Denim is so ingrained into pop culture, it’s easy to take its influence for granted. Sure, it’s charming when a celebrity buys jeans we can shop ourselves—but we’re ultimately not that surprised when they do. (Don’t forget that, nearly a year ago, all it took for Meghan Markle to become the world’s most relatable royal-to-be was a pair of distressed jeans.) But denim has irreversibly altered the fashion landscape, despite its relatively brief history. (The first women’s jeans weren’t released until 1934, though denim wasn’t considered “acceptable” for women’s wardrobes until the late forties.) Still, denim broke down certain gender and class barriers other types of apparel hadn’t because of its nearly universal appeal. And its most extreme reinterpretations—like, when a public figure stepped out in a surprising take on the style—challenged conventions of what we wear and how we wear it today.
Pop culture played an important role in denim’s rise to ubiquity. Look back on the past eighty-odd years, and a handful of key moments from entertainment, politics, and fashion stand out. And there’s a reason why we still talk about them. Here, we revisit some of the most influential denim outfits from the past century.
We bring you the trends. You make them your own. Sign up for our daily newsletter to find the best fashion for YOU.
My most prized sweater has earned that title not because it’s made of the softest black cashmere (although that bit is fantastic). I adore this crewneck because of two small white lowercase letters embroidered on the front left, EH, my initials. I get compliments every time I wear it or post a picture of me in it. It sits neatly folded atop the stack of knits in my closet, an easy grab for keeping it in heavy rotation. I intend to wear it until it unravels entirely.
I’m not alone in treasuring something with a signature touch. Although monogramming has been around since the Greco-Roman era, today the craze for personalized merch has hit a fever pitch. One study by the consulting agency Deloitte reported that roughly one in five adults has bought personalized clothing and one in seven has purchased personalized accessories. We’re hunting for something different, something more representative of our lives, something more special. And we’ve grown accustomed to personal treatment—companies tailor every email or recommendation to our every desire (I’m looking at you, Netflix recommendations).
Interestingly, shoppers don’t seem to want to start from scratch and play designer. It’s too daunting for even the most stylish among us, says Candice Fragis, buying and merchandising director for the luxury e-commerce site Farfetch. They’re more interested in taking a style from a brand they know and adding their own spin—it’s a way to be unique but still part of a club. At Farfetch, for example, the Fendi Kan I F bag comes in five leather colors, two hardware finishes, and six logo shades. At Lingua Franca, shoppers can customize cashmere sweaters; Connie Britton wore one that read “Poverty Is Sexist” to the 2018 Golden Globes, and Tessa Thompson requested “Ava, Greta, Patty & Dee,” although it’s tough to beat the “Tired ass honkey ho” Candice Bergen ordered. Words aren’t your thing? Rebecca Minkoff’s line of So Connected hard-shell suitcases can be dressed up with “statement stickers,” emoji-like symbols that include a lightning bolt and a pair of lips.
Technology advances have made this easy for consumers. Real-time rendering lets you see whether you prefer amethyst satin or pony stripes for your Sergio Rossi loafer, and whether the plate across the toes looks better in crystal or rose gold. However, personalization is no small feat on the manufacturing end. Picking a leather color on, say, a bag, necessitates a custom thread color too. “Little things people don’t even think about mean more time in the production cycle,” says Neal J. Fox, president and CEO of Mark Cross, which can now produce customized handbags in about six weeks.
Fortunately for brands bravely offering up all these options, most shoppers don’t expect a custom Nicholas Kirkwood mule to arrive in 24 hours, says Fragis. In fact, the anticipation of getting a special delivery, she notes, “is part of the fun.”
Elizabeth Holmes, formerly a style reporter for The Wall Street Journal, has also written for The New York Times, InStyle, and Elle.
Freeform’s The Bold Type first aired last summer but gained a cult-like following when the whole first season became available on Hulu. The dramedy about three young women working their way up at a popular magazine dazzled viewers with its glitzy premise, topical narratives, and nuanced characters. The first season only had 10 episodes, which left fans super hungry for more when it wrapped.
But now season two is here—and it looks amazing. The season kicks off with a two-hour first episode, and it’s only going to get better from there. If you’re not into The Bold Type, though, then no worries: There are plenty other awesome TV shows and movies debuting this week, too. Here are the highlights.
72nd Annual Tony Awards: Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban will host this year’s show honoring Broadway’s best and brightest. Fingers crossed Mean Girls: The Musical takes home literally all the awards. 8 P.M. ET on CBS
Claws: Niecy Nash is back in this glossy, gritty dramedy about manicurists who double as criminals involved with Russian mobsters. Crime stories and cute nail polish? Sign me up. 9 P.M. ET on TNT
[embedded content]
Marriage Vacation: Remember that splashy, tell-all book Charles’ ex-wife Pauline wrote on the TV show Younger? Well, you can literally read it now—and find out why Liza was so shocked by page 58—thanks to Simon & Schuster. Purchase it on Amazonhere.
