Spring/Summer Fashion Trend – The Denim Jacket

Last year you may remember me championing the denim shirt, and earlier on this year I even produced a full look book dedicated to the topic. Whenever anyone mentions denim shirt or denim jacket to the majority of males, you see the sense of fear in their eyes because it can be tricky to get the look right – Justin Timberlake anyone? The denim jacket in particular has had a stigma associated with it for a while now, probably due to it conjuring up images of unfashionable cowboys, the 90s and the like. However with the emergence of new popular clothing pieces this season like chinos and tailored shorts, I think now might be the time to pick one up for your wardrobe.

The last time I owned a denim jacket I think I was 18 and it has been 8 long years since that (embarrassing) time in my life. Back then I had no idea how to wear one properly and probably committed most of the cardinal sins of rocking the double denim look. However now I feel my personal style has progressed enough to warrant adding another to my wardrobe. This is definitely NOT a trend per se, but I have noticed a lot of the major designers and high street releasing more and more versions of the denim jacket over the last couple of months. What this means for you however is that there are a multitude of styles, cuts and washes available so you can find the perfect denim addition to your existing wardrobe. You can go for a great light denim wash that will contrast against your darker jeans, or go completely the other way and try a white (see all white trend article) or even taupe/beige colour which will contrast perfectly against any colour of jeans you already regularly wear.

My favourite combination however is when the item is paired with chinos or tailored shorts on the warmer days. Like I mentioned above, the chinos are really becoming a fashion essential this season, and with the move away from using jeans in every outfit, it means we have more room to experiment with our jackets and shirts. I particularly LOVE the combination of camel/stone/beige chinos paired with a simple tee and great blue denim jacket. I saw this in the latest GQ trend supplement and it looked amazing… so much so that I went and ordered myself a denim jacket that day.

Ways to Wear

So here are some very simple and easy to pull off ways to wear the denim jacket this season:

• Use a light coloured denim jacket in an unconventional taupe, beige or white colourways and match it with your favourite pair of jeans. They can be dark, light or mid blue and the contrast will really stand out. Throw on a graphic tee and some canvas trainers for a really easy casual outfit that will use the denim jacket to differentiate yourself from the masses.
• Use a white denim jacket to pull off the all white trend. Match with white chinos, white leather deck shoes and a simple white v-neck for a confident and bright spring/summer look which is right on trend.
• Pair your grey jeans with a black denim jacket for a beautiful monochrome colour contrast. You can really smarten the look up by using a black polo shirt or plain shirt and throwing on the brogues or Chelsea boots.
• Go back to being a REAL MAN and use the faded wash denim jacket with your comfort jeans (different washes of course) and bold check shirt. Has roots within the whole outdoor/manual worker look so make sure you pair your outfit with a great leather pair of chunky military boots.
• Pair your beige/stone chinos with a great indigo denim jacket for a real colour contrast. Add the deck shoes and striped tee for a twist on the nautical look.
• Use some tailored neutral coloured shorts and pair it with another neutral tone denim jacket. When mixing similar tones again make sure you vary the colour, so think beige or cream with white. Simply throw on a vest and a pair of sunglasses and match them with your favourite summer footwear.
• Believe it or not we are even going to see some denim gilets in the collections below, so why not take a leaf out of the latest All Saints promotional campaign and use a long sleeve top or shirt underneath a denim gilet? Throw on the destructed shorts and some military boots for an edgy and fashion forward look. Image I am talking about (albeit using a leather gilet) can be viewed by clicking here

Hopefully this has just given you some ideas about how versatile the denim jacket now is. With the use of chinos, jeans and tailored shorts, you can create multiple looks and outfits using the same piece. I think it is about time we gave this outcast a second chance within our wardrobes!

New Season Styles

So now I have (hopefully) convinced you of the advantages of owning one of these jackets, I think it would be a good idea to show you some of the styles available this year online. I think the amount of styles, colour, cuts and washes will really surprise you…

All Saints

Topman

New Look

ASOS

Oki-Ni

Others