It’s been 19 years since Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears walked on the red carpet of American Music Awards in a head-to-toe matching denim-on-denim ensemble, which gave birth to an iconic fashion moment. Fast forward to 2020, and the trend has been made even more popular by celebrities wearing it as street style. Brad Pitt’s squared denim outfit in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood was the moment we knew that this one’s sticking around. Denim on denim is everywhere, but the trend needs to be curated carefully, as it’s tricky. Celebrity stylists Akshay Tyagi and Sukriti Grover decode the rules of perfecting denim on denim. Tyagi says when doing double denim, it’s always good to break it with a neutral layer, or with a pattern. Pair a lighter jacket and Henley, in white or beige or black, with darker denim, with a few rips and tears for extra style. “While wearing a denim shirt with jeans, you can break the consistency with a floral belt, or a scarf, or with accessories on your wrist,” he adds.
According to Grover, dressing in the same shade of denim from top to bottom is a big fat no, and you should choose your washes wisely. “Double denim is a play of proportions. Pick heavier jeans and lighter shirts or jackets. The three go-to options would be a fitted jacket/fitted jean, a boxy jacket/slim or fitted jeans, or fitted jacket/relaxed jeans. As a rule, the jacket should be fitted enough so you can do it up, but short enough that it rests on your hips, allowing your shirt underneath to separate the two denim layers,” she explains.
Tyagi’s suggestion is wearing a basic jacket with a shirt, and jeans that give more of Country Western vibes, and a denim allover that breaks with a suede or leather boots, along with metallic accessories. Grover’s take is about prints and embellish – ments on denim that include patchwork patches, logos, and embroideries. “The embellishments give the outfit a visual point of difference, especially when wearing matching denim. This look especially comes out well with mid-blue, Japanese inspired denim. If you want to experiment with a rare choice, it’s double denim in white. Then you don’t have to worry about shades of blue melting into one another. Lastly, you could do an all-black denim look with skinny fits, skinny jeans, and a snug jacket paired with boots, channelling your inner rockstar,” she suggests.
Discussing the do’s and dont’s of double denim, Anisha Jain says that using the right colour palette is the key. “I remember doing denim on denim on Shahid Kapoor a couple of times, and it was such a big hit. So, it is all about playing with the correct colour scheme,” she says. Grover suggests: “Do the distress denim, and keep your other clothing casual. Don’t take inspiration from the Texas West-like cowboys. Stay away from accessories like cowboy boots, cowboy hats, bolo ties, and Western belts,” she says. Tyagi cites examples of celebrities sporting the trend, like when Varun Dhawan wore Scotch & Soda’s matching set of jacket and jeans as an airport look, or the early HRX campaign looks, where Hrithik Roshan sported the trend. Now that you know everything about double denim, what’s stopping you from trying?
