James Dean or Jerry Seinfeld? The Dark Denim Dilemma

"All hail the return of black denim!” — a resounding cry from punk rock musicians and American Idol winnersworldwide. Perhaps for these brooding guitarists, the tight blackjean never left the style scene, but for the general shoppingmasses it seems to have snuck back into our racks. I am wary of itsreturn. There is a fine line between the smoldering look of JamesDean, painted into his midnight Levi’s, and that of tucked inturtleneck-wearing Jerry Seinfeld and the frightening array ofblack jeans in his wardrobe. How can we be sure when slitheringinto our dusky denim that we will emanate sleek success and power,rather than curly Jewish comedian?



How to wear it:



The darker the better. Be careful with any black denim that has been stonewashed tocreate lighter areas throughout the pant. This will make you looklike you just walked off a construction site and need to hose down.

Keep the topstitching the same color as the jean. Bright contrasting seams in red or purple scream kiddy clothing orrap video, not the stylish sophisticate you are going for. You wantthem to look and feel dressy, which means no carnival accents. Always be aware of the length of your jeans. (This golden rule applies to all pants and should be diligentlyobserved.) What shoes do you intend to wear with them? The hem ofyour pant should graze the line of your toes, with a slight breakin the Denim Fabric (the small crease created when the fabric bows) justat mid shin. If the pant is cropped, I better be able to tell andnot think that you just shrunk them in the dryer and wore themanyway. Nothing will make the jeans, and your legs, look shabbymore quickly than improper length. Ya, it’s that noticeable.