Trend Alert: Gender Neutrality

Boys will be girls, Girls will be boys

Back in the day when girls first wore jeans they wore men's jeans from the local general store as there were no jeans for women.   What a different story it is today!    In fact the denim market dedicated to women's jeans represents at least 50% of all jeans sold.   There are myriad shapes, fits, fabrics, finishes and shades - all for girls.  But jeans life doesn't stand still.  The boundaries between girls and guys fits are now blurred.  Girls now buy mens jeans for their creative washing, easy baggy comfort and added attitude whilst guys buy girls skinnies for their leg hug, clean saturated colour and urban message.  The traditional jeans trucker jackets have always predominantly been gender neutral with size variation to cater for the girls. Follow us in our look at this growing trend for reasons and inspiration.

Trucker jackets teamed with straight cut baggies appeal to both genders in dark or light denims. They are easy, genderless and without class.  Denim is a great leveller in all ways.

Left: ©Angelos Frentzos Centre: ©Bethnals

Comfort, downtime, weekend vibe - genderless clothing fits our easy lifestyle.  The development of lighter weight and fluid denims in differentiated soft fibres as well as cotton with lycra enables us to create styles that work for all needs.  The denim no longer has to be indigo blue to be regarded as "jeans".    As well as the ubiquitous Indigo, black , ecru and grey have all become essentials in the denim arena.

Left: ©Mother Top right: ©I AND ME Bottom Right: ©Guess

Bling Brand - Ashish Denim

Ashish Gupta was born in India where he studied Fine Art after which he studied fashion at Central St Martins. His wanderlust in search of success did not end in London. He went to Paris to seek design success where after being robbed of his whole portfolio he designed for friends. Spotted by Browns focus he designed his first collection in 2001 and won the New generation design award 3 times.  

His designs are luxe glam with more than a little flavour of his Indian heritage with embellishment and bling being a huge part of their attraction. His fine art background accounts for why his freestyle textile embellishment plays such a huge  part in his clothing design.  No surface is left unadorned.

Even his jeanswear demonstrates the ultimate in bling. Pattern and sequinned decoration combine to create their own level of taste.

There is so much going on in an Ashish garment that you don't know where to look first.  For lovers of embellishment his items are a "must have".  Jeans are probably the most commercial vehicle for his OTT decoration.

Glam Rock Sequins

Overt decoration for its own sake makes a statement both day and night of fun fashion and lack of taste.

©Christopher Kane ©Manish Arora

Hologram and rainbow sequins combine with motifs and embroidery for the ultimate party wear.

L-R ©Ashish, ©Ashish, ©Dsquared ©Dsquared

Brilliant colours and all over sequinned effects create a mirror like shine.   Victoriana ornament  embellishment of the classic fitted trucker jacket is a exercise in the creation of opposites. 

Studs and Rhinestones

Studs are an obvious means of decoration being a natural part of the jean alongside pocket rivets and button fly.

From there it is a simple one step to the stud becoming a rhinestone.

We can have the most fun creating patterns using only shiny studs in different colours.  Rhinestone studs in combination with ripping and shredding techniques creates a jean which travels with ease from day to party.

Studs and sequins combine with embroidery adding a different dimension of colour and form to simple studding.

L: ©Anerican Denim: A Ne Folk Art

Ultra bling in rhinestone studs in this customised Levi trucker jacket.  Better with the coarse 3x1 twill as an indigo base than something more elegant = attraction of opposites.

Vintage Bling Ring

In the post war days of Rock jeanswear and screen idols overt bling embellishment was more popular than today.  Wear and destruction was achieved naturally and decoration was the way to express individuality.

Shiny silver early vintage motorbike working in harmony with the dazzler vintage sequin star biker babe.  

©American Denim: A New Folk Art

Rhinestone cowboys take bling to another level.  Layered appliqué with a Mexican influence - rhinestones, silver studs, soutache embroidery, silver threads, tassels and dancing disks. Extraordinary!

©American Denim: A New Folk Art

The Pearly King of vintage denim. Military braiding over embelished with shiny pearl buttons jumbled and superimposed to create handfuls of variations on the shine theme. 

Coating and Lustre

Coating onto denims is recent technology.  Initially developed for function but very quickly adapted to be used for effect alone.  Coatings onto denim can be achieved both in the denim Mill where the effect is coated onto the fabric during the finishing process as well as in the laundry where the effect is either sprayed or printed onto the finished jean.

©TheDenimEye

Coating effects of super glass shine, silver and gold, black leather looks and furred flocking are just a few of the effects that can be achieved in denim and jeans finishing.

Metallic coatings take different forms.  Dull pewter coatings which lend themselves to wear and destruction thus creating a modern vintage appearance; crackled dull silvered coatings again rendering the garment old and worn in; high shine silver and gold disco denims are not just for christmas.

©DieselJeans

High shine in silver and other metalics also lends itself to super stretch skin fit super sexy jeans, so popular they are worn both day and night. 

Trend Alert: Bling Ring

Perfect timing for the party season.  Bling plus jeans combine for the must haves of the season.  Denim, be it in jeans or classic silhouettes, is a perfect vehicle for sequins, shine and lustrous embellishment.

Combining coloured shiny coating with print, appliqué and sequins not only creates an occasion statement it elevates the simple denim jean or denim jacket to a go to party garment.

Dolly Parton style American country and western fringing combines with studs, sequins and appliqué embroidery created by Dolce and Gabbana jeans is the ultimate in party bling.

Create & Decorate Denim Fashionistas

Celebs love denim, whether in their down time or on stage.  It is a fabric and culture that enables anonymity and is a great leveller.  Once comfortable in the skin of denim it is natural that when in the spotlight it is this fabric to which celebrities turn.  Guys like to demonstrate attitude with rips and shreds and grunge effects gals love to embellish.  They love to add fun, colour, badges and messages.   Such flamboyance demonstrated by the "stars" spins off into young fashion quicker than from the catwalk through instagram, pinterest and other instant vehicles of communication.

Kylie is such a bundle of positive energy, a role model for all both young and not so young it is no wonder that when she decorates her denim others follow in droves.

The unconventionality of denim fits the controversial attitude of Miley Cyrus.  She is outspoken and unafraid of doing crazy things, likewise with her clothes, boldly decorating and embellishing herself with fun items.  Given she is such a pop icon she has huge influence on her adoring fans and has spawned many streetwise look a likes guaranteeing the continuity of this trend for decorating the blue stuff.

Cher has always been a fashionista changing her look at every turn and at every performance.  She has always based her look on a certain sexy bohemian jeans spirit with embellishment being very much a part of her look from when she first set foot on stage to even now. Never afraid to wear a lot of bling on her denim she is a great ambassador for the product and always has been a huge fashion influence.