White Hot Denim

3 silhouettes and 14 ways to style them over the seasons

White denim is a year round staple for me. It always adds a crisp freshness to an outfit, even in the dead of winter, but I especially grab for it during the warmer months. Since we’re well into summer, I thought it might be helpful to share the 3 styles I have in my closet. A mix of slim, wide, and loose to cover all the style bases. Plus, 14 ways I’ve styled over the years and seasons.

I included the measurements for each style below, but an added note here for my own measurements — I’m 5’4” and typically wear a full length inseam of 30” and true cropped ankle length of 27”. I always encourage you to figure out your inseam to help simplify online shopping (watch here to learn how!). Once you know your inseam, you can anticipate if something will be too short or too long and when to plan for tailoring.

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Agolde Riley High Rise Straight (Whip)

These slim straight jeans (with just a bit of stretch) are a great style to try if you’re a fan of skinny jeans, but want to test out a style that is a tiny bit more modern. A slim straight cut is slim cut through the thigh and knee with an ankle grazing (rather than tight and skinny) leg opening. I bought these a few years ago and took my true size, but I’m curious how one size up would fit — I’ve become a fan of relaxed fitting denim and think these would be a little more comfortable if they were a smidge looser. Also linking the color Sour Cream.

The Riley has a front rise of 11.5”, inseam of 26”, and the leg opening is 14”. They also come in a tall version with a 28” inseam.

I don’t pull for these jeans as often since I prefer a more relaxed fit now, but a key styling detail to highlight from these 4 older outfits — because the denim is slim cut, I balanced it out with more volume on top like the oversized button up, loose fitting cardigan, or long line blazer. The balancing of silhouettes (part of the Big Slim Skin principle that Tibi founder Amy Smilovic often talks about) helps give the outfit more dimension and feel less one note.

Citizens of Humanity Annina High Rise Wide Leg (Seashell)

This is one of my favorite denim silhouettes at the moment. I also have this style in the Chantry wash, which was likely my most worn denim through fall and winter! They’re a wider, looser, trouser inspired denim in 100% cotton (which I’ve noticed does relax a bit over time). I took my true size for a looser fit, but I would recommend sizing down if you want the denim to fit higher waisted and more slim cut through the thighs.

This style has a front rise of 11.5”, inseam of 30”, and the leg opening is 20.5”. They also come in a tall version with a 33” inseam.

I always love a monochromatic moment. When styling this looser fitting denim, I typically opt for a shoe that is either strappy and delicate (exposing the skin of the foot) or a pointed toe (for the added elongation). In this outfit, I cinched the waist of the shacket to give added definition.

Cuffed denim is a major spring trend that I love — I can easily take denim I already own, add a cuff, and feel like I have an entirely new pair of on trend denim to style. I use my microstitch tool to help hold the wider cuff in place.

I typically like to balance the silhouette of the wide leg with a slim cut top, cinched waist, or a top that exposes the waistband in some way (like the cropped red sweater or the unbuttoned knit jacket below).

Agolde Fran Jean (Milkshake)

If you like a looser fitting denim, you definitely need to try these. They’re a straight leg style, but have a much more relaxed fit and are meant to be worn low slung. I took my true size, but I did have the waist taken in — I love them so much that I plan to order in a different wash, but in the size down next time. I wear mine both cuffed and full length depending on how I want to style them. You can also shop them here.

The Fran denim has a front rise of 12.25”, inseam of 26.5”, and the leg opening is 17.25”.

I wore this outfit in New York in early June and it’s one of my recent favorites. I just love the pop of silver from the necklace. Plus, the raffia clutch feels a bit unexpected — I thought about pairing with my black shoulder bag, but liked that the raffia added in texture and a little of the “wrong shoe theory” in bag form. What do you think?

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Until next time,

Kelly

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