The long-standing appeal of a good pair of jeans might be rooted in practicality, but this season’s most joyful new denim trend offers something a little different: embellished jeans are well and truly back, and we’re more than happy to welcome them warmly.
The polar opposite to your trusty pair of 501’s, and so much more dramatic than the season’s cargo jean revival, these spangly, sparkly, souped-up pieces are made for magpies, promising to inject a jolt of energy into any outfit.
Stick a pair of embellished jeans on with a simple white tee, and you’ve got the easiest after-work drinks look on the planet. Swap for a crisp white shirt, sized-up and left untucked, and they work for the daytime too, or go big with chandelier earrings and heeled mules for the ultimate weekend look.
Now, there’s probably one pair of embellished jeans that look a little familiar already: worn by Taylor Swift to this year’s Superbowl, Area’s thigh-baring, crystal-trimmed design is perhaps the most coveted of them all.
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For something just a little more subdued, turn to Sea’s joyfully nostalgic wide-leg Bettina style, which comes studded with an arts-and-crafts assortment of trinkets and beads. 'As soon as I saw Sea's delightfully hippy creation I was besotted,' ELLE UK's own fashion editor, Daisy Murray, says. Personally, I'm eyeing up Self-Portraits' drama-queen take on the trend, which comes in my favourite boyish wide-leg cut, contrasted by a drenching of y2k rhinestones.
Meanwhile, Rotate delivers the influencer catnip with a pair so soaked in sparkle they may require sunglasses, and Frame’s studded take on its classic straight-leg Le Mec is the choice for anyone that prefers a laid-back approach. For something extra-special, look to Karen Millen's new vintage re-working project, which sees vintage denim jeans washed, dyed and studded with crystals to breathe new life into old cuts.
So this season, don't save the sparkle solely for special occasions: a little embellishment is exactly what all those sensible new-season basics need.
Rotate Birger Christiansen
Simkhai
Self-Portrait
River Island
H&M
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