Thursday, February 27, 2014

Denim On Denim


About a year ago K, my youngest, gave me a denim shirt for Christmas. I don't think it was particularly expensive but I love it.

It's got that "aged" look, the one we all pay extra for because we can't be bothered to actually wait until our clothes really age. Which is only actually a few months as they're mostly made by young children in dodgy countries and cost less than the sandwich we eat for lunch.

It's been made to look as if one of its two breast pockets has been ripped off in its heavy lifetime, there are fake paint splodges in random places and it's faded like one of those old tattoos you see on proper working class fellows who had it done when they were in the Navy.

There are in fact hardly any bad things about it, though I wouldn't be in a hurry to wear it at a wedding or the like.

But, there is a problem, a fundamental one. It's denim, and for most of my life, when I'm not wearing a sarong, I'm wearing jeans. And I'm informed, by my Girls mostly, that wearing denim on denim is a no no.

It's on the same level of fashion disaster as slippers with socks or American tan tights or any number of those "new looks" I've seen Java Jones trying out on so many occasions.

So I rarely wear this shirt. It's not often I wear chinos or any other type of casual trousers and committing a fashion faux pas is something I try to avoid. And then last week I read something in a mens' mag. It was one of those deep and intellectual articles talking about denim, fashion and the latest in mens' wear and referred to the fact that to wear different denim articles of the same shade was the no no. But, by insinuation, it said that to wear denim of contrasting shades was entirely okay.

And of course that got me thinking. Can I therefore wear dark blue jeans with the lighter blue denim shirt?

Or would that still get me carted off in the fashion Police van?

3 comments:

Marc said...

sod the fashionistas and wear the damn shirt man. But on a more serious I believe denim on denim (of any shade) was last seen some time in the 80s when Cindy Lauper was telling us that girls just want to have :)

Son of the Morning Light said...

i had this same dilemma, though mostly when i lived in Europe and possessed a denim jacket i quite liked. and, yes, as long as you contrast those colours enough it's all cool.

Java Jones said...

Saw your post only just now - late, as usual!!!

"New looks?", "fashion disaster" ?? Really??? I always thought I was stuck in the 70s as far as "fashion" goes, so do elucidate and clue me in.

In the meantime, screw the fashion police and 'do yo thang' - it's time you stopped being dictated to by
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