There’s no doubt that jeans are a wardrobe staple most of us would be lost without. They provide the backbone to so many outfits, and they’re especially perfect for throwing on during this strange time when we’re in between seasons. As we near the end of summer but haven’t quite launched into full autumn yet, I find myself repeatedly reaching for denim to pair with everything for blazers and knits one minute to bandeau tops the next.
Versatile is an understatement when it comes to jeans, and in theory, as well as being perfect for dressing down on relaxed weekends, they can easily be made to look really polished too. Whether you’re looking to dress them up for a date night or an important business meeting or you just like your denim to feel more elevated day to day, the key is to know what to pair them with, and fashion experts are, unsurprisingly, very good at it. To crack the code, I turned to my fellow industry insiders as well as influencers, and I’m here to report back on the most stylish and elevated jeans outfits I’ve seen.
It turns out there is actually a finite number of items fashion people repeatedly wear with jeans to make them look their best—nine to be precise. And the good news is they’re all really classic items you probably already own. Keep scrolling, and you’ll see the best classic items to wear with jeans that will always make your denim work harder, from chic blazers to oversized shirting, smart loafers to Breton stripes.