Denim Jacket: 10 Ways.
You don’t have to be a haulier to get a lot of mileage out of a trucker. Or a cowboy/cowgirl. The jean jacket (as its founding fathers call it in US) has, like a lot of work wear staples, gone from being a beat-up old-reliable to a go-to for more dress codes than you’d imagine.
“A demin jacket is a fantastic option to have at your disposal for its versatility, especially at this time of the year,” says Daniel Rhone, stylist and personal shopper for a squad of top Premier League footballers – emphasis on ‘ballers’. “I like to layer one as a middle tier between my choice of outerwear and an underlayer of a tee or shirt. Particularly if I’ve underestimated the temperature outside.”
You don’t have to take his word for it, although you should, because he’s dope. However, to drive the point home, here are 10 different ways to wear a jean jacket so that you can keep on trucking down the road.
With A White T-shirt
This is another classic pairing enshrined in Americana. A crisp but fuss-free look, it’s not quite as easy as you might think. Its success largely hinges on finding the perfect white tee, which can be a Goldilocks-ian quest: not too slim, not too baggy; not too translucent, not too bulletproof; not too “gunny”, not too modest; not too much like a dress, not too much like a crop-top; not so high on the neck so that it’s an undershirt, not so low that it’s a clavicle-exposing deep-U. Whoever called the white tee a basic was wrong.
With Joggers
A denim jacket doesn’t exactly fall under the category of sportswear, unless you’re a rodeo rider. But it provides a degree of structure to offset the softness of joggers, thereby saving you from having to go full tracksuit. This isn’t a hard-and-fast rule (there aren’t many of those left) but you’re probably best to steer clear of cowboy details on your denim jacket.
With Black Jeans
Double denim can be doubly good even if you flagrantly transgress the ‘distinct shades’ rule but for a fail-safe way to splice jeans, black and blue is hard to beat. Other colours of jeans can do the same trick: grey, for one, and even white, although that presents its own pitfalls, not to mention impracticalities. But one strategic bet you always bet on is black.
With Chinos/Khaki/Colored Pant
You’re effectively wearing jeans on your top half, and you know that double denim is dangerous territory. But so is going out half-naked. Enter chinos/khaki/s/colored pant. They can be business casual as well as casual. Their military history and typically utilitarian cotton-twill fabric nevertheless make them a dependable denim ally; the original khaki – technically a colour, not a style – is a classic pairing. Add a white t-shirt and you’re ready for the weekend.
With Indigo Jeans
A shade more difficult than black jeans, but still not that hard, unwashed indigo denim will stand much less of a chance of optically bleeding into a lighter and/or distressed denim jacket than lighter and/or distressed jeans, for reasons that should hopefully be apparent from reading this sentence.
With A Shirt And Tie (for men) A Blouse (for women)
Yes, you can mix business with workwear. Make the partnership less what-the-hell by dialing down the dressiness of the other elements to bring them more in line with your decidedly casual look: a button-down Oxford instead of a stiff-coloured shirt; a knitted tie instead of woven silk; khakis instead of tailored trousers. Even if your denim jacket isn’t overly faded, it’s still way more informal than any tailored equivalent, so give it a try and express yourself.
With A Hoodie
This combo is a fallback for any fashionista or trendsetter. A hoodies is a natural sparring partner for any denim jacket because they’re both low-key, chuck-on weekend staples. Keep the colours neutral or go bold. The bigger factor is fit, don’t go too boxy with the fit of the hoodie.
With Tailored Pant
Similar to the blouse or shirt and tie combination, it helps if you can minimize the discord between your casual jacket and tailored pant. Pair your jacket with pant that are proper fitting and top it off with a cute pair of heels or casual comfy chucks.
With A Roll Neck
Anywhere you can wear a shirt, you can rock a roll neck. Well, pretty much. But before you knit up, consider your denim jacket’s finish, whether pristine indigo or battered stonewash, and how that metaphorically stitches together with your outfit. If the latter’s too sheer and sheeny, there might be a dissonance with the rough, tough denim; too chunky and your jacket might appear insubstantial by comparison. (Generally speaking, layers should get thicker the further away they get from your body, and vice versa.)
With An Overcoat Or Topcoat
As with a tailored blazer, your denim jacket should be slim fitting if you want to wear it under an overcoat. You should be able to get two fingers down the jacket when buttoned up and it should be narrow-necked so it doesn’t compete with your coat’s lapels.