The Denim Body - Flatter and Wide

Flattering denim cuts as well as serious indigo tailoring offers consumers more jeans opportunities to play with.  Wider shapes, nipped in waists, panelling, top stitching are but some of the denim detailing we now see as part of the fashion jeans scene.  Making the simple skinny almost redundant in the wardrobes of the fashion forward.

Wide shapes and fluid drape from super high waists down to floor skimming lengths are a complete antithesis of the minimal skinny.  The high fashion versions are almost charicature but will influence our eyes to want a wider easier silhouette.

The bigger silhouette is broken up with panelling and top stitching onto raw rigid denims.  Weights are lighter to achieve raw comfort with the addition of Tencel cellulosic fibre for a glamorous lustre.

The Denim Body - Body [ faintly ] Aware

Draped denims that skim the body,  fluid not fitted will emphasise the beauty of your shape - enticing and less obvious. Retaining the lycra content for comfort and ease in fluid denims with tencel or lightweight 2 plied cotton, such denims are having a surge in popularity for the leg lengthening onesie and the high waisted wide long flare. Minimal laundry technique is required to enhance such silhouettes.

R: Collezeioni

The androgynous easy slim which falls over the shoe and the slightly baggier deep cuffed boyfriend styles  look appealing after having spent so long with tight indigo legs.  The denim has still a little stretch to fit at the body and help with movement in high waist styles.

R: V Project

Slim and cropped in positive rich indigos or black denims shift the more simple styled jeans into the suiting arena. High waists, side pockets high low washes at seams and edges lend attitude to a simple silhouette.

The two leading women's brands are playing with alternatives to the super skinny.  

MiH with their iconic cult jean project jeans focuses on superb fit at the rear, slightly higher waists for a smooth silhouette and flattering straight or flared legs into raw cut edges.

J Brand is playing with cigarette and straight slim silhouettes with likewise higher waists giving a flatteringly longer line for both women's and men's jeans.

The Denim Body - Indigo Shape

New focus is on the body and thighs rather than the whole leg.   High cut waists are shapely with interesting versions of the 5 pocket principle. We also see a return to the stitched -in front seam emphasising the leg length and allowing us to use it as a feature in laundry work.   The hourglass silhouette culminates in whatever shape of jean below the knee- flare; boot cut; slim; boyfriend ; crop or deeply cuffed - and don't forget the raw edge finishing.

L: Kelly Harrington R: Stella McCartney

High waists allow us to play with top stitching, visible buttons and shorter crop jackets.  Raw look denims in rich bright indigos may look rigid but with the addition of lycra for a little stretch the term "raw denim" is not so much raw as supremely chic.

Women's denim is becoming more tailored and unwashed in high waisted slim shapes. Cool guys favour raw rigid in slim shapes and crop ankle grazer lengths whilst the geezers still like the aggressive laundry work whatever the shape.

The MiH Jeans ~Golborn Road project by Bay Garnett heralds a resurgence of waist and body emphasis dropping to cropped flares with cuffs big and washed or simply frayed.   Girly yet elegant depending on the accessories bringing back the 70's laid back sexy looks.

Trend Alert: The Denim Body, beyond Skinny

Body aware is what we need now but just how much "aware" do our jeans need to be?      Super tight is starting to look tired. Since skinnies are now worn under everything from crop tops to long dresses maybe skinny jeans should morph back into real leggins?    Mixing Active life items with daily fashion.

R: AGOLDE

Leg Skimmers step back to the real jean.  The denim can display vintage fabric and washes with the added fit of lycra stretch.  Rather than strangulation stretch we see comfort stretch making a return and with it exciting laundry techniques.

The boyfriend fit can be just as flattering as a skinny and much less obvious. Not a man's fit but an easy fit with a mid rise which nods to the woman rather than the girl.  We will play with small kick flares, cigarette shape, cropped slim - all of which are body aware given the stretch and soft comfort technology plus more grown up in attitude.

R: J Crew

Even though the fits are shifting from super skinny to flattering body aware slim we still need fabrics that perform and help the fit.   Maybe not in such high % stretch.  Maybe we no longer need 60-80% stretch maybe we only need 40%?

Lycra and Dual FX fibre blends with added Modal and Tencel for softness and lustrous drape will impart a super comfort body hug allowing the shape to fall from the body or thighs.     Crop flares, boot cut revival and of course the boyfriend are just three of the important looks to come as alternatives to our skinny love.

