font loading for Top nav

Trend on Trial

New ways
with denim

Denim is about more than just jeans this season. Womenswear editor Charlene Barton trials the trends that are currently making headlines

Shop the edit

Trend fix

“An off-the-shoulder top, distressed denim and metallic heels tick off three trends in one. Swap your go-to necklace for a necktie for a fresh take.”

Shop the edit

 

Andy Warhol once said that he wanted to die with his blue jeans on, and musician Lana Del Rey wrote one of her biggest hits about them (perhaps because it rhymed with James Dean): it’s tricky to find an item of clothing as widely embraced, worn and loved the world over as jeans. There’s something so inherently timeless about the perfect pair of blues that they’ve become the ultimate wardrobe mainstay – and the topic of many iconic style quotes.

2016 is the year of denim, with the trend extending way beyond our trusty indigo jeans. It’s become an art form in its own right (of which Warhol would surely have approved), with designers ripping up the denim rulebook and showing off endless new techniques, silhouettes and creative cuts. So what to choose this season?

Alexa Chung was recently spotted in a pair of reworked vintage jeans by Parisian label Vetements (and worth £800) and a cult frenzy took off. To the humble eye, they have uneven

hems, mismatched seams and a very expensive price tag, which, in fashion terms, is denim gold. For those of you who don’t want to spend a month’s salary on jeans, our Limited Edition pair (pictured below top left) looks every inch as stylish, for a fraction of the price.

What else is news-worthy? The illusion of pockets on everything from skinnies to midi skirts and dresses. White washes, distressed hems and patchwork details are making headlines, too. Remember being a kid and putting embroidered patches on everything? Well, now you can take a trip down memory lane and your DIY jeans will be considered the height of fashion.

The options are endless, but the best part is that everything still looks as effortless and classic as your favourite pair of blue jeans. I’m sold.

DENIM MASTERCLASS

If you want to channel Alexa Chung, go for these jeans. Team with a biker jacket and slip-on loafers for a look that’s front row-worthy.
I rarely wear dresses, but this denim style (coming soon) has convinced me. The cut is chic enough for work and cool enough for the weekend.
Preppy Seventies chic is key to this outfit. The trainers and sweater add a sports-luxe twist to bring the denim midi skirt up to date.
Pointed courts work with any style of jeans. Choose black suede for guaranteed chic all year round.
Be playful and try an oversized – yet surprisingly flattering – jacket. Wear it over a jersey or slip dress for a nod to the Nineties.
Head-to-toe white might sound daunting, but this outfit is proof that it’s effortlessly easy. Just be sure you choose your underwear carefully.
Shop the edit

INSTANT UPDATES

Photographer: Justin Polkey / Stylist: Louise Hall / Hair and make-up: Stefania D’Agostino

Trending stories