YOUR SS24 GUIDE TO DENIM

A true wardrobe stalwart, a good pair of jeans can be your best sartorial investment. From the fits and the washes to the trending pieces we can’t get enough of, this is your new-season guide to nailing denim.

Look around and denim is everywhere. The fits may have moved on (more on that later) but the jean is holding strong.

Since the death of the skinny jean was declared a few years ago, a fresh crop of denim fits have been dominating our wardrobes. A vast departure from Kate Moss and Alexa Chung’s sprayed-on skinnies circa 2015, this is denim that feels like denim; looks like denim; acts like denim; by all intents and purposes, is denim. Thicker, stiffer, often in a true-blue hue. Cut looser to the body. Sometimes flared. Sometimes straight. In 2024, denim has moved on. And so has Kate Moss (who according to Vogue is the queen of the blue jean). In 2023, the model took to the Bottega Veneta SS23 runway in slouchy, loose-fitting denim (that actually turned out to be leather, but nm, it looked like denim), and cemented our belief that skin-tight, can-barely-breathe jeans are no longer the one.

So, what jean shapes should you be looking for in 2024? Baggy, slouchy, loose-fitting, oversized, boyfriend, low-slung; whatever you want to call them, jeans are having a laidback moment. Fuelled by our never-ending ‘90s infatuation, the iconic silhouette has secured its spot back in our denim rotation. A symptom of the pandemic and a return to dressing for comfort, our jeans are working with our bodies and wardrobes, not against.

In a similar camp, wide-leg jeans are back in play. The key difference to their baggy counterparts? More of a deliberate shape. Cut to flare out at the knee and hit the floor, they’re being styled with everything from ballet flats to pointy kitten heels. In a similar camp, wide-leg jeans are back in play. The key difference to their baggy counterparts? More of a deliberate shape. Cut to flare out at the knee and hit the floor, they’re being styled with everything from ballet flats to pointy kitten heels.

And last, but definitely not least, a classic pair of straight-leg jeans in a true-blue hue will become one of the most important pieces in your wardrobe. With some serious flex, they can be dressed down with sneakers, up with heels, worn with chunky boots and partnered with some of the season’s biggest footwear trends du jour - ballet flats, buckle boots and loafers. They really can do it all.

When it comes to denim washes, blues – dark, mid, light and true blue – are reigning supreme, but there’s space in your wardrobe for jet blacks and pale greys too.

Denim is no longer the reserve of jeans. In 2024, everything from denim jackets to denim maxi skirts and denim dresses have us in a chokehold.

Last year, the denim maxi skirt became one of the biggest breakout trends, and our love for the piece has continued into 2024 with everyone from Prada to Acne Studios delivering denim maxi skirts in shades of white, blue and grey. And they’re here to stay for summer; just switch out sneakers for sandals and swap out boots for kitten heels. Keep the statement socks but opt for lighter fabrics: think mesh and breezy cottons.

Hot on the heels of the denim skirt, was the denim dress. Marine Serre has applied her signature moon emblem to the piece with a patchwork denim mini dress. While Miu Miu have given us a mini dungaree dress that feels plucked straight out of Meryl Streep’s Mamma Mia wardrobe. Here we go again.

Prefer to add just a touch to a look or can’t get enough of the stuff? Denim bags are coming in hot. Marc Jacobs have given us their signature ‘The Tote Bag’ in a faded denim, while Gucci have delivered a denim-ified take on their signature ‘Dionysus Mini’. And the denimaissance just keeps going. For AW24, Chemena Kamali ushered in a new era of boho chic. The essential piece to you need to get ahead on the trend? Chloé's Denim Crossbody Bag.

It girl, off-duty, cool girl denim? Allow Miu Miu to show you how it’s done. Delivering a fresh take on the Canadian tuxedo, for SS24 they’ve delivered a co-ordinating set complete with a cropped blue jacket and a pair of baggy Bermuda shorts. Wear with the brand’s cult ballet flats, an easy white tee and an oversized tote. Simple.

Double denim, the Prada way? Sign, us, up. Delivering an ultra-chic spin on the Canadian classic, Prada are doing denim like no one else. For SS24, it’s all about their ‘Denim Maxi’ and ‘Jewelled Jacket’. The jacket comes cropped, adorned with glittering jewels in the place of buttons, while the skirt hugs close to the body, falling to well past the ankles. Pair with all-white ballet pumps and an understated baguette bag for easy, It girl appeal.

If you’re looking for a fun-loving take on the double denim trend, Jacquemus is the (obvious) answer for this sartorial situation. ‘Le Chouchou’ jacket comes in true baby blues, is cut to a rib-grazing crop and features denim ribbons that wrap around the torso for the coquette-meets-cowboy crossover we didn’t know we needed. Pair with jeans and keep the good vibes going with a denim bag and denim heels. If it’s good enough for Beyoncé, it’s good enough for us.