How To Smarten-Up Your Jeans

A Brief History of Jeans

When jeans first entered fashion history, they were worn by less affluent workers as a practical piece of clothing, designed to protect their under clothing whilst also protecting them from the elements. By the 1930s, jeans became popular as a fashion item when they were seen worn by cowboys in feature films, although during this period they were still worn more as working wear than anything else.

Following a lull in their manufacture and popularity over the war years, by the 1950s and 60s jeans had a new following. The youth of the era started to wear jeans as a cultural item, making a rebellious statement to their elders. By the 1970s and 1980s, jeans, including designer jeans, were a mainstream fashion item with the most popular style being flares. Throughout the 1990s jeans were worn as casual wear but never accepted as a ‘smart’ item of clothing with the majority of companies and night clubs banning them.

However, coined the ‘naughties’, the years following 2000 saw an acceptance of jeans as a smarter item of clothing with some industries allowing their workers to wear jeans, as well as pubs and clubs allowing entry whilst wearing this key fashion item. But with jeans still frowned upon by many as a relaxed, casual item, how do you overcome this stigma? The answer is to the way in which you wear your designer jeans.

Ways to Smarter Up Your Jean Look

One of the key factors that instantly makes designer jeans look smarter is a dark colour. Jeans with an indigo dye appear smarter than jeans with a pale stonewashed dye for example. So if wanting to wear your jeans for a day in the office, simply wear a dark colour.

Fading, vintage styled and distressed jeans have been very popular in the fashion arena for 2010 and remain fashionable for 2011 but this look screams casual so these styles of jeans are best avoided for a night on the town.

Another way to instantly smarten up your designer jeans is through your choice of footwear. Trainers and pumps are synonymous with casual wear so should be avoided when trying to create a smart look. Instead designer jeans should be teamed with smart leather footwear for either a day at the office or a night out. Black, tan and brown leather are all popular choices but again it’s best to avoid the more distressed shoe styles which are currently in trend as these will undermine the whole look.

What you decide to wear on the top half of your body is also very important. A tailored shirt will smarten up your look and popular styles of the coming season are vertical stripes in vibrant colours, or paler plain designs. A plain t-shirt with a v neck is also a great way to smarten up your designer jeans look and colours which complement the smart look are contemporary colours such as white, black or charcoal grey.

A tailored jacket can also instantly transform a casual outfit into one suitable for work. You can team your jacket with either a shirt or a t-shirt to carry off the look and again dark colours such as black or navy look better for a smart outfit than paler colours.

So now you know the basics in how to make your jeans look smart, it’s time for you to pull your look together.