Katie Sturino is not a blue jeans person. She’s more of a brightly colored pants/no pants kind of person. When she does “do denim,” she gravitates toward white. I will say that she once laughed at my standard “good jeans/genes” joke, though.
I, on the other hand, am a big blue jeans person (though I like mine white where it feels right, too). I suppose you could say this adds to our the complexity of our friendship: she, a rogue defender of the loud and bright sweatpant; me, staunch in my dedication to any piece of clothing that you “don’t really have to wash.” It also meant that when she texted about how boring blue jeans were one day, I was like, “Listen Katie. The beauty of blue jeans is that they’re a canvas of possibility. It’s all in the styling! You just have to be the painter and dance a brush over them.”
Then she told me to quit watching Bob Ross YouTube videos for at least 24 hours. The following styled story to make blue jeans more appealing is what I did to occupy my time in the interim.
See Which Dresses In Your Closet Are Actually Tunics/Tops/Worlds of Opportunities
Dresses don’t have to be dresses, which is great on days when you’re just not emotionally prepared to wear a dress but got it into your head that it might be nice to. A wrap dress, in particular, will turn flared jeans into a spring breeze. It’s great for transitional dressing but also, making jeans not boring.
In terms of proportions, this is a Viewer’s Choice Award that belongs to you. Personally — especially where flares are involved, I prefer a dress that hits just below the knee. Choose a pair of slides with open toes for extra wiggle room, and stand in the middle of as many wind tunnels as your hair can handle.
Let Your Jeans Be Introverts While Your Top and Boots Go All-Out
Not every single thing you wear has to be in ALL CAPS — even if you, like Katie, identify as an extroverted maximalist. Here we have a simple pair of straight leg jeans (folded up to hit just above the ankle of her boots). You know what they’re doing besides being jeans? They’re holding hands with a top that’s carrying the conversation, giving little palm squeezes to show support.
The white boots on the bottom here sandwich the whole thing together, so you’re not just looking at one eye-catching item (or wondering why another is simply whispering). You’re looking at the entire bright picture.
The lesson: Blue jeans sans bells and whistles make great anchors for the more intense pieces in your wardrobe.
Sometimes You Need to Add a Denim Shirt
Given that I am always trying to dress Katie like Mr. Ralph Lauren, I figured there was no better time to do so than where denim is involved. Now, a denim shirt with jeans can turn Wyoming rancher real fast — which is exactly the point. Why the hell would you shy away from that vague reference, which I am basing off of one woman I saw in the airport at Jackson Hole, when you can instead step right into it with sturdy work boots and the most luxurious sweater you’ve ever stuck your armholes in?? This look says, “I like horses, cows, and the convenience of New York City’s everything-can-be-delivered! policy,” all at once.
Um, I also think it says Katie Sturino might have changed her mind about blue jeans?
How do you wear yours when you’re in the mood for something MORE? What gets you excited? Would anyone like to move to Wyoming with me and start a horse ranch? I will also gladly take a conversation about Ranch dressing.
Photos by Edith Young.
