Trusty denim-staples should form the base of any wardrobe worth it’s indigo-salts, but that doesn’t mean they should be kept exclusively as a foundation for a safe, building-block look. Instead of seeing jeans as the quiet, submissive starting point for a loud shirt or wavey jacket, it’s time we gave the humble classic a spotlight to shine all on their own.
While mainstream menswear has been increasingly experimental in cut, texture and print as of late, the jeans have, largely, been left as an untouched commodity, not to be played with – that is until now. An increasing amount of designers have been painting, screen-printing and acid washing those trusted, sweet, baby-blue staples in recent seasons to bring to you: the printed jean.
Does it sound a little more like something you’d pick up in an obscure Ibizan hippie-ware boutique then something you might actual cop? Bear with us. The variety of choice is ample, and whether you’re looking for a have-they-haven’t-they effect with deft touches of acrylic creeping up the leg a la Aries, or the more balls-to-the-wall Morrocan-tile effect supplied by Casablanca, every confidence level is catered for, however there are a few simple rules.
A pair of printed jeans are a pretty loud statement, so the rest of your fit needs to really needs to simmer down and let the legs do the talking. A simple (but well made) white crew-neck is the obvious choice of top here, however picking out a colour within the print and echoing that in a shirt or tee form can elevate both your jeans and style-points to the upper-echolons of swag. Proportions are important here, too. If you’re going for the more voluminous fits of Valentino’s logomania cross-hatch or Jacquemus’s full wylin’ wide-fits, keep it tight up top so you don’t drown in both the pattern and silhouette, whereas the 00’s painted-on effect of Versace will be thankful to a French-tucked jumper in a slightly more relaxed size.
The last rule? Printed jeans are a pretty big statement, so believing in your sauce is not really an option here. Rock up to the pub feeling like a plonker in your paint-drip Our Legacy’s, and your probably going to land some stick and look like a bit of a plonker, too. Pull up with an attitude that anyone who’s not wearing printed jeans is the one getting it wrong with an extra large side-dish of BDE, and you’ll be feeling as good as you look.
Aries, Tie-dye Jeans, AED1,272
Casablanca, Moonlight Jeans, AED1,168
Jacquemus, Floral Patch Jeans, AED2,137
Loewe x Paula’s Ibiza at Matches Fashion, Mermaid Print Jeans, AED2,754
Our Legacy at Farfetch, Hanabi-print Jeans, AED3,000
The Elder Statesmen, Whirlwind Dye Work Trousers, AED1,965
Valentino at Farfetch, Grid Logo Jeans, AED3,452
Versace, Car Print Jeans, POA
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