered the market in design-led, yet extremely wearable ones. I know their Gabriella dress has proved very popular amongst a lot of you, but for high summer this Rosa pinstripe would be my top choice (plus it’s on sale). And Reeboks are so retro, but I have to say the classic Club C 85 Vintage style are SO insanely comfortable, especially when wearing without socks, because they have a towelling inner. I’ve taken to wearing mine a lot again recently.

DOUBLE DENIM DELIGHTS

It’s OK, you really CAN wear double denim. I used to say the trick was to mix up your denim shades, but now I actually quite like it when they almost match. You can do the ‘sandwich dressing’ trick to break up the block colour. In a nutshell, sandwich dressing is having the same on the top and bottom but breaking it up with a filling. So here we have pretty much a triple-decker, with brown sunglasses, a brown leather belt and a similar shade of sandals to break up the denim. I think I’ll do a full sandwich post soon as it’s a really easy and effective styling hack.

BLACK SUMMER DRESS

I had to include some dresses this week as it FINALLY feels like summer is on its way, and simple summer dresses are just perfect with denim jackets. It’s a style solution that, thankfully, doesn’t seem to date. Perfect for holidays but equally as good for when you’re at home. Add a splash of colour, sandwiching your dress with your brighter bag and sunglasses. Are you getting the hang of it yet?

WHITE SUMMER DRESS

And if we’re going for black dresses, we need to counter that with white. Add gold accessories and a fancy basket bag, and complete it with your trusty denim jacket.

So, next weekend I’m going to Glastonbury (see festival outfit ideas here). I’m not mentioning the weather as that will just jinx it, but I’ll still try to prepare a post for you for next Sunday – it just might not be as comprehensive as my usual work.

K x

WearsMyMoney

I spent it all on clothes by the looks of things...