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YouLookFab Forum » Topic: . https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:09:07 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php Angie on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1180214 Fri, 28 Feb 2014 00:02:31 +0000 Angie 1180214@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I treat all denim washes as neutral, but do not wear dark washes at all anymore. Stopped doing that about 4 years ago.  Aziraphale on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1180090 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 21:30:06 +0000 Aziraphale 1180090@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Carter, I have a suggestion as to why you see very light blue jeans as pastel and very dark indigo ones as navy (I do, too), whereas you see "normal" blue jeans as neutral. I think it has to do with how most denim fabric consists of white threads going one way and blue ones going the other.  The effect is solid blue from a distance, but you can tell up close that there are two different colour threads. With very light wash jeans, the blue threads are pretty close in colour to the white ones, so the fabric appears a more uniform pastel colour. Often very dark wash indigo jeans have no white threads, or maybe they do but it's harder to see them and the "texture" (that's not quite the right word, but you know what I mean) is not apparent -- so they appear a more uniform very dark blue. Many mid-blue washes have noticeable "texture" and that is what makes it so versatile. Don't ask me why, but it does. shedev on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1180084 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 21:22:11 +0000 shedev 1180084@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think they are neutral but preference for level of contrast comes into play. These days, I'm craving lower levels of contrast in my outfits. So I'd most likely pair them each with a similar level of contrast. Neel on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1180031 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 19:56:56 +0000 Neel 1180031@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The jeans that you show Carter, seem to be the solid single tone clean jeans. These IMO play more like colors than true neutrals! However, I think the faded (not distressed, so yet dressy) medium wash jeans are the most versatile. <a href="http://shop.mango.com/AE/p0/mango/clothing/slim-fit-alice-jeans/?id=23000032_96&n=1&s=prendas.tejanos&ident=0__1_0_1393530315098&ts=1393530315098" rel="nofollow">http://shop.mango.com/AE/p0/ma.....3530315098</a> Do you think I am right? Anonymous on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179986 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 19:22:22 +0000 Anonymous 1179986@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I too feel all denims are neutral- however I have a number of dark tops that just don't look right with dark rinses (unless there is something else like a lighter scarf etc in the picture). I had some lighter denims but got rid of them because the color looked too "mom-jeans" to me. I think all 3 denims work with that blouse- but maybe with the darkest denim you could add a lighter cardigan (white, ivory?) to enhance the contrast. Helena on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179967 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 19:07:04 +0000 Helena 1179967@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ To my eye, the darker the denim the more neutral it is. Clearly from the thread, this is all a matter of opinion and personal taste though! April on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179959 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 19:02:30 +0000 April 1179959@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Mini-rant by Suzie Stick-in-the-Mud: I realize that when people say that a certain color, like red or denim blue, is "a neutral for me" they just mean that they're willing to mix it with any other color, or that they find it versatile, or that it complements much of their wardrobe, but I'm not a huge fan of talking about colors found on the color wheel as neutrals.  By definition, they're not.   If it sounds like I'm being sour, rest assured that I'm with you, Carter.  Very dark jeans with black don't look right to me either.  I think it's because they're an almost-match, rather than because either of them is neutral.   Almost any very close color pairing looks off.  I love brown with black, but super-deep chocolate browns with black definitely make it look like you got dressed in the dark.  You need a more "colorful" brown to make it work.  Same with "true navy" (the kind you have to take over to the window to see if it's black or not) -- the blue has to be easily, visibly different from the black to look intentional.  Almost-matched color combinations are neither one thing nor another: they lack the drama of head-to-toe matching, and they lack the visual interest of contrast.   Am I making sense?  I'm hoping that Jean (Greenglove), our veteran artist and teacher and brilliant grasper of what does and doesn't work in color, will chime in.   Thistle on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179944 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 18:51:15 +0000 Thistle 1179944@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I treat dark denim as if it were black and pair accordingly. I treat medium denim as a true neutral and wear with just about anything. I don't own any light denim, so I can't really comment. Anonymous on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179943 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 18:51:14 +0000 Anonymous 1179943@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Carter, I agree with you as I've been trying some new jeans on today and one pair was very pale. My first thought was that it was a pastel and I would possibly only wear them with light tones in the Summer. The others were a mid wash and I considered them much more versatile. We are very complex creatures no? carter on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179940 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 18:44:15 +0000 carter 1179940@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Very interesting. Sometimes we see denim as colors, and sometimes we just see it as neutral. I think I must be in the "see it as colors" category, and that's what's conflicting with my long-held thought that denim is a neutral. I definitely see the very pale jeans as a pastel. I see the very dark blue jeans as navy. I see mid wash as denim...go figure. Suz on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179897 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 18:06:38 +0000 Suz 1179897@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ So funny -- we had the blue tops with blue jeans conversation earlier. I LOVE blue tops with blue jeans!! Love!!  