How to wear black jeans, five ways
“Black jeans are, quite simply, smarter than your average blue jeans,” says Thread’s Style Director Shaunie Brett. “The saturated colour makes them impactful, and the lack of fading means they look sharp enough for dinner or drinks. Some guys are intimidated by black jeans because they see them as daring or edgy, but that’s not so. They’re easy for any guy to wear well.”
Below, Shaunie shares how to wear one pair of black jeans in five different situations.
1. For an afternoon that might turn into a night out
Outfit: Black jeans, white trainers, white t-shirt, leather bomber jacket
Why this works: “There are a few things that make this combination work so well. One is the jeans, whose colour makes them slightly smarter and more versatile than blue jeans. Another is the leather bomber: it’s always nice to have contrasting textures in an outfit, this style of jacket looks good indoors and out, and it adds a bit of edge without being overly eye-catching.”
2. For when you’re ready to upgrade your Saturday clothes
The outfit: Black jeans, white trainers, grey t-shirt, utility or military jacket
Why this works: “This outfit is super simple, but it doesn’t look thoughtless because each piece is clean and basic, and the colours go so well together — grey and green is a particularly good combination.”
3. For when the dress code is smart casual
Outfit: Black jeans, smart leather shoes, shirt, jumper
Why this works: “Black jeans can look like trousers rather than jeans, which makes them a good smart-casual piece. These jeans’ slim fit means they work well with smarter shoes (there’s no flapping ankle material) and the jumper is equally neat and fitted. If your smart shoes are brown, or have a brown sole, try a green, brown or burgundy jumper instead.”
4. For when you’re bored of chinos (or they feel a bit too smart)
Outfit: Black jeans, smart leather shoes, shirt, blazer
Why this works: “Black jeans take the smartness or formalness of a blazer down a notch and make it feel more modern. If you wore this with chinos, it would be way smarter … and if you wore it with blue jeans, it would feel a bit mismatched because this wool blazer is smarter and sleeker than a textured blazer would be. To make this work, you have to keep your top half fairly casual: choose a casual shirt over a formal one, and skip the tie.”
5. For when you don’t know where you’re going to dinner
Outfit: Black jeans, smart leather shoes, white shirt, stone trenchcoat
Why this works: “A shirt, black jeans and smart shoes could work in a fancy restaurant, but also wouldn’t look too out of place in a pub. And trenchcoats are so classic and smart: you’ll look equally impressive indoors and out.”
Originally published at www.thread.com/tips
