I was (fashionably) late to the jeans party. My first foray into pants was experimenting with my mom’s old stirrup leggings, but beyond that, dresses and skirts were strictly my jam. Anything with separate legs felt restrictive and as far as hemlines were concerned, the shorter the better.
That all changed when I discovered vintage in high school. Turned on to the “joy of the hunt” by a friend, I became obsessed with the adrenaline rush of discovering one-of-a-kind pieces. My previous grievances against pants were quickly forgotten when I fell for a pair of perfectly worn-in Levi’s. This was holy grail denim: buttery soft, slightly androgynous, and in the most perfect sky blue wash. I was hooked, and my repertoire expanded quickly: frayed cutoffs in lieu of miniskirts, indigo bootcut jeans over slip dresses. My sweaters were set aside in favor of oversized, distressed denim jackets. I’d turned into a true blue-jean baby.
Denim still factors heavily in my closet. I’m in jeans almost every day. Recently, I crossed over to the dark side. Black jeans create a totally different look, and I was keen to switch things up. Revamping my denim drawer made me feel like I was in high school again, chasing a high through different cuts and washes. If you’ve recently fallen into a denim rut, read on to revitalize your black denim spark.
