This was published 1 year ago
Beyond ‘jeans and a T-shirt’: How to style denim today
Ditch the skinny jeans in favour of the new-look denim of cargoes and long, baggy skirts …it’s all in the detail.
Christopher Esber shirt, $595, and jeans, $595. Prada boots, $2070.Credit: Jedd Cooney
Wearing jeans has become surprisingly complicated. Once denim was the most democratic item of clothing, worn by workers, models and millionaires, now if you look like another person wearing jeans, you’ve got it wrong.
The classic look of a straight leg and indigo blue, exemplified by Levi’s 501s, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year has been put through the blender by designers with surprising results.
Logos now run rampant across denim from Louis Vuitton, Alexander Wang, Tommy Hilfiger and Valentino, while pockets are outnumbered by patches. Australian designer Christopher Esper has spliced jeans with jersey for layered looks that blend the hard and soft, offering a more contemporary contrast than leather and lace.
Denim’s renewed popularity is part of the Y2K resurgence with actor Julia Fox, model Bella Hadid and performer Dua Lipa having picked up the smouldering torch of tortured jeans from Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.
Even if your approach to dressing is firmly rooted in 2023, here are the ways to look good in not so basic blues.
Layer with sheer fabrics
While some designers, such as Christopher Esber, have done the hard work for you by making maxiskirts and pants out of combinations of denim and other fabrics, you can take a DIY approach by wearing a sheer blouse or bodysuit with low-slung jeans, or beneath a denim jacket. It’s all about the contrast.
Malene Birger singlet, $125, from Christensen Copenhagen. Christopher Esber skirt, $645. Prada boots, $2070.Credit: Jedd Cooney
Matchy-matchy is OK
The denim jacket worn with jeans in the same fabric wash has been controversial since the appearance of Britney Spears and her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake at the 2001 American Music Awards. Now you can aim for the “Canadian tuxedo” look – a buttoned-up jacket with matching jeans. You can even pair logo styles, but no need to go full Timberlake and top it off with a denim hat.
More is more
Whether it’s extreme hardware with multiple zippers and rivets, like New Zealand designer Wynn Hamlyn’s cargo jeans – which detach below the knee – you want jeans that get noticed. Madonna took distressed denim to new heights after this year’s Grammy Awards with a jacket-and-jeans combo that had more rips than fabric, but you can exercise a little restraint by making sure your bra and underpants aren’t on show.
Louis Vuitton top, $6300, and jeans, $2360. By Malene Birger “Meilan” tote, POA, from Christensen Copenhagen. Louis Vuitton “Archlight” pumps, $1730.Credit: Jedd Cooney
Swap out the sneakers
The new approach to denim is about elevating jeans from your lazy Sunday uniform to “Saturday night on the town” attire. Heels or combat boots, favoured by Anne Hathaway, are more effective than ironing a crease down the front of your jeans to signal you mean business.
The new approach to denim is about elevating jeans from your lazy Sunday uniform to “Saturday night on the town” attire.
Go to the next level with accessories
Feel free to test the denim waters with a slouchy bag in the durable fabric. Just act fast because this gateway item to top-to-toe denim is already climbing towards its trend peak, with e-boutique Shopstyle reporting a 98 per cent increase in searches for denim bags in January.
Beare Park silk shirt, $545. Wynn Hamlin jeans, $365. By Malene Birger bag, POA, from Christensen Copenhagen.Credit: Jedd Cooney
Fashion editor, Penny McCarthy; Hair, Keiren Street using Wella Professional; Make-up, Katie Angus using Chanel Beauty; Model, Jordan at Chic; Fashion assistant, Emmerson Conrad.
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