Denim Outfit Ideas: How I Wear My Favorite Material

Denim. It’s by far my favorite material to wear. Whether it’s a skirt, shirt, dress, or jumpsuit, I am all in. From its inception as work material only in the 1800s to making its way onto the fashion scene in the 1950s, denim has come a long way. For me, I’ve worn denim since I can remember. There was a trend when I was a tween that many of the girls in my school were wearing, and that was short denim shorts in various colors. Since red has been my favorite color for some time, I definitely had a red pair. Now, as someone in my mid-40s, my denim outfit ideas have grown exponentially. Most of my days I’m sporting something denim, jeans being the most common item I’m wearing. Let's see all the fun options of denim I give you - you'll be sure to find something you like.

Choosing my outfit each day likely involves some piece of denim. As I said, blue jeans are my go-to, but as it gets hotter in the summer months, I gravitate towards other pieces, whether it's a vest or a skirt or shorts. My ideas here are my own, and I have possibly an excessive amount of denim options. Because it never goes out of style and I can match it with most things, I continue to buy the material. I'm hoping to give you some fun options of how to wear it, although much of this is self-explanatory. My love for denim has provoked me to write this blog, so here we go. I'll show you what I've got and all of my denim outfit ideas to share with you.

You don't know what you don't know. In my earlier years on this earth, I believed jeans were jeans. How different could they really be? When I was in my early 20s, I started dating a guy who was a couple of years older than me and in the work force. Meaning he had more money than I did. He introduced me to the brand 7 For All Mankind. They cost ~$200 and I thought he was insane, but I was broke and clueless about designer brands. When I realized I could buy designer jeans and other denim items at discounted prices, whether at consignment stores or when they went on sale, I was a convert. Since then, I only wear nice, comfortable brands, and I don’t pay retail for them ever. In fact, I just got a pair of $218 7 For All Mankind jeans for $22 on RueLaLa! Translate this hack into all of my favorite denim outfit ideas, and you’ve got yourself a closet full of, well, denim. It goes with everything, and as styles come and go (skinny versus wide leg versus cropped), you can grab yourself another denim something or other. Denim is versatile, and it’s not going anywhere.

There are more pairs of blue jeans in my closet than I care to disclose. To be fair, I do regularly get rid of the ones that I grow out of or don’t like, but somehow more seem to appear. With jeans, I have so many denim outfit ideas and love to mix and match. I own jeans in several washes and lengths, and plan my outfits around the color jeans I want to wear in a day. Living in an extremely hot and humid place during the summer, the jeans will often go untouched for a couple of months. Thank goodness for alternatives. Blue jeans are perfect to travel with, as most of the world has adapted a taste for them. Gone are the days that wearing jeans in Paris is taboo. You can’t go wrong with jeans, and there are jeans for everyone out there. Finding the right pair might take some time and effort, but once you find them, you’ll want to wear them all the time.

With regards to denim shorts, I have a few pairs I really like. One of them I'd consider my knock-around jean shorts that I practically wear everyday during the summer months. They are the softest material in the world, and made by a new favorite brand called Bella Dahl. I found them on RueLaLa, and I regret not buying several of them. Another pair is pictured above and my "dressier" pair. I’ve owned denim shorts for what seems like my entire life, and I will wear them until my legs give out. They are perfect for lounging around or hitting my beloved farmers market on a hot, summer day. Or hitting the pool or beach or going on a boat ride, or even dressing up a bit (like the picture). The older I get, the more important it is for me to have them fit well and be comfortable, so that is what I look for in my denim shorts. I don’t need to think hard on my denim outfit ideas when I wear them. They go with literally everything.

Denim skirts are one of my favorite items when planning denim outfit ideas for myself. I have both shorter and midi skirts, and I love wearing both during the summer months. A favorite pairing for the short skirt is a striped shirt, normally navy and white, and I look like a little French girl. It also gives a more feminine touch to the denim, since denim can sometimes be considered a bit casual and even rugged (depending on how you’re wearing it). I’m always on the hunt for another style denim skirt, but the ones I own I’m a huge fan of.

