Denim is core to my wardrobe and has been for all of my life. Growing up in Arizona, jeans were part of my everyday uniform, and not much has changed when I moved to NYC to L.A. Whether I’m slipping into jeans with a tee or wearing it head-to-toe (as evidenced by the outfit above), I consider myself a denim connoisseur after wearing the pieces on repeat my whole life.
That being said, my collection of denim had grown to be a bit too large for my apartment, so I recently donated a big chunk of my jeans in a closet cleanout. Through a try-on session, it occurred to me which styles I’m gravitating toward these days and the styles I haven’t worn in a while. The latter got the cut. Ahead, see the five outdated pieces I’m throwing out and the five key denim trends you’ll now find in my closet.
While I participated in the cropped jeans trend a few years back, I always struggled to style them. I personally found it challenging to narrow in on the right shoe silhouette to pair with them. They’ve since landed in my donation pile. Instead, I’ve been gravitating toward the leg-lengthening straight-leg cut. The classic shape has a cool, vintage feel and looks great paired with just about anything, which is why they’re my go-to silhouette.
While I’ll never truly retire skinny jeans to wear with pieces like knee-high boots, I’m over the super-tight jegging-like jeans that have a ton of stretch. In fact, I’ve been leaning to the exact opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to denim. Trouser-style jeans have become a personal favorite denim style that I started wearing last year. Not only are they the most comfortable jeans I own, but they also add a sleek, tailored element that you would usually find in suiting.
When tight denim jorts first popped, I was excited to try them but never really mastered how to style them. I wasn’t ready to give up on the idea of longer denim shorts, though, so was excited to try out the wider-cut denim Bermuda shorts that have recently gained traction. With a looser leg and a slightly longer cut, these shorts feel more sophisticated than their predecessor.
Sure, there’s a big movement to low-rise jeans and silhouettes right now, but I decided that I won’t be personally wearing it. Did I wear lower-cut denim in decades past? Sure. But now that I’ve discovered the magic proportions of wearing a high-rise cut I don’t think I’ll ever be turning back.
While I embrace a bit of distressing in ’90s-style jeans with holes at the knee, I’ve found that all of the pairs I own with ripped hems have been collecting dust in my closet. Instead, I find myself reaching for jeans with finished hems, which I think just a bit more polished.
