How not to wear denim at work — the well-considered wardrobe

the subject of denim is vast and complicated

…and wearing it to work just adds another level of uncertainty.

Let’s break it down by starting with how not to wear denim at work unless your job is a music festival co-coordinator or a pole dancer.

The no list:

Denim cut-off shorts
Distressed jeans that are shredded to show more than 5% of your flesh underneath
A denim micro mini

Jeggings? I’m on the fence. If you had have asked me a month ago I’d have put them on the no list but I have a friend who wore her Country Road jeggings to work recently and she looked sensational. If you can pull it off then go for it (but be real with yourself).

So what’s on the yes list?

Pretty much anything else depending on a) where you work and b) how you style it.

If you work in a more creative setting: tech, fashion, design etc, jeans are probably already on high rotation. If you’re more corporate, then there’s always casual Friday to bring out the jeans.

But let’s remember that jeans are not the only clothing made from denim. Skirts, shirts, jackets, dresses and coats are also options to bring denim into your work life.

Also, denim doesn’t have to be blue. White, black and a multitude of other colours (olive green xx) are all excellent options with perhaps a bit more professional polish.

Any item you can wear at work as well as weekends is a high value asset and denim does double time when it comes to versatility.

Explore the options below to bring denim into your work wardrobe rotation.

Dressy jeans

There are a million ways to make this work but the key is what you wear with the jeans. The top, blazer, bag and shoes are what make the look. Avoid super tight or overly-distressed jeans and bingo, there you have it.

make it your own

Camilla and Marc Estella Jean 320.00 AUD

Elk Plage Shirt 125.00 AUD

Zara Vinyl Ankle Boots 99.00 AUD

Country Road Soft Touch Jegging 99.95 AUD

Zara Leather Heeled Mules 79.95

Everlane Mid-Rise Skinny Jeans 68.00 USD

Saba Shea Stripe Tee 69.00 AUD

Witchery Mila Zip Jean Blue Jean 99.95 AUD

Denim skirt

The denim skirt takes dressy up a notch. A little more corporate than jeans, it’s still an incredibly versatile item. Short, midi, long, fitted, flowing… think of a skirt, there’s a denim version. My personal favourite is a denim midi skirt with a knee high boot.

make it your own

Miss Sixty A Line Denim Skirt 238.00 AUD

Elk Denimi Skirt 99.00 AUD

Prada Raw Denim Skirt 668.00 AUD

Witchery Morgan Boots 349.00 AUD

Denim on top

More than just your basic chambray, the denim jacket or shirt covers a lot of ground when dressing for work. A denim element on top can add a relaxed feel to an otherwise dressy outfit and it takes on the role of a neutral when layered with patterned pieces.

make it your own

Calvin Klein Classic Denim Shirt 310.00 AUD

ASOS Design Denim Fitted shirt 50.00 AUD

Emporio Armani Denim Shirt 292.00 AUD

Witchery Moss Denim Jacket 99.95 AUD

Double down

3 topics of conversation to avoid in polite company: religion, politics and double denim. Personally, I dig the dd. Banish thoughts of Brittany and Justin and take a fresh look at how it’s done.