Colored Jeans Trend - Summer 2008
From White Wide-Legged Pants to Colorful Skinny Jeans
It may have escaped your notice (if you are the wrong side of 25!), but this summer's jeans have undergone a bit of a transition in the color department.
From bright pink skinny jeans to sailor-white wide-legged styles, even traditional blue denim has been upgraded to this season’s flattering dark indigo.
The problem with colored jeans (particularly white) is that you have to know how to wear them. Otherwise, you run the risk of being a fashion victim rather than being thought of as fashion-forward. If you are of the age where, when divided by two, you still come out in single figures, then you can get away with pretty much any color. Wearing the right cut, to flatter your figure, is more important.
Assuming however, you are indeed the wrong side of 25 (at least in years but not necessarily in mind!), here are some tips for wearing this season’s summer-colored jeans:
Making White Jeans Work for You
Every spring/summer the white jean re-emerges again, despite being a little daunting for some women to wear. This year there is a mass revival of the nautical trend, with white pants in some great styles and cuts.
Smart or casual, white jeans are stylish and chic, provided you can make them work for you. The problem with white, is that it can reveal every lump and bump, compared to its sister the indigo jean, which is much kinder to your silhouette.
However, this should not stop you from wearing white jeans, but you may want to consider going a size up, to avoid unsightly bulges. If you have a big butt or wide hips then add a not-so-tight tunic-length top, which skims (rather than clings) to your figure.
Most importantly, think about your underwear. Flesh colored knickers are essential under white jeans. Go for a thong or seamless pair of boy shorts, ideally with a V-shaped waistband to avoid showing off your underwear. White under white is still visible, flesh or nude colors are best!
Caring for White Jeans
Admittedly white is not the most practical color, so try to avoid splashing them with coffee or tea, and steer clear of sticky or chocolatey little fingers. Make sure your jeans are well-ironed and laundered; you may even want to have them dry cleaned.
Unless you are tall, pick a jean length that comes part-way over the heel of your shoe, to add the illusion of longer, leaner legs. If you prefer flat shoes then consider the effect of a low-heeled pump with a slight pointed toe, which will visually lengthen the leg. Wearing this seasons rounded-toe heavy-duty ballet flats are fashionable and trendy, but can make your legs look short and chunky. Another trouser trend this season is the turn-up. You can always roll up your hem at the ankle, for a very 50s look.
For a selection of white jean styles, try brands like Rich and Skinny, J Brand, 7 for All Mankind, Diesel and Raven. High-end designer, like Michael Kors chic, wide leg pants (£180 Net-A-Porter) or Chloé’s wide-leg sailor jeans, are sure to flatter any figure.
Making Colored Jeans Work for You
Hollywood’s summer fashion craze is colored jeans. Crayola-colored skinny-leg denims in bright blues, pinks and fire-engine red are currently popular with the A-list set, such as Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Victoria Beckham and Jessica Alba. Forget the brand and go for the best fit there is within your budget. The bright color trend may not be a long lasting one, so decide how much you want to spend.
If you are no longer in the first flush of youth, then avoid primary colors such as straight-up blues, yellows and reds. Says Emily Neill, in her book, Wardrobe Secrets (Apple Press, 2006), look for muted hues of the same color….primary colors have no subtlety whatsoever and unless you are going for a deliberately splashy look, they don’t do anyone any favors.” Softer plum reds, olive greens and smoky blues are flattering on a more mature figure.
Whilst brightly-colored skinny jeans look trendy on a 20-something, wear them with care as you get older, or else you run the risk of appearing like mutton-dressed-as-lamb. This applies to both the cut (beware of super-skinny jeans) and the color, as both need to work for you, in terms of your figure. Chloé have some very flattering slim-fit jeans, available at Net-A-Porter (£206) in muted petrol-blue denim.
Ethical Fashion
The hottest developments in eco-friendly fashion means there is more and more stylish and fashion-forward choices available, and jeans are no exception. The BBC ethical fashion magazine Thread features an environmentally friendly red pair of Kuyichi skinny jeans (retailing at £85), made under fair working conditions, for those who want to shop without a guilty conscience!.