A Whiter Shade of Pale

White denim is hot hot hot for summer.   It need not be just white.  Take blue out of white with edge spray, or white out of blue with 3D edge effects.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Sculpted clean cuts give white denim a different attitude.  Not always relaxed, ripped, repaired and degraded - rigid white denims can be crisp and clean for summer in the city chic.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Ripping, repairing and playing with white coatings lend dimension and interest to an otherwise bland white twill surface.  Use the white jean as a canvas for self expression.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye L-R: ©PRPS ©XIMONLEE ©Zara

Pigment white spray onto indigo - highlight the edges and question the body- is it blue?  is it grey?  is it white?  Whatever it is it adds attitude and intrigue.  

Pale Attitude

Greenish indigo - an amazing colour for summer lending real attitude to all things fashion.

jacket ©Cheap monday, Skirt ©Topshop

Pale indigos and metallic coateds.  Silver + pale blue = fresh, urban, optimistic.

L: R: ©Moshino

Lazer print impressions of degrade are intriguing.   Pieced and patched indigo denims using the backside instead of bleach out.  Anything goes.

Clockwise from Top Left: ©Saint Laurent, ©Off White, ©Kenzo Denim, ©Zara

Mix different washes and different textures in one garment, highlighting areas for shape and effect.  Piece and patch for unique patchwork effects.

Mih

See how fine weave and chambray work in perfect harmony by piecing light and lighter shades as a design feature in this fisherman's parka from MiH-jeans.com

Pretty Pales

Pale frills and flounces are a staple style for summer denim shirts.  Looking prettier in the lightest chambray cotton or tencel for extra drape and bounce.

L-R: ©Maison Manila ©Paloma Lira Helena ©Carla Fernandez Angelica   

The denim dress - a must for hot days in graduated shades of pale indigo.  Mix and accessorise with pretty colours and effects so that the silhouette isn't all about indigo denim.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye

Prints and clipped weave jacquards bring prettiness into the arena of mens denim shirts as well as for women in indigo textures and patterns in paler washes. 

©Mih ©Topshop

Gathered fullness  and colour degrade float the different levels of pretty and palest indigo chambrays into long dresses.  With finest and softest fibres as well as different levels of shade indigo has boundless potential for summer wear.

Trend Alert: Lighter Shade of Pale

Light washes and lighter shades of indigo have found it difficult to achieve the same level of interest as their darker cousins and have not stood the "being loved for long" test.   Things have now changed.     We no longer just use bleach to lighten we have many more tricks to create edgy pale hued denim jeans.   

The shade starts dark so with chemicals and tints we carve out exciting new lighter shades leaving 3D highs and lows at the seams and focus areas;  we use sulphur tints to change the cast of the shade;  we heavily wear out areas of interest in the garment as well as ripping and repairing to add dimension;  with paler shades we naturally have the impression of wearing an "old friend" so ripping with no repairing even leaving giant holes looks real.   All of this is laundry work but the start denim must be substantial enough to withstand the artificial wear and tear as well as be made in 100% indigo shade such that the result is clean, clear, almost pretty.

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye L:©Diesel

Scraped and spayed pretty blues for the garment body leaving 3D high/low effects at the edges and seams; false tacked up hems which, when let down after spray, create decorative effects to further add dimension to the worn in effect.   Myriad levels of light indigo achieve varying levels of interest in different textured denims - pre-shrunk;  STF ( Levi) shrink to fit effect;  flat finished smooth effect as well as with different textured constructions from crunchy plain weaves and dobbies to smooth sateens and twills. 

Composite Image ©TheDenimEye Top Left: ©Amelia Lindquist ©UMagazine

Texture and differentiated indigo shades offer opportunities for design intrigue, fabric combing and clever cutting.  The crackled texture of pre-shrunk or STF denim finishing cut and combined in new wider shapes take paler denim to a classier level of denim fashion.      Whilst pretty green casted indigos and sulphur aqua blues are edgy and cool.

Composite image ©TheDenimEye L: ©Faustine Steinmetz

Splash and sponged bleached out pattern effects are summer camouflage with crush and creased effects in lightweights.  Start with dark indigo and bleach out to white with tie dye technique or sponge effects.      Or start with white undyed denim and work in with dark indigos or sulphur dyes.

l-r ©zara, ©framedenim

Combine light with dark; clever cut the jeans for super creative effect;  play with shade, texture and the use of high low 3D finish effects at waist and hem.