It’s safe to say jeans have come leaps and bounds since Levi Strauss pioneered the style back in 1873 – his plain blue denim workers’ trousers were light years away from the skinny, flared, slouchy, distressed, embellished, dyed versions of today. Who knows what the Bavarian designer would have thought of the latest denim trend: vibrant, elaborate and sometimes even sparkly embroidered jeans.
Right now, the biggest question in denim isn’t whether you wear skinnies or flares – it’s the level of embroidery you dare to bear. The stitched-up styles tap into fashion’s new love of everything artisan, as our sensibilities shift from the mass-produced in favour of all things handmade.
A glance at the latest fashion weeks across the globe reveals embroidered denim jeans are enjoying a major moment, both on and off the catwalk. Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Stella McCartney, to name just a few, have all picked up needle and thread for their recent collections, while the street-style scene is increasingly dominated by fanciful embellished women's jeans and denim jackets. This is how to get on board.
Look 1: bohemian floral fancies
To instil your standard blue denim with a breezy bohemian vibe, look no further than fashion’s fresh harvest of jeans embroidered with florals and garden motifs. Valentino has debuted denim dungarees and jeans festooned with fluttering butterflies, Alexander McQueen has embroidered boyfriend jeans with hummingbirds flitting across the thigh and Stella McCartney offers a more subtle nod to the floral embroidery trend, with posies adorning each ankle of her latest flare jeans.
Fashion editor Veronika Heilbrunner nailed the trend for floral embroidery designs at fashion week recently, teaming cuffed boyfriend jeans – with embroidered flowers on the knees – with a zip-up, black suede jacket and black biker boots. Wearing embroidered jeans with black keeps floral detailing the focus and tones down the overall effect. To accentuate their 70s Woodstock feel, pair with a billowy white blouse and fringed tan leather.
Look 2: kitsch your look out
But you’re not limited to whimsical floral embroidered jeans – if you prefer your petals and denim kept separate, there are all manners of quirky motifs and cartoon-like drawings adorning new-season denim as well.
Street-style star Chiara Ferragni championed the trend at fashion week, wearing boyfriend jeans festooned with patchwork embroidery. She upped the kitsch factor care of a bubble gum–pink bag (also sporting symbols of the peace sign, eyeball and hashtag variety), black knit and khaki puffer jacket with navy fur trim and orange lining. The look was exuberant eclecticism at its best, equal parts fashion forward and pure fun.
Realise the trend with women’s jeans bedecked with palm fronds and parrots (as seen on Dolce & Gabbana skinnies), lightning bolts, lips and retro TV sets (Stella McCartney has you covered). Alexander McQueen’s Big Obsession jeans boast a silver sequined hand, embroidered unicorn, clock, eyes and lips. Wear with simple black pumps to anchor all that action above.
Look 3: elevate your off-duty style
Part of the appeal of the embroidered denim jeans trend is that it’s the perfect add-on to your athleisure kit. Styles embroidered with collegiate accents (look, once again, to Stella McCartney) do well paired with crisp white kicks and a varsity tee or a grey marle top to downplay the sporty vibe. Golden Goose even has a pair of skinny jeans splashed with electric blue racing stripes on each side – the ultimate way to energise your denim.
Or toughen up the embroidery trend with distressed detailing, rips and a slouchier fit. Boyfriend jeans that meld embroidery designs with scuffs and tears take the look well out of girly territory – Dolce & Gabbana and DSquared2 have embroidered jeans to fit that brief. Pair with ankle boots and band tees to emphasise the grunge vibe.
Look 4: dark after dark
The embroidered jeans trend isn’t all lollipop brights – for more sophisticated takes on the trend, look to embroidery designs in muted colours, dark denim and even metallic.
Indigo jeans give the look a refined spin that you can easily wear after dark – see styles by Fendi and Valentino, which feature stitching in subdued tones like navy, olive green and rich red on dark denim. Or opt for Valentino’s space age, Astro Couture cuffed jeans, decorated with shooting stars.
Nothing spells eveningwear better than sparkle. Roberto Cavalli brings high-voltage metallic flares featuring silver thread and all-over beading to the table, while Philipp Plein takes the floral embroidery trend up a notch by weaving coloured crystals into his denim jeans. The result is a pixelated, edgy effect that places florals firmly in the digital age.