Denim Is The Obvious Choice
When in doubt, wear denim.
I had an event last week and the invitation said “cocktail attire suggested”.
I thought, “what the hell does that mean?”.
I mean… 20 years ago that would have meant wear a blazer and tie— maybe even a full suit.
But 1: I almost never wear a suit and, 2: I’m not going to do it just for a cocktail.
So I spent 30 min trying to put together an outfit with a blazer and some form of a trouser before finally throwing my hands up. I was trying way too hard and nothing seemed right in the world. Damn attire suggestions!
So I put on denim…
And suddenly it all came together in like 2 seconds! I threw on a linen tee, a leather jacket and a pair of oxfords. And BAM. I had a look that was clean, polished, and casually cool. My denim was a solid wash, not overly whiskered, which made it appropriate for cocktails. The leather jacket and oxfords added a sophisticated edge. It was classic.
Things are so much easier when you go with what you know works.
For today’s post, I partnered with Old Navy to offer up a few tips on how to style two clean, Summer looks: denim-on-denim and white denim.
...cuz denim is a life saver and should have been my obvious choice!!
Tips for wearing denim-on-denim in the Summer:
- Mix washes. A white denim jacket with indigo denim is a great Summer alternative to the Canadian Tuxedo. It works with light washed denim all the way to a deep indigo.
- Loosely roll your sleeves. Treat your denim jacket like a button down shirt. It’s a lightweight layer, after all.
- Go sock-less and roll your denim above your ankle. Show some skin.
- Go for slim-fit denim. A skinny fit will look like someone sprayed you with a denim hose and a relaxed fit won’t look quite as tailored.
**If you have a cocktail event, switch out the denim jacket for leather (or a blazer…) and you’re set!
Tips for wearing white denim:
- Don’t be afraid to get them dirty! This is a hard one to get over, but once you do, you’re golden. White get’s dirty, you can still look polished if you’re well groomed and styled well.
- White goes with everything. I paired it here with all black, but you can wear light shades during the day and dark shades for night. It goes both ways.
- Tuck your tee. I always tuck a small pinch of my t-shirt into the front waistband of my denim. This came from years and years of styling mannequins. You want to show off the belt (or lack of belt). It adds visual interest and creates a nice clean separation between two large blocks of color. Stylist trick 101.
P.S. I’m obsessed with these Old Navy linen blend tees. I bought every color because they drape and fit amazingly well. Kudos, Old Navy.
Do you have any tips and tricks to elevating your denim? Leave a comment below!
*Posted in partnership with Old Navy. All opinions are my own.