Blue jeans have reigned over the trouser kingdom for decades. Yves Saint Laurent wished he invented them, Andy Warhol wanted to die in them and Giorgio Armani once called them the symbol for democracy. But the past few years haven’t been kind to the denim market. In the midst of the athleisure wear boom, U.S. denim sales dropped 6 percent in 2013 and 8 percent in 2014, according to consumer tracking service NPD Group.
Then, beginning in the fall of 2015, everything changed, thanks in part to a revitalization of new denim trends on the runway. “Denim is a category that’s really evolved in the last season, with designers leading the charge and showcasing it on the runways,” Roopal Patel, senior vice president and fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue, told WWD this April. “It’s elevated from just being casual, everyday dressing. Denim has become so much a part of everyday dressing that designers are looking for creative ways to expand the category.”
“Denim is really the quintessential street fabric,” echoed Stephanie Solomon, Lord & Taylor’s vice president and fashion director. “We are living in a casual world right now. You don’t need to be dressed up, unless you are a lawyer. Even politicians aren’t adhering to dress codes.” Amen to that.
The denim resurgence isn’t just happy news for retailers. With the myriad of show-stopping new styles on the market, we’re more than ready to break up with our yoga pants.
Want to get inspired? These celebrities and street style stars demonstrate how to wear jeans and rework your favorite denim for fall. Here are 20 new ways to wear jeans that may surprise you.