But I do distinguish between different blues...and different washes of jeans. I don't like cobalt with my blue denim, for instance. Some navies work and some don't. And so on.  As for your question -- I don't treat them all as neutrals, no. I would treat the super light wash ones as a pastel.  I'd treat the darkest ones as a dark neutral. I do wear very dark wash jeans with black, navy, ink...it just depends on the particular tones.  And medium washes work pretty well with most other colours, in my mind. But not with everything.  How's that for inconclusive?  kkards on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179876 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:51:13 +0000 kkards 1179876@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ i treat all denim as a neutral! but i think of black jeans as black pants. Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179875 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:50:03 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1179875@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I agree with Liz - although my jeans serve as a neutral I definitely wear different washes and different shades with different things. I don't wear a lot of blue tops with my blue jeans but that may be a contrast thing as well. And I've got some jeans that are a warmer blue somehow that I find tricky to wear with my otherwise cooler wardrobe. In the picture your original blue jeans look ok with the black and cream print but it's hard to capture those subtle tones of color on a cell phone shot. Anonymous on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179872 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:47:55 +0000 Anonymous 1179872@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think I know what you mean. I similar issues, because wearing my darkest wash jeans with black bothers me too. For me I think it's because there is almost no contrast, and I don't like to be in an all-super-dark outfit. I don't currently have a light wash pair of jeans (just white) so I'm not sure how I'd feel about that color being versatile and going with everything.  Aziraphale on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179857 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:38:04 +0000 Aziraphale 1179857@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Carter, you pose an interesting question. As a lover of jeans, you'd think I'd know the answer to this. I don't. I do feel that mid-blue denim washes, although they vary in hue, are "neutral" in that they go with an awful lot. (I have firm opinions about what is an isn't an actual neutral, and technically blue isn't...but typical blue denim, because of the texture and finish, works well with many things).  Anyway. Back on topic. I do have opinions about which denim washes work with what colours. I think you're right about the very light wash denim -- it's more like a pastel. In my experience, very light wash jeans are hard to style, colour-wise. To my eye, very dark indigo denim works really well with a solid black or grey top (but doesn't look good with navy). With your patterned top, I actually think dark indigo works, although I agree that it works even better with the more mid-blue wash jeans. But even with the dark jeans, I don't think it looks like you "got dressed in the dark".  ;-) For me there aren't hard-and-fast rules about which tops look good with which jeans. It's just trial and error for me. Sorry I can't be of more help.  Liz on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179848 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:28:59 +0000 Liz 1179848@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Of course it's fine to wear just about anything with denim. But for me personally, the blues are actual colors, and I treat them as colors. This is why I stay away from casual navy tops; I don't like how navy blue looks with the blues of my jeans. This must be one of those "we're all different" areas, where people are sensitive to color or see colors in different ways. I know some people love wearing navy and denim together.  By the way, I had the same problem with khakis. I bought some, figuring they were a classic everyone should own. But I struggled to find a top I wanted to pair with them. Finally I realized I saw the khaki as a color (warm tan) and there are very few color combos I like with warm tan.   carter on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179846 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:26:59 +0000 carter 1179846@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Marmee, so glad I'm not the only one! Ramya, you are the ultimate denim lover! Thanks for chiming in. Gaylene, so good to see the other side of the coin. I'm a little more ok on the very dark indigo than I am the very pastel blue wash. Maybe because it's new to me again after 30 years or so. Gaylene on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179837 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:20:31 +0000 Gaylene 1179837@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well, since I consider white or bone my summer neutrals, and black or ink blue as my fall/winter neutrals, it's the mid-colored washes that are most problematic for me. I treat the light washes as a white and the dark washes as black/ink when styling those jeans. The mid-washes, however, just remind me of gardening/camping jeans so I have trouble pairing them with anything but the most casual T's or gear-style jackets. The mid-tone washes just seem like unremarkable, everyday jeans--more super casual than neutral. ramya on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179832 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:11:36 +0000 ramya 1179832@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In my world all denims washes are neutral and I don't see the thing you are complaining about. So I must be the ultimate denim lover Marmee on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179823 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 17:00:29 +0000 Marmee 1179823@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I feel this same conundrum as well, and look forward to hearing others' responses.  carter on "." https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/are-all-denim-washes-neutral#post-1179819 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:56:04 +0000 carter 1179819@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ .