When it comes to an item of clothing we may all share, the humble pair of jeans has got to be up there. In shades from ice blue to dark indigo, with maybe an extra pair too; black with well placed rips or a pair of ankle cropped whites for the summer holidays?
Whether you’re brave and strut out in double denim; keep it classic with a white shirt or casual with an oversize top and flats, don’t forget to give a moment’s thought to the bag you reach for.
Here are your 4 top tips to keep your denim outfit screaming sassy rather than sad when pairing with a handbag:
- Black jeans work best with black or red bags
- Light blue jeans worn in summer are about pastel coloured bags
- Light blue jeans in winter (are you mad!); well when fashion dictates, would be best paired with camel or tan coloured bags
- Indigo jeans (like black) are great to pair with the primary coloured bags; blue, red, green or even yellow
My caveat to the basic rules above are consider your footwear. Those of you who know me, will know that I’m not about matching footwear to bags (we are not our grandmothers or part of the Royal Family)! However, all I ask is a little consideration for what’s on your feet. Don’t ignore the opportunity to accent your bag with your footwear. For example:
- if you are wearing heels, top tip is to opt for a bag with structure
- if you are wearing flats, you have the options of soft shaped bags as well as something a bit more structured – crossbody bags work well
- if you are opting for trainers/sneakers, go casual with your bag such as a hobo style bag – no sharp corners as they can unbalance a casual look
If you are thinking ahead, say next 6 months, wear or shop for the darker denim. New York Fashion Week (back in September ’17) featured some of the top denim designers – both Calvin Klein and Tom Ford moved well into the dark blue indigo denim spectrum for their Spring 2018 collections.
For your inspiration and maybe even shopping, here are some bags which will carry you from winter through to the end of spring when reaching for the denim, with budget and designer options to consider:
Wearing deep indigo or black jeans and heels…
On a budget:
Red: Aveline from Hush exclusive to John Lewis, £99
Blue: Lapel leather clutch from Mango, £35.99
Yellow: Double strap leather handbag from Mango, £49.99
Black: Label Lab at House of Fraser, the quilted Gigi, £49
Or going for bust:
Red: Mini Berlin from Demellier London, £345
Yellow: Mini Emily from The Kooples, £298
Black: Mico Lottie bag from Aspinal of London, £295
Blue: Suede clutch from DvF at Harvey Nichols, £230
Wearing faded or ice blue jeans, go casual
On a budget:
Round leather/suede crossbody bag from Mango £49.99
Leather suede flap bag from Mango from £49.99
Or going for bust:
Letterbox saddle bag from Aspinal of London, £450
Puzzle bag, small from Loewe at Browns, £1525
So there you have it, your Denim 101 guide to handbags. Only 4 rules to remember and 12 bags on sale now to inspire you.
Happy shopping denim lovers!
Credit: header image from denim legends Gstar, Diesel, Jeans Couture and Gigi Hadid
