Many of my clients are bringing dressier jeans back into their wardrobes this year, which makes complete sense. It seems that our “everyday” jeans are becoming more distressed by the season because it’s fashionable to sport that look. It’s also fashionable to create a dramatic juxtaposition of items in your outfit — like combining shredded jeans with an ultra dressy top, jacket and pair of shoes. And to top it all, the baggy boyfriend jeans trend makes already distressed jeans even more casual. As a result, many of my clients are feeling sloppy and not so fab in their trendy jeans unless they are in very casual settings.
Enter the dressy jean to fill an unexpected wardrobe hole. It’s the kind of bottom that some of my business casual clients can wear to work on casual Fridays. Clients with less strict dress codes can wear them to work a few times a week. Or they can wear them smart casually out to dinner, for get-togethers with friends and family, or when they travel and want to look a little dressier than they would in sports gear.
In our age of casualization, it can be inappropriate to look overly dressed in some settings. Dressy jeans are a good solution because they are casual, but not too casual. Dress them up further with a nice top, shoes, bag, and perhaps a jacket, and you’ve put the smart back into casual.
My clients’ preferences for dressy jeans run the gamut, but they all have two things in common — the fit is tailored and there are no rips and shreds in the denim. Lighter wash blue denim is fine, as long as the wash is fairly even across the garment. Medium and dark blue denim washes with straight legs and flared legs have been popular, as have skinny or straight black, white, red, burgundy and coated jeans. The collection below provides examples of the styles of dressy jeans my clients have been purchasing recently.
I discovered this exact wardrobe hole last year and purchased the dramatic J. Brand Love Story Jeans. I loved them so much that I had to get a pair of white flared jeans too. Weather permitting, both pairs of dressier jeans are my go-to for dinners out, get-togethers with friends, and some client appointments. Who else is in the mood for dressier jeans?
