The denim on denim trend — or “double denim” — means wearing two or more items of denim in one outfit. In other words, you’ll pair bottoms like jeans, a denim skirt, shorts or culottes with tops like a denim shirt, jacket, vest, tunic or chambray blouse. Or you’ll wear a denim dress or denim jumpsuit. 

Double denim has been trending for many seasons. The vibe is often thought of as overly masculine, stiff, too cowboy, or just too much of a good thing. Personally, I like the look of double denim when the outfit is pulled together in a certain way. These street style shots provide great examples of the vibe:

Double Denim Examples

Based on these visuals it’s clear that adding a glam integrity to double denim is a fun way to wear the look. It makes the outfit less masculine, more alluring, more girly, and a lot softer. Here are seven effective styling strategies. Feel free to combine several of the tips in a single double denim outfit. 

1. Combine Two Denim Washes or Colours

Pair a denim blue top and bottom in different blue washes. Or pair blue denim with white or black denim. Pairing white or black jeans with a blue denim shirt, jacket or tunic is a popular rendition. 

2. Wear a Chambray Top

Chambray is a softer and a “denim-lite” way to wear denim on top. Think of a chambray top in all sorts of silhouettes, and not just a shirt. 

3. Add Feminine Footwear

Heels, pointy toes, ankle straps, pumps, cage heels, strappy sandals and any other shoe style that’s NOT Tomboy. Metallic footwear creates a nice juxtaposition with double denim because it’s neutral, glitzy and bright. 

4. Expose Some Skin

Unbutton the front of a denim shirt a little lower and showcase a lace camisole, or a bit of lacy bra if you dare. Scrunch long sleeves to bare forearm skin. Combine a sleeveless top with a vest. Wear a denim mini skirt, or a longer skirt with a high slit. Or showcase shoulders with an off-the-shoulder top. 

5. Add Bling & Polish

Add shiny jewellery to create a textural layer against the denim. Add a dressy and structured bag. Fingernail polish, toenail polish, and make-up adds that next layer of glam to the outfit. 

6. Wear Tailored Fit Jeans 

Wearing snug jeans increases the alluring-factor of the outfit, and offsets the fluid fit of the top. Although fashionable, combining baggy boyfriend jeans with a roomy denim boyfriend shirt or denim jacket and chunky flat oxfords does not have the same girly and glam effect. 

7. Create a Column of Colour 

Layer jackets or vests over a column of colour to break up the expanse of blue denim. Toppers can be fitted, fluid or oversized. You can even add a denim jacket in a contrasting wash to the column of shirt and jeans.

I’m back to loving double denim. I wear blue denim dresses. I wear blue denim tunics with fitted cropped white jeans. I wear a blue denim shirt (or jacket) with fitted cropped white jeans, and have also worn them with fitted cropped blue jeans and a snug blue denim skirt. I now make a point of adding heels, a structured bag and pearls to the outfit to glam things up. 

Over to you. Do you wear double denim?