Denim on Denim

Do you follow trends? Sometimes I do try a trendy combination.

Denim on denim isn't a new styling trick. Remember those acid-washed denim jackets with matching acid wash denim jeans from back in the eighties? In fashion history, every trend comes back around about every twenty years, and each time the younger generation thinks they invented it. I was wearing frayed and torn cut-off jeans when I was sixteen also. You can breathe easy; I won't be revisiting that trend!

At this stage of life, I carefully consider all trends before hopping on board. I don't want to look like I am still wearing the trend from the last time it was popular. My way of incorporating a trend now is to bring it up a notch and wear it in a more elegant way than a twenty-something might successfully wear a look. I know my body isn't the same, even if she and I wear the same size. I style a trend that can mean all the difference between feeling silly and being very confident and comfortable.

Slim-fitting legging style jeans give me a smooth flat front to layer tops over without all those loops and a snap and zipper showing through. I prefer them worn with a long tunic top rather than a shorter top that shows more of the body. These wide waistband midnight blue jean style leggings are from Foxcroft. The material is soft and smooth, and the fit is true.

This tunic is also from Foxcroft and is made from Tencel, a supremely soft and comfortable material that can look like denim. I love the details of this tunic! The details all work well for me, from the face-flattering V formed by the Johnny Collar to the high small front pocket placement. The long sleeves mean I can wear the top open as a jacket, look over a tank top, and the way I wore it here. The high-low hem instantly makes me look five pounds thinner!

When I go with the denim on denim look, I always vary the intensity of the two colors so that there is a high contrast between the top and bottom.

I typically want most of my backside and the tops of my thighs covered by the tunic I am wearing for a casual look. That is always a successful look for me when wearing legging-style pants. If the pull-on pant is more loose-fitting and dressy, I will often wear a shorter top layered with a longer jacket. This combination will break up the unflattering straight line of the hem of the jacket and the top's hem, stopping at the same point.

I wore this look to my warehouse and to run errands on a sunny day last week. I paired my tunic and leggings with shoes and a bag, both by Calvin Klein. The sunglasses were by Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J.Maxx last year.

Nude shoes are my go-to color for warm weather, thanks to their slimming leg-lengthening effect. Nude means the color closest to your skin color.

Another styling tip that helps me look more up to date is not to button every button. If I am layering over another top, I might button only the two buttons in the center. Here I left the lower button undone. This looks more relaxed, but it also keeps the tops from wrinkling so much when I sit down. The seat belt causes wrinkles, no matter how careful I am!