Love a denim shirt. I’ve been sporting denim shirts for such a long time. Many of my denim outfit ideas start with a denim shirt. I’ve got several long sleeve ones, both in blue denim and white, and I tend to wear them on repeat. Whether I’m rolling up the sleeves or leaving them long, they just look good with so much. Personally I love the blue denim because I have blue eyes and it makes them pop. And since black jeans and pants are part of my favorite wardrobe pieces, I can wear denim on denim without looking like a nerd. Although I have seen blue and blue denim being paired together in the recent. Not my style, but that’s part of the fun of fashion. You get to choose your own.

Owning a jumpsuit was something I resisted for a while. I thought I was too old to wear them in general, and it made me think I’d look like my two year old self in a little onesie. After literally years of not wearing them, I found a denim jumpsuit that I couldn’t’t live without and purchased it. The brand is one of my favorites, Madewell, and it’s long sleeves with shorts on the bottom. I absolutely love this jumpsuit and when I wear it, it gives others great denim outfit ideas that they may not have thought of. My second denim jumpsuit is the one in the photo, and I may like it even more. Trust me, if I can pull this style off, you can too. It’s a fun way to express myself without looking too childish.

How many denim dresses are too many? Don’t answer that! The other day, while out shopping a sale at Madewell, I picked up yet another denim dress. As I stood at the register, I sussed out with the cashier that I didn’t, in fact, need another identical denim dress. They are part of my denim outfit ideas and I regularly wear them dressed up and down. Pairing a denim dress during the winter months with a fun pair of tights is one of my all-time favorite looks. After all, denim matches everything. If you don’t own a denim dress, lucky for you they are all over the place. I have purchased from consignment, Sezane, Madewell, and various other brands. Find a fit that you like and hit the town.

An absolute staple in my closet, I wear blue denim and white denim jackets a couple of times per week. I recently purchased a new white denim one from a consignment shop that I love in New Orleans because my old white one was dunzo. It had stains all over it, and at some point white clothing cannot be revived. At least in my house. Jean jackets are on full rotation as part of my denim outfit ideas, and I often decide on outfits so I can wear one. They are the perfect weight when it’s slightly chilly at a restaurant, a play, or wherever you like to go in your life. I’ve owned so many throughout my life, and I love that they never go out of fashion.

When I purchased a denim blazer, I wondered what I would wear it with. On its debut night, I wore it with a sassy pair of pants from Sezane that I had bought in Paris, and it was perfect. The look is totally effortless, and exactly how I like to present myself in clothing. Creating different denim outfit ideas is wildly fun for me, and I love the process of assembling outfits and seeing how they look. This is not something everyone enjoys, and that's why I'm here to help you in this write-up about all the denim you could possibly want. A denim blazer and a denim jacket are very different, so keep that in mind if you are on the hunt for something new and fresh for your closet. The styles change the look of the whole outfit, so you have multiple options with each.

Vests were a thing back when I was growing up and I remember liking the look. While I can't remember if I actually rocked the look, I fully have embraced it now. In a not-so-long amount of time I purchased several vests: linen, cotton, wool. Vests for winter and summer, or both. They fit right into my denim outfit ideas and I have run with it. As I said, I own several vests, but this one is pure denim. As many of my items, it came from RueLaLa at a deeply discounted price, and that makes me love it even more. I'd like to note that the day of its debut I found out that a much younger gentleman thought I was "super good looking" and now I might never take it off. Keep the compliments coming, my dears. I will eat them up in my denim vest.

So, with all of these denim options, are you feeling like you are in my shoes? Do you have plenty of denim, or do you need more of it in your life? I’d love to know your favorite pieces, and give me some ideas if I am missing anything. Denim is truly one of my favorite materials on earth because of its versatility. The world has become a much more casual place, so you can fit into to most spaces with some type of denim outfit. It’s easy to mix and match, and there are hundreds of companies to choose from for your best fit. Now, I’m off to get dressed, and you know I’ll be wearing my denim.

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