Around the world, seasons are changing. Australia welcomes Spring, the East Coast of the United States prepares for Autumn, we here in Northern California await, well, black denim.
It’s a myth that California has no seasons. At least in the North. We’ve got them, of a subtle and simple variety. Above all, we live by Rain Or No Rain. This morning, as I write, it’s raining for the first time in ages, so happy in this year of pronounced drought. Beyond water, we feel our seasons in small shifts, the gold of the light in late afternoon, the first morning the front door opens to cool air, the smell of dust in the streets.
So we don’t, as our summer ages like whiskey and the sky burns just a little umber into its blue, rush out and buy sweaters. We’re likely to live with nary a wool trouser in our closets. But still, still, we crave the seasonal change. We’re humans, even in this land where the American Dream comes to reinvent society and buy a whole heck of a lot of German cars.
Right now I’m after some black jeans. This is the first urge for new clothes I’ve had in months. And, fair warning, my mpulsive clothing urges have been pretty darn predictive in the past. Party Pants post, circa 2011 . Brogues, circa 2010. Now add the impetus of GAP’s current and nifty campaign “Dress Normal,”and it’s quite possible we’re sidling up to a black denim explosion.
Let’s take a look at a few choices. We’ll start in the stratosphere and wend our way down to reasonable. Few sites do stratosphere with more sprezzatura than Net-a-porter.
Are you surprised that Victoria Beckham makes dignified pants? Cropped, refined, and thank you ma’am. You’d have to wear them with heels, I think.
Don’t do Lady? How about the Swedish brand, Acne, and their boyfriend jeans? By the way, I saw this image on the blog It’s Not That Deep, and I’m thinking I just might try her trick of low black socks with brogues and loafers. Yup.
How about plus size? I’m a huge fan of waxed cotton, these are from Eileen Fisher at Nordstrom.
How about under $2oo? Commenters across on the style blogs I read love Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. Also from Nordstrom.
And because I love you so, and am retired and therefore more cautious in my wardrobe spending, and besides, black denim is what you make of it, these, from the GAP for less than $100? Dress normal, indeed.
With sneakers. So one might, of course, also need new black ones. We of low-contrast are also going to wear these jeans with gray v-neck tees from UNIQLO, and a denim jacket. And black earrings.
But if you can carry off high drama, why then you might be thinking about tops in red, peacock blue, and all 657 shades of green and whatever the heck color shoes you like.
44 Responses
I’m so on trend . . . had my black denim laid out, with a light navy merino sweater, swingy silhouette (I love navy-and-black together), last night. Putting them on in a few minutes, just as soon as you update me on other possibilities. Mine are JBrand, Waxed cotton, skinny. I love them as an apparent change from jeans, without really having to change much at all. The shoes pictured in the shots you’ve chosen suggest that your rain isn’t quite as serious as the deluge that’s breaking our drought, though. Think I’d better hunt up some boots!
should have included a little ;-) emoticon, so you can my comment about being “so on trend” is very tongue-in-cheek.
Hehe. And you are right, rain just isn’t in my consciousness too often. I do have wellies however, and they are BLACK;).
lisa, i would love to see you in those acne jeans, but the gap ones will do. with the vince sneakers, of course. so modern, but still rather normal :)
I’m sorely tempted. My birthday IS coming up, after all.
i thought the #dressnormal campaign was a clever take on the normcore phrase.
Yes! That’s exactly what GAP is doing.
I’m not tempted by black jeans as I feel like I’d be constantly looking shabby due to the number of hair producing animals in my life!Cream fur shows up very nicely on black demin.
I’ve got a new grey floral (subtly woven into the denim) pair of jeans from Gap which I love and am wearing regularly.
And a very dark brown coated pair from H & M which are starting to wear out a bit now. I can’t decide if I look good in them or I look like a sausage squeezing out of its skin! Still, I wear them on the off-chance.
@Eleanorjane, Ah, the animal accessories. Heathered gray or floral gray, either way, good strategy. We don’t say the word “sausage” this close to a post on pants, now do we?
:)
I’m starting to wonder if Southern CA will *ever* be cool enough to wear long pants/jeans again. Not a complaint, merely curious.
@Aya in Couturgatory, You guys didn’t get our recent rains, right?
I have my black jeans ready to go. But then, I do every year. ;-)
@déjà pseu, You rock.
I’ve always worn black jeans, slimmer cut ones are my dress pants! Not sure I’d consider them a trend, but think you should absolutely have a pair, and don’t you have black IM Dicker boots for them? Love charcoal jeans too.
