Given the current trends of chinos and brights in menswear I decided to give one last shout to the declining denim trend. While denim is still a strong look (when worn correctly that is- even double denim*) it has started to thankfully give way to some different trends that arguably can enhance the odd key piece which my styling aimed to emphasise. Denim in small doses.
So moving swiftly on I had decided to use a mixture of shades and textures ranging from dark wash with emphasised seams to more stone-washed and relaxed styles in both bottoms and shorts. Denim colours also featured, as when used on differently textured fabrics they can provide a bit more depth to an outfit and break up the hardness of the denim fabric itself.
The first of a 5 I styled was a no brainer. I decided to go with a great pair of denim shorts & a checked shirt (tucked with a belt to retain a cleaner silhouette). Finishing the outfit was a trim pair of tan boat shoes and rolling the sleeves of the shirt to highlight the white tee underneath. This broke up the overpowering colour of the shirt and drew attention away to accessories such as the blue & red belt, used to bridge the colour gap between the shorts and shirt. This overall came out as a really lovely preppy but kind of casual outfit for a summer afternoon out.
Next mannequin was dressed in a dark denim shirt and rust coloured chino. Sadly the pic doesn't give the embellished seams that were a big factor in choosing the bottom half of the outfit. As the seams were a gold-ish colour going one metal tone to accompany it was in my mind the right choice as the outfit was kept warm as darker denim can be overpowering. Pro tip for dark denim- autumnal colours like browns, rusts & oranges tend to work well as they don't over power the harshness of the denim.
Lastly I made a somewhat fashion Faux Pas. I double denimed. Not so much in material but in tone. The mannequin up top was dressed in a pair of denim shorts with a lavender tee underneath to give a little bit of tonal freshness then topped with a Linen denim coloured jacket. This to me attended to the main rule of double denim. If you're going to do it, use different tones that offset each other. Never try to mix and match as you'll only look like a poor 80's throw back (unless y'know that's what you want). Finally adding in the travel bag was a key choice, as the accessory breaks up the colours of the outfit but also adds a more stylish element as accessories like this have become a key feature for the more fashion conscious man.
I'm going to stop here for now as I'm aware this is going to be a long post if I keep up this up. For now have a nose at these pics of another window I was doing at the time which is to coincide with the theme of white. It was a quick installation that required me to use linens, laces and suitable home product to tie in. The result I'm told is probably one of the best i've done. So I'm a little chuffed with this one! Enjoy!
Love this window set, and am going to get some pics of it before It is disassembled giving way to father's day.
