Denim: A New Way to Wear Jeans

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As one of my Instagram captions asks, “The first day of the fall semester means it’s officially denim season, right?” Gone are the days of satin shorts and summer dresses. We are back to days spent indoors with air conditioning, forcing us to wrap our legs in the thickest material we can wear without actually sweating, denim.

Denim is most commonly worn in jeans, and maybe the most versatile form of clothing we own.  It is easy to put on a pair of jeans and get to class. Jeans can be worn to the office dressed up, dressed down on the weekends, and it’s a college student favorite. You can even wear the same pair almost every day of the week to class without anyone really noticing. Jeans are a blessing.

This fall, don't go back into the grips of your favorite skinny jeans. Better yet, abandon all notions of you have of denim. This season, don’t take into consideration the absurd “body-standards” prescribed to you by fashion magazines. Forget all that you’ve seen in mainstream media about how you should wear jeans and what you should avoid. You are officially denim virgins now, good.

Now, I want you to explore denim for the very first time. When shopping for new jeans this season, pick up a pair of jeans that you would have never picked up for yourself.  I suggest going through this rebirth with a clear head. Don’t worry about looking “weird” or “not in trend”. Grab a pair of wide-leg flared jeans, white jeans, straight leg, cigarette style, jeans with holes, denim culottes, even a denim romper! Don’t reject a pair of jeans just because they seem intimidating. You are the one who will be wearing them, you own them, so don’t let them scare you. Take control of your closet, one pair of jeans at a time!

One pair of jeans can transform you into a rock star, and another pair can turn you into a flower child. A pair of denim culottes will turn your “casual Friday” office attire into “chicest intern”. Paired with just a t-shirt for class, culottes will make you stylish with a tank top or a flowy top on the weekend. You can also try out the “Mom jeans”, “Dad jeans”, or my favorite, the “Boyfriend jeans”. All the aforementioned styles of denim are not usually fitted, but they do make an outfit interesting and comfortable.  They can be rolled up to show off the summer-sandals you’re still wearing in September, or worn over boots when the temperature begins to drop. You can use different styles of jeans to make your wardrobe into a whole new collection.

If the pair of jeans you pick up and try on earns a look from your pals or family members, know that you have a good job at re-familiarizing yourself with denim. You have stepped out of your comfort zone, went on an adventure and came out with new denim treasures. Now to avoid buyer's remorse or feeling like you can’t go through with it, you have to own them. Not financially but physically and mentally own them. When you put on the jeans you should be smiling, “feeling yourself” as Beyoncé would say. Nobody has ever decreed that a pair of jeans should hug your bottom or be a certain wash or length or fit. And if they ever did, then they don’t have any sense of style or adventure. It doesn’t matter if you wear a pair of “ugly pants.” As Leandra Medine, the founder of ManRepeller, and my ultimate style-crush said, “I wear ugly pants because I like them”.

When you do go through with your denim rebirth and decide to post your fabulous find or outfit on Instagram, tag me @Hawaapatel.