Blue Jean Baby...

If you read the same magazines as me, you would've noticed that blue denim is in and if you read the same blogs that I write, then you would've also noticed that I LOVE a bit of denim!

The big news is that big jeans are big for 2015. And by that I mean big at the bottom (bottom of the leg - not bottom of the, err, bottom). I refer to this style of flared jean as 'dingers' but as far as I know this term isn't universal, so please don't go embarrassing yourself by asking for such next time you’re shopping.

I already own a pair of ‘dingers’ which were purchased some silly amount of years ago from Topshop and I wear them every spring and summer (even if the magazines are telling me to wear something else - rebel!). Now, the reason I save them for the warmer months is because I prefer to wear them with an open toed wedge and given that they are quite long 'dingers', wearing a flatter shoe in the winter months would most definitely lead to a soggy bottom - again, of the leg variety, not bum. Or cake. 

Yee-haw and do-si-do your partner!

I’m aware that it looks like I’m about to launch into a spot of line dancing here - but I love this check and denim ensemble. And I think you’ll agree that it’s probably the most colourful top I’ve ever worn on the blog! I’m also aware that my knees are seemingly bending the wrong way in this picture – the phrase ‘couldn’t stop a pig in a passage’ springs to mind! 

Less bandy. I think?

And below with a stripy top and a cutesy brown bag to pick out the wedges. For any fellow ‘winters’ out there, I’m quite aware that brown is not in the ‘winter’ colour palette but it’s only a little bit and it feels good to bend the rules just slightly once in a while. Plus, I adore brown with denim – always have, always will.

Which shoes?
You don’t have to wear your 'dingers' with wedges of course but a word of caution - please be very careful which shoes you do choose to wear with them.

Happy feet

The length of your jeans should most certainly dictate what type of shoe you wear. If your 'dingers' are shorter - then a flip-flop, sandal or slim fit trainer is going to look good. But put a heel with a shorter pair of 'dingers' and you’re going to look more Max Wall* than cool and the leg lengthening potential will be utterly wasted. See below!

No, no, no - these jeans are too short for heels! They'd be better with flip-flops, sandals or trainers.

But if your 'dingers' are uber long then you can get away with a stiletto/heel – no problem.
Now, believe it or not, the picture below is a current picture from the Zara website. I kid you not!

Again - no,no.no! These jeans are too short.

In my opinion, no shoe is going to make these jeans look cool – they are just too short for the model. As a friend of mine used to say, whenever they saw someone wearing trousers that were too short, ‘Put some jam on your shoes and invite your trousers down for tea!’

I’m thinking of replacing my wedge with a clog this summer. I used to own a pair in my 20’s and I can honestly say that not only were they extremely comfortable, but they were versatile too. I used to wear them with my maxi dress and my denim skirt. And a clog (though probably best to get one for each foot!), will definitely lend itself to the folky/boho look of the 70’s 'dinger'. 

I’ve got my eye on a pair of these classics from World of Clogs

Ding dong - did you know…
'Dingers' are great for a bit of leg lengthening and also good if you are a bit hippy (as well as hippie!). You see, the wide ‘bell bottom’ will actually counterbalance the wideness of your hips, giving the illusion of a more balanced figure. I know, what’s not to like?! And if you go for a higher wasted jean, they’ll also keep your tummy in check too if that’s something your conscious of.

Now, as well as being careful about which shoes you wear with your 'dingers' – be careful to choose ones with good back pockets (this rule applies to any jeans actually). If the pockets are small and placed high up on the bum, your bum is going to look much bigger than it is. Go for bigger pockets that occupy a good section of the bum and that are cleverly angled. Levi’s and MiH are good at that.

And another tip – darker denim is more slimming than lighter denim – so choose a shade that flatters your figure. And it’s obvious that darker denim will look smarter than the distressed, lighter options.

A good vintage…
Speaking of distressed (I could launch into my current state of mind here, but I’ll stick with the denim for your own sanity!), I’m very excited to tell you about AG Jeans. They have a range called ‘AG-ed’ which is an ode to vintage, emulating naturally aged denim ranging from 1 to 30 years old. From subtle rips to crafty patches, the higher the number, the lighter and more distressed the jean. Clever huh?

My faves by AG jeans are The Belle (aged by 15 years).

And here are some other options that I’ve found for you - not an exhaustive list by any stretch, but it will start you off on your hunt for those denim 'dingers'. Good luck!

These River Island ones are similar to the Topshop ones I’m wearing.

River Island 'dinger' called 'Brooke'

These Zara ones are a great colour. Though, I bet her mum tuts and exclaims that the bottoms are going to get totally filthy every time she leaves the house! She has a point, they are bit too long for flats, but hey ho - it's a good look.

Zara 'dinger'

These MiH 'dingers' come in a variety of washes and I like the faded 'crease' down the front.

MiH 'dingers'

These ASOS ones look like they have quite a high waist for those that like that cut.

Asos 'dingers'

That's it for now. I’ll leave you with some ‘blast from the past double denim' pics. 

Mmmm – double denim? I’m game! 

You?

M x


* no relation!

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