By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
September 1, 2005
Jessica Simpson favors Escada’s designer jeans ($2,550) and Claire Danes has been known to “slum” it in a pair of Zac Posen’s limited-edition creations for 7 for All Mankind ($995). Yet most of us would like to spend $100 or less for denim. Preferably much less.
Despite the trend in high-end designer jeans by the likes of Rock & Republic, Citizens of Humanity and Paper Denim & Cloth, affordable jeans with a high-end look are possible — if you know what to look for.
Details — and denim — are huge this season.
“There seems to be no end in sight for the denim boom,” says Tom Julian, fashion trend analyst at Fallon Worldwide. “There are so many designers offering novel details. The washes have evolved from vintage to a dark rinse and the pockets tend to be intricate and detailed. And everyone is carrying them, from the high end boutiques to the department stores at the mall. It’s a win-win situation for the consumer.”
All the Hollywood “It” girls are wearing denim embroidered, sequined and with pockets sporting interesting details, says Judy Gordon, the style editor for NBC’s “Today” show and the founder of www.thetrendreport.com. One of the new denim wash techniques is a darker denim strip running down the outer sides of jeans, giving the illusion of slimmer thighs.
Fashionistas like Gwyneth Paltrow and Scarlett Johansson are devout followers of True Religion and 7 For All Mankind jeans — both in the mid-$200 range. They swear the former makes their rears look perkier while the back pockets on the latter — which are embellished with its signature swirl — make their backsides look narrower.
Thanks to moderately priced stores such as Target and Sears, we all can look in vogue without breaking the bank. Sears’ denim bar offers Buffalo Jeans’ trendy American Exchange line. The jeans are medium low rise and come in indigo black or indigo faded and retail for $42 to $49.
And Target’s Mossimo line of jeans for fall does a solid job mimicking this season’s more expensive designer creations. With distressed denim ranging from $24.99 to $29.99, the pants won’t distress your pocketbook either.
“Denim has always been hot, but it’s been the phenom of the past few years,” says Regina Haymes, fashion market director for Marie Claire. “Denim was not a part of mainstream fashion and never was on the runway. Things are very different now. It’s infiltrated every occasion, from work to play to evenings out.”
HOW TO WEAR IT
We already know denim is perfect for casual get-togethers. But when we wanted to know if it was appropriate to wear to more serious functions, we turned to www.thetrendreport.com founder and fashionista extraordinaire Judy Gordon for answers. Here’s what she had to say:
COCKTAIL PARTY:
Wear dressier, darker denim (such as these Apostrophe trousers from Sears, $44) with bold accessories — like a jeweled cuff, or metallic belt or sash — along with a stylish Chanel-inspired jacket and metallic high heels or high-heel boots.
WORK:
Make sure the jeans (such as Mossimo boot cut jeans in dark wash, $29.99 at Target) aren’t too faded, which makes them too casual for the office. Pair them with a blazer and a thin, cashmere sweater or blouse, which is very in for fall, and conservative shoes or boots.
DINNER DATE:
Glam up your jeans (Allen B. by Allen Schwartz jeweled jeans, $342 at Marshall Field’s) with a metallic jacket, top or knee-length coat; or wear jeans with a tastefully sexy top — lacy or low cut. Hipsters can add bangles or wooden jewelry. Sophisticated types can opt for a Kenneth J. Lane look, combining coral and turquoise, or bangles in different colors mixed with gold. Also, black and white is an elegant, sophisticated combination — a black sweater, jacket or eyelet blouse with gold accessories.
Absolutely, says Marie Claire fashion market director Regina Haymes.
“For a great fit and quality, I always look to the Gap,” Haymes says. “They’re always on trend. For instance, this season we’re seeing plenty of skinny leg jeans that can tuck into winter boots. The Gap does this beautifully. You can find any wash or fit there.”
And, she adds: “The quality you get there is superior to a lot of the more expensive jeans.”