@kathy, I do have them Dickers, I do. See, you, Frances, and Deja are some of the better dressed women of a certain age that I know. And you’re all west coasters. So I’m going to call it a not-too-well-kept-secret of the stylish Left Coast. Does that work?
Well, it works for me! tickled to be mentioned in that very cool pantheon!TY!
You’re welcome!
Arrgh, now I really want those Acne boyfriend jeans. Too distressed to wear to work, and I already have a blue denim pair of boyfriends and a pair of black jeans but still I’m smitten.
My birthday is six months away, I’ll have to come up with another excuse :) At the very least you should buy them so I can see them in real life on you!
@Northmoon, You might be right. I’d be doing everyone a favor, right?
Hello Lisa
Black denim is the perfect choice for all lifestyles. Now if only I could wear them and now have to worry about dog hairs. Our white dog sheds.
I like that you show a range of prices.
Helen
@Helen TilSTON, Hello! So nice to hear from you:).
I already bought black denim skinnies a couple of weeks ago, but am looking for a slim boyfriend style. Love the Acne version but am having trouble justifying them to myself. I think Gap is going to be more my league this year.
@Mardel, I wonder if we could all jointly negotiate a discount with Acne? No? Dang:).
my pieces this season include Eileen Fisher black ponte leggings/ pants (Garnet Hill carries them). As well as some cashmere from Pure. I do want a black leather jacket but it is hard to find a good one. I want something very basic, no big collars. Any ideas?
@Kiki, Do you want a biker style? I think AllSaints, who made mine, always do a good job. Or do you want a more ladylike style?
More lady like. Everything out there looks very biker or has big collars. I am small.
What about a leather-like jacket? The Tory Burch Fae? Too shiny? http://www.toryburch.com/fae-reversible-jacket/31142509.html
I love black jeans. I’ve seen the ads for Gap “new” black jeans…and thought “I didn’t know they went OUT in the first place.” I have a pair of black, J-Brand skinnies from two years ago that I love. And I just bought a pair of straight leg, high rise (yah!!) “Yoga” jeans made by Second here in Canada. Yoga jeans are really, really comfortable. These black ones are “overdyed” in brown…so they look kind of faded, or distressed.
They were perfect for my 40th reunion where we were all of us mostly the same… just a little bit faded! haha.
@Sue B @highheelsinthewilderness.blogspot.ca, I suppose they never went out, per se, the question is more whether they will now Lean In and set a visual direction with broader impact:).
Always have them at hand, fall into spring (then suddenly, get me out of these!) You do need more pairs than blue or to replace them sooner, because black fades to a sad indeterminate hue, unlike blue, which can go from dark to faded looking fine.
@Duchesse, Huh! Good tip! Thank you.
I have a pair too and consider them up there with the LBD….not what I think of as a trend, more of a classic. I bought a dressy pair of black pants too as there are some events that I feel denim might be a tad cheeky….and although I have a bit of a rebellious attitude I think one does need to raise the bar a wee bit.
Hope you’ll show us how you look in them when you decide which one(s) to purchase!
@Bungalow Hostess, The jeans themselves are not a trend item, per se, but I’m expecting the percentage of people wearing them on city streets to increase.
Next time I notice something I’m not going to say I think it’s a trend:).
Well,my skinny black jeans are always ready to go,but being Vancouver BC,it’s my black cords I’ll be hauling out any day.Restocked my bootleg cords last year in black, charcoal, and cream.RalphLauren fit me perfectly and don’t feel it in the wallet.
I wore my J. Crew black bootlegs all the time when I was working. Loved them.
I am with eleanorjane: I live with three cats. Actual denim does nt attract cat fur, black jeans might as well be made of glue…impossible to keep fur or lint free, even if you wait till just before you walk out the door to put them on. I just bought gray, to look less like I am in mourning when I wear my customary black tops. My favorite brand is Jag, which may be like what the Australian poster called yoga jeans: they pull on and have a wide flat waistband, and are both comfortable and slimming. Best warn if you don’t tuck ypur shirt in, which I never do.
I love that look with brogues and the crossbody bag. Most excellent and would be SO flattering on you with your tall, willowy frame.
I hope you had a great bday, TM.
XO
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This is a really great post!I like your ‘Eileen Fisher at Nordstrom’. Please keep it continue for us.
Those cropped pants by Victoria Beckham are so cute! I am really loving the black pants trend. I just stopped by a few stores to find some, and I think my favorite are the American Eagle Sateen X black leggings/pants. I never want to take them off!
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