If 2007 was all about dresses then 2008 could be the year of denim. Jeans came back in a big way this year. The felicitous return of Doc Martens in candy-colored hues, worn by the likes of Agyness Deyn and Alexa Chung, helped ‘90s-lovers revel in the timely flashback to grunge.
Katie Holmes-Cruise drew attention — not for her couch-hopping husband or her adorable daughter for once — but for attending rehearsals for her Broadway show garbed in a pair of not-quite-fitted, pegged jeans that had the blogosphere going nuts. No doubt her jeans were given the kind of attention — as it was dissected to death by style “experts” and even Tim Gunn, who referred to Cruise as unkempt — normally reserved for the royal family or Brangelina.
According to the Sartorialist, a fuller leg for men is beginning to look interesting. A frayed pair of light-wash jeans was deemed perfect. The key to pants are the distressed and worn portions of the jeans that speak of a history — the patch by the pocket the result of a wallet a couple inches too large; the abrasions on the right pocket left by coins. This is what gives jeans a personality, a marked change from the anonymous muted-toned jeans that’s been popular of late. Neat, tight, dark-washed jeans spelled chic for a good portion of the past few years but now designers and consumers are looking for something a little dirtier, a little different from the cookie-cutter pieces that have plagued labels of late.
Junya Watanabe’s spring show previewed last fall proved that denim isn’t going anywhere — particularly the distressed variety. The October issue of I-D mag spent an entire editorial devoted to a kind of folksy, rock ‘n’ roll display of denim — beaten and distressed within an inch of its life and embellished with lace, patches, fringe and even knit. Teen Vogue showed Twilight star and December cover girl Kristen Stewart in a leather jacket, white tee and a pair of bedazzled denim cutoffs. British Vogue felt more of an inclination towards more ‘80s incarnations of denim, wrangling neon-hued, paint-splattered accessories, along with studded footwear to go with the denim selection.
Forget muted tones. Acid-washed is experiencing a resurgence. And so are printed jeans. Balmain’s versions have struck a chord with women everywhere who want a little attitude with their denim. Bold zigzagging tiger print and zippers every which way are tough and definitely sexy.
Try out a few of the trends this coming year. Paired with a puffer jacket for the cooler months, leather jackets for night or nylon hoodies for day, the new denim looks a little bit bombshell, a little bit construction-friendly and a little bit world-weary.
Here’s a shopping secret: Tough Jeansmith, the premiere denim label, has readjusted their prices, making all their new styles lower than P5,000 a pair. With a median price of P3,000-plus, it won’t hurt your wallet to test drive the new jean trends. And, thanks to the financial crisis, isn’t that all we can ask for?