What do Michelle Obama, Julia Fox and Bella Hadid all have in common? Before your mind even begins to wander down that fruitless path, the answer is denim, most notably double denim.

It might have been Britney and Justin circa 2001 that set the bar with those forever-immortalised double denim ensembles at the American Music Awards, but given our collective flirtation with all things from precisely that decade, it’s unsurprising that the much-maligned sartorial duet is making an attention-seeking comeback. 

Indeed, one of the most prevalent trends to emerge from the flurry of spring/summer 2022 shows was that elevated denim – which is to say, more-is-more-is-more denim – is set to become a fashion focal point.

Coach’s springtime offering paired oldy-worldy patchwork jeans with nonchalantly thrown-on denim waistcoats, while Rejina Pyo championed a jean co-ord with a jacket that nips at the waist and suitably kick-flared trousers. For Loewe, the denim duet was crafted into a snug-fitting jacket (yes, the denim jackets of your youth are making a return) and a ballooned skirt. It’s unsurprising, then, that in the week after Paris Fashion Week in March, searches for denim on global shopping platform Lyst were among the highest on the service. 

But before you choke on your coffee at the mere thought of piling on denim with denim once again, fear not. There are a plethora of ways – of sartorial pairings – that are wearable (yes, really), fashion-forward and achingly simple. Consider this your go-to double denim guide. You’re welcome.

The denim shirt and skirt combo  

Anybody who siphoned off their denim shirt years ago to the local Oxfam will be frothing at the mouth at the news that the easy-breezy staples were spotted at every twist and turn at the most recent Copenhagen Fashion Week. But forget wearing yours with the leggings or their ugly duckling younger sibling jeggings of yesteryear, and instead, try tucking it into the waistband of a knee-length denim skirt. It’s giving double-denim-takes-summer-takes-elevated-chic, and we’re absolutely here for it.

Forget double, try triple denim

The irony here won’t be lost on eagle-eyed fashion fans, for the diktat in the style sphere is clear: when fearful of a colour or texture or pattern, wearing it head-to-toe makes it stylistically simpler (we don’t make the rules). Here, while double denim might send you running a mile in the opposite direction, a triple threat might just be the enticement you need to lure yourself into the denim lair.  

Clash your denim tones 

Blue not your colour? Don’t fret, that’s not to say that you need to dodge double denim like you do your daily round of Wordle. Instead, embrace head-to-toe big, bold and unapologetic bursts of coloured denim in show-stopping scarlets and earthy emeralds. There’s no reason to play by the rulebook as it pertains to layering the denim: do what feels right for you and your style.

Denim-jacket-and-jeans as you’ve never seen them before 

The key to keeping double denim elevated – as seen at Rejina Pyo – is by balancing proportions. Forget the crumpled biker denim jackets of yore and look instead to streamlined, tailored iterations with coordinating wide-legged flares crafted from the same inky fabric to differentiate from drab and fab. Think Michelle Obama on The Ellen Show recently and you’ve got the right idea. In short, it’s a denim dream done right.  

Images: courtesy of Getty