I’m not exactly sure how it all started but have you noticed that dark wash jeans tend to be reserved for two occasions: more formal events and colder weather?
There’s something about a pair of jeans in a darker shade that makes them appear more dressy, even if you’re still sporting a casual look.
Offices that participate in Casual Fridays tend to emphasize in their dress codes that employees choosing to wear jeans to the office must go with dark blue denim.
We all know that jeans are a universal wardrobe staple and in my opinion, the 4 colors of denim you must own are: light wash, dark wash, black and white – yes, I said white. With this combination of colors, you can pull off just about any denim outfit across the different seasons and irrespective of your personal style.
For today’s post, I would love to give you some major outfit ideas you can use to style your favorite dark jeans for various occasions. I personally love dark denim jeans because they’re more slimming and forgiving than jeans in lighter colors and are also easier to keep clean, haha.
Whether you’re looking for a new way to make your casual outfit have a little more spunk, or trying to get some ideas for styling your dark denim to the office, I got you.
I would like to start however by sharing some of my favorite dark wash jeans, in case you’re looking for a great pair to add to your wardrobe.
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through the links, at no cost to you.
1) Old Navy has had a pretty solid denim game for a long time now. I remember one of my first pair of jeans I ever owned when I arrived in Canada over 15 years ago was from and Old Navy store in Hamilton. I wore those jeans so much, I had holes in my thighs!
The reason I wore them out was because they were one of the few brands that made jeans with curvy women in mind and so once I found a pair that worked, I wore the denim out of them. Their high-waisted slim straight jeans have stellar reviews thanks to their comfort, slight stretch and affordability (under $35!)
2) BP. by Nordstrom offers a great pair of dark wash mom jeans, which are a great find because mom jeans tend to come as light wash jeans. I love the relaxed fit and slightly cropped cut, which would be easy to style with boots, sneakers or heels.
3) If you’re a fan of really stretchy, high-waisted, skinny yet comfortable jeans, then I present to you the Topshop Joni jeans. If you’ve been reading my blog for some time, then you know these are my number one skinny jeans ever. I bought my first pair as a young university student and never looked back since. If you have an hourglass figure or are more bottom-heavy, this pair of dark blue jeans are a good choice for you.
4) Madewell has dedicated an entire section of denim on their website for curvy women, and I appreciate that greatly. I know all too well the struggle of jumping, hopping, skipping, sweating and kicking my way into a pair of jeans…only for there to be a huge gap in the waist.
That waist to hip ratio can make it so hard to find a pair of jeans that fit correctly everywhere. I particularly like their vintage flare jean which comes in a dark wash denim and in different lengths to accommodate petite, regular and tall women.
Now that we’ve covered some great places to find a pair of dark blue jeans, let’s talk about styling them for different occasions.
1) With a black leather jacket
I just published an entire post describing different ways to style a moto jacket and so I invite you to check it out to get some more ideas for different outfits to pair with a black leather jacket. In this case, we’re talking about a pair of blue jeans.
By adding a leather jacket to your elevated casual denim look, you are giving your look a little more sass and spunk. A leather jacket is a great option to go with if you are dressing for cold weather.
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You can complete your look with a pair of chelsea boots if you’re working with straight leg jeans, skinny jeans or slim fit jeans. That’s because you want to be able to tuck your jeans into your boots without causing them to bunch around the ankles.
I talk about this more in my post: How to wear ankle boots with straight leg jeans. During the warmer months, you can swap your boots for a pair of white sneakers and this would make for a great day outing look.
2) With a flannel shirt
Flannel is back and it does not look like it’s going away any time soon. Flannel is a warmer fabric and that’s probably why you see it resurface every Fall/Winter season. During the summer months, it’s typically worn with smaller top such as a tank top or crop top, or simply tied around the waist.
A pair of dark blue skinny jeans paired with an unbuttoned flannel shirt (or jacket) and a tank top underneath is a great look you can pull off for girls night out (or in, no judgment here) or for a walk in the park.
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If you own a pair of Converse or canvas sneakers, use them for footwear to complete your look. If you’re not a fan of skinny jeans, you can replace those with a pair of boyfriend jeans for a more laid-back look.
3) With a dress shirt
I think when the office says Casual Friday, a lot of us immediately turn to a pair of dark jeans and a button-down shirt; more specifically, a crisp white shirt. I feel like this is the go-to look for CEO’s and senior staff who partake in Casual days all over the world.
