fashion tips

Photo: Getty
“I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans,” Yves Saint Laurent famously said of the wardrobe staple. “They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes.” Despite boasting a ripe old age of 150, jeans, and the world’s obsession with them, show no sign of slowing down, and Saint Laurent’s words perfectly capture the power of denim.
So while jeans are typically regarded as a daytime staple, they have rarely stayed within these confines, and the autumn/winter 2023 runway shows were a lesson in how to instantly make them look smarter. Indeed, some of the most-shared looks from the catwalks were seemingly the most innocuous: from Bottega Veneta’s low-slung-jeans-and-tank-top pairing to Gucci’s baggy-jeans-and-stripe-shirt look.
Yet, the devil was in the detail: Bottega’s pair were actually crafted from denim-effect, wafer-thin leather, while Gucci’s polished accessories ensured the nonchalant denim silhouette was elevated to new heights. Jeans were even given the couture treatment at Valentino’s fall 2023 couture show – which was held in the grounds of the Château de Chantilly, no less. Modelled by Kaia Gerber, the simple ensemble was made up of an oversized white shirt, silver shoes and a pair of mid-wash jeans, which were embellished with thousands of tiny glass beads. Jeans have come a long way from their humble workwear beginnings.
But even if you don’t have a couture budget, you can give your denim a runway-worthy reboot this season with the smallest styling tweaks. From smart denim co-ords to classic “nice-top-and-jeans” pairings, scroll down to see how the street style crowd are dressing-up their denim for the month ahead.
Scroll down to see Vogue’s dressed-up denim outfits.

The dark denim co-ord + gold jewellery
Photo: Getty
A skirt worn over jeans + platform shoes
Photo: Getty
A white shirt + sculptural jeans + heels
Photo: Getty
An embellished denim jacket + tailored trousers
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The party top + slouchy jeans + slingbacks
Photo: Getty
Originally published in Vogue.co.uk

Fernanda Motta for Vogue Arabia, March 2023. Photo: Luc Braquet
You can always rely on Tan France to give the best advice, and when it comes to daily matters of the wardrobe there are few people we would trust more than this certified fashion icon. Which is why, when a recent video began circulating of him being interviewed on the Jennifer Hudson Show discussing how often you should really be washing your jeans, many were shocked.
Let’s rewind, shall we? How often do you wash your jeans? Some people wash them after every wear, the same way they do with every other item of clothing. Others give their favorite pair two or three wears before they’re relegated to the washing basket. But very few of us would go, let’s say, many more than ten wears before washing. Well, if it were up to Tan France, our jeans would be lasting double that time.

@popculturebrain #TanFrance #Jeans #Fashion #QueerEye ♬ original sound – Pop Culture Brain

When asked by Jennifer, “How often do you think you should wash your jeans?”, Tan answered: “Not very often… I’m going to say, like, every twentieth wear.”
“Listen! I know you think that’s gross, but find a way to clean them that’s not necessarily washing them. [If you wash them] you’re going to fade them, you’re going to ruin the fit. If I were you I would put them in a freezer bag and put them in the freezer and kill that bacteria.”
Of course, TikTok users had something to say about Tan’s washing tips. Many also pointed out the potential lifestyle factors: “People who can get away with wearing jeans 20x are people who don’t take public transport everywhere”. “My jeans fit best right after I wash them”, pointed out one user, with another referencing the stretch issue, confirming that she’d like to know how to “stop them from getting ‘knees’ in the first five minutes of wearing them”.
But Tan isn’t the only fashion expert to shock fans with his jean-washing habits. In fact, Levi’s CEO Chip Bergh once admitted that he’d gone ten years without introducing his favorite pair of jeans to the washing machine in order not to ‘wear down’ the material.
That was a few years ago, but in a more recent interview with CNN the Levi’s boss revealed that the pair in question were still yet to have been washed. “If you talk to real denim aficionados, they will all agree you should never put a pair of jeans in the washing machine,” he added. “I spot clean my jeans when they need to be washed, worst case I’ll hand wash them. I love my jeans and I take good care of them.”
But what about Tan’s tip regarding putting them in the freezer? “That is an old wive’s tale,” Bergh revealed. “I’m sorry to say, it freezes the germs and then when thy come out of the freezer the germs are still there.”
So what’s the answer? Luckily there’s a happy medium to be reached that’ll save both water and time without leaving you feeling as though you’re wearing dirty clothing. “Limiting the number of times you wash jeans is arguably the most critical factor in maintaining their lifespan,” explains Lennie Law, in-house style expert at fashion brand Spoke. “Every ten wears is a good rule of thumb and always stick to a short, cold cycle to preserve the shape, quality, and color. Thirty degrees is best. Washing jeans frequently exposes them to large volumes of water, leading to a faded color, while the washing machine drum can also wear the fabric down over time.”
So, one wash every ten wears… That sounds like a water-saving, money-saving, time-saving challenge we can get on board with.
Originally published in Glamourmagazine.co.uk