I love a good light wash jean.  I especially love when the light wash jean has a button-front, a high rise, and an ever-so-slightly distressed wash. And for some reason, I think light-wash jeans really shine when paired with a bright little t-shirt.  The resulting outfit has a playful, vintage vibe I’m totally digging.

Any color tee will work with light wash jeans (blue, red, green, etc) but I’m a brunette, so I like yellow.  It’s a rule.

The tricky part of this outfit is the shoes & accessories.  Black will be too overpowering, gray is just totally wrong, but…..brown?  Tan, specifically?  Tan or camel is perfect for this look.  Even a cozy cream cardigan (or jacket) lets the bright + lightwash shine.

Outfit Details

tee:  J.Crew size small – bright and fun.  J.Crew tees are some of my very favorites.  The fit is perfect – I end up wearing mine for years.

jeans: J.Crew size 24 (NOT petite) – I can’t decide about the length of these jeans.  I think I might try hacking them off a bit (in hindsight, I should’ve just ordered the petites maybe??)

cardigan: Free People (xs) – I’m not usually a cardigan girl, but this one is all oversized deliciousness and I LOVE it.

boots: Free People Cecile – my longtime favorites.  They’re so perfect (the heel is high enough to feel sexy, low enough to be walkable) that I broke my longtime rule and bought TWO in different colors.

bag: Madewell – these new bags from Madewell are so freaking good.  I love the mini version.

hat: Intermix – on sale!

Shop Bright Tees

Here are a few fun ones that caught my eye…..

Why So Confusing, Light Wash Jeans?

Are any of you guys struggling with denim right now?  Unless I’m wearing my trusty skinnies, I can never quite figure out if the leg opening is too big/too small, if the awkward crop is actually at the right point, or if my shoe choices actually work with the jean.  The JCrew pair I’m wearing works great with my heeled sock boots, but I’m not totally convinced it looks good with sneakers.  Will chopping them off help?  NOBODY KNOWS.

Add to this mess the fact that – like every Spring – I’m dying for a perfectly faded pair.  Something with a little distressing but not too much.  And retailer photos, they lie.  I’ve ordered many a sunbleached skinny only to have a pair of dark denim arrive at my house.  (Breaking:  this pair of AG Farrah’s are perfection.  Also at Nordstrom.)

So.  Below is a mad, crazy list of the actual pairs of potentially lightwash denim that I’m actually considering.  It is only moderately well-edited.  It is not streamlined.  It is chaotic like my brain when trying to finagle through the mess that is Spring Denim 2018.  Frankly, I need a chart*.

* The interns are working on a chart.  I love the interns.

xo,

S