American GQ's take on the smart denim shirt look
It was the American edition of men’s style mag
GQ that nailed the look first (even if a certain male member of the farfetch team claims he’s been wearing it for some time). Despite denim’s unwavering reputation as the most casual of casual fabrics, somehow when they teamed a jean shirt with a sharp suit and tie combo, it all made perfect sense – smart, yet somehow just off-beat enough.
The beauty from this combination comes from the fact that whilst all pieces involved are classics (a well-cut dark suit and a slim fitting denim shirt won’t date and can remain favourites in your wardrobe for seasons to come) the effect of wearing them together is unexpected, giving the outfit an air of daring, of being a style maverick.
And there’s more reasons that a denim shirt makes surprisingly successful formal wear. For one thing they often have those eye-catching pearly buttons, which can add some pizazz to a sober suit.
Shirt by
Acne
Denim is a more than usually stiff fabric which makes it excellent for maintaining pointed collars.
Shirt by
Drumohr
The indigo hue favoured by most shirts of this kind is incredibly versatile, and goes with most colours, so if you want to be a bit more daring with your suit you won’t end up clashing.
Shirt by
Closed
One thing to remember however – don’t go for the full Texan tuxedo. That would be wearing your denim shirt with some sort of tie and jeans. Double denim can feasibly be pulled off but it will never look smart.
Just ask Justin Timberlake circa 2001.