I’m not even mad at them because it’s such an easy way to style a pair of dark jeans in a work-appropriate manner. Sometimes, polo shirts are worn to replace the button-down and this gives a more preppy vibe.
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With darker denim, you can play around with different colors of dress shirts, depending on your skin tone. A great way to switch up your usual Casual Friday dark denim look is to pair your jeans with dress shirts in bright colors such as orange, yellow and red. When all else fails however, feel free to return to a black shirt – it goes with anything.
4) With a plain white t-shirt
Ah, the classic of classics. On those days you have “nothing to wear,” I always say, go back to the basics. The fundamentals in clothing. A plain white tee combined with a pair of jeans is an outfit combination that works across the board, regardless of body type. I particularly love this pairing when the jeans are straight leg or skinny in nature.
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During the colder months, you can compliment your outfit with a denim jacket or a leather one. The denim jacket would make your look even more casual while the leather jacket would add some edge to it. Feel free to throw on a pair of dark shades to take your outfit up a notch.
5) With a denim shirt
Are you ready to pull off a Canadian tuxedo? Well then here is your chance. Get that denim shirt out of the closet and par it with your denim jeans for a full denim-on-denim looks. The best way to break up the denim overload is with some color so feel free to go with shoes in a bright color or colorful accessories.
A great opportunity to wear those cowboy boots collecting dust in your closet would be right about now in this outfit. Consider tying your denim shirt up to really give off that sweet but sexy Cowgirl vibe.
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6) With a bomber jacket
I don’t know about you but I find that wearing a bomber jacket is a great way to show off my jeans while still keeping warm during the cold weather. The cropped style of the jacket hits right at the waist, similar to a leather jacket and this gives the appearance of longer legs – and who doesn’t like that? Bomber jackets in lighter shades could create a nice contrast when paired with dark-wash jeans.
Another good choice would be to throw on a bomber jacket with bold prints (ankara print anyone?) and colors.
This is a great way to incorporate prints into your Fall wardrobe.
7) With a polo shirt
A polo shirt is a great middle ground for those who don’t wish to go too formal with a dress shirt and yet don’t want to appear too casual and so are avoiding the white tee. Polo shirts are a great business casual option to go with if your office is having a casual day or if there’s a casual work function you’re attending over the weekend.
Even if it’s the weekend, we wouldn’t want you showing up in some short shorts and a crop top! You could complete this look with either some dress shoes, loafers, flats or a pair of boots.
8) With a sweater
A very simple way to style dark blue jeans is by pairing them with a cute sweater. You can go the chunky route or you can make your outfit more sleek by choosing a more form-fitting sweater like a white or black turtleneck.
If you intend to add a jacket, coat or blazer on top, I would suggest going with a thinner sweater to ensure your arms can get through the sleeves of your outerwear of choice.
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This simple outfit idea is a great look you can pull off both for work or any activities outside of work when it’s a little chilly outside. For a more casual vibe, complete this look with a pair of sneakers. Going for a fancier look? Try a pair of heeled boots like these for a great chic Fall look.
9) With a crop top
Styling your dark blue denim with a crop top, or cropped sweater, is an easy way to make your look go from more formal to super casual. You don’t necessarily need to have your belly on display to pull this look off as you crop top could be paired with some high-waisted jeans.
If you are all about showing some skin, then you have plenty of options for crop tops: tube tops, cropped shirts, camisoles and more.
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For a casual day out, throw on you sneakers and perhaps a denim jacket. Switch out the sneakers for a pair of heels for a flirty date night outfit.
10) With a blazer
A blazer is another wardrobe staple that makes every outfit a little more formal and put together when added to the mix. Consider adding a blazer to your white t-shirt & jeans look to make it more boardroom-friendly in Casual Friday.
Blazers are also a great addition to your sweater and dark wash jeans outfit, as long as the sweater is thinner. During the warmer months, go with a floral top or camisole to make your blazer look stand out more.
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I believe this list can serve as a great guide for you the next time you run out of ideas for styling your dark wash denim. Which of these outfits was your favorite?
Do you think there’s one I should have added to the list? Let me know!
Check out my post on 6 ways to wear a moto jacket HERE.
For those of you looking for ideas on which shoes to pair with your bell bottoms, check out my post: 12 Shoes to Pair with Bell Bottoms or Flare Jeans.
I have another post on the different tops to pair with dark blue jeans called: 7 tops to wear with dark blue jeans.
If you are looking for ways to style your light blue jeans, check out my post: 7 tops and shirts to wear with light blue jeans.
Until the next post,
XOXO
Theankaraqueen