[embedded content]
The Bold Type: How will Jane do at her new job? Will Kat and Adena last? And what the hell is going to happen to Sutton’s love life? Find out the answer to all these questions (and more) when The Bold Type returns for a two-hour season premiere. 8 P.M. ET on Freeform
[embedded content]
The Great Gatsby: The remake of this classic story, starring Leonardo Dicaprio, is leaving Netflix today, so what are you waiting for, old sport? Streaming on Netflix
[embedded content]
Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce: The fifth and final season of this dishy Bravo scripted series kicks off tonight. Find out how Abby McCarthy’s journey from divorce to “freedom” to “bossing up” ends. 10 P.M. ET on Bravo
[embedded content]
Queer Eye: Can you believe?! The Fab Five is back to change the lives of eight more heroes and make us sob in the process. Streaming on Netflix
Set It Up: Two young, stressed-out assistants try to get their dragon-breathing bosses off their backs by setting up them together. Zoey Deutch, Lucy Liu, Glen Powell, and Taye Diggs star. Streaming on Netflix
[embedded content]
Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of: It’s a Backstreet Boys documentary. That’s all you need to know. Streaming on Netflix
Rebecca Black, “Satellite”: The pop singer is back with a haunting, slow-burning song and video for “Satellite.” Check it out, below:
Meghan Markle‘s royal wedding look was everything she represents herself to be: modern, chicly unfussy, and thoroughly elegant. From her streamlined gown to her royal-precedent-breaking, pretty-much-signature messy updo—worn Saturday in a low chignon—she’s been a breath of fresh air to the monarchy, even as she entered its ranks. And according to the genius who did her wedding hair, Serge Normant, she was pretty much the chillest bride on record: They only did one hair trial before the big day, he told People. And speaking of record, you won’t believe how fast he did her hair (no two-hour updos here).
Normant, who was apparently introduced to Markle through mutual friend/hair goddess Amal Clooney (now those are the kinds of connections we’d like, please), opened up about how he got Markle’s bridal look.
It was to be modern from the beginning, he revealed to People: “I didn’t want to do anything set in a time frame — too much volume — that would look retro, I just wanted a loose and easy look, which is why we chose that loose bun.”
Normant kept the ends loose. “I wanted her to be able to tuck it behind her ears if she wanted to do, because that is what she normally does,” he told People. That’s the kind of leaning-in we like.
He used a little mousse and texurizer for shine, and blew-dry her hair with a round brush, using a “little iron” on the edges to give it texture before putting it up.
According to Normant, the one thing you need to recreate the chignon is something you probably already have in your drawer—bobby pins. “I just used long, regular pins,” he said. “Things that you could just find in the shop for a few pounds. People could recreate it at home, absolutely, maybe even better!”
“‘It’s a messy bun, we call it. Messy in a controlled way,” he told the Daily Mail. “Making sure it doesn’t become a whole mess after a few hours! I don’t overload the hair with products in general and certainly not on this day.”
We are so, so close to the turning point in the calendar in which the days stop getting shorter and start getting longer (even if at first that’s going to mean sunset is at, like, 4:37 p.m. rather than 4:30 p.m.). In celebration of the ever-so-slightly augmented daylight, we’ll be breaking out a new pair of sunglasses, even if we only get to wear them on weekends and our morning commute. If you’re about to jet off on holiday somewhere closer to the equator, even better—it’s the perfect time to take the opportunity to snag some cool shades and make your friends extra jealous of your beach selfies. After last season’s obsession with vintage-y cat-eyes and It-girl-approved micro-shades, we’re particularly excited about futuristic flat-top styles, oversized shapes in soft, subtle colors like blush and sage, and wearable metal-frame aviators. No matter your taste (or budget), though, we think you’ll find something here to tide you over ’till summer.
If you’ve been following Zendaya‘s style choices recently, you might have noticed she’s been leaning into fashion’s fascination with eras past. Some nostalgic references are more subtle than others—a cropped sweater here, a mod plaid there—but it’s definitely been noticeable.
“This year we’ve been playing around with decades—I’ve been really into my ‘60s vibe recently, hence the look,” she told Glamour of the two-piece, sequined-and-feathered Prada set she was wearing at our Women of the Year kick-off event, co-hosted by Barneys New York. “That’s what we’ve been really into right now, and [we’re] riding that wave [for] as long as we feel like we like it.”
We weren’t surprised, then, when she followed that Prada look with a hot-pink Viktor & Rolf jumpsuit at the actual awards that felt very retro-glam the following day.
“I like to think that, when it comes to fashion, my stylist [Law Roach] and I are always evolving and changing,” she said. “But the one thing that remains the same is that we continue to have fun and not take it so damn seriously. Fashion is supposed to be a tool to find yourself and learn more about yourself and that’s what I’ve done.” It’s not just she and Roach doing the work: Zendaya says she loves seeing how her peers are also “being super adventurous and different and having fun” when it comes to fashion. “Often we look back at different trends and we don’t realize that someone had to set those trends—somebody had to change it, somebody had to do something different,” she told us. “I think it’s nice to see that right now, it’s a melting pot of every single decade: you see someone with ‘90s, with ‘80s, with ‘70s—all in one outfit.”
Go through some of Zendaya’s greatest fashion hits from past months, and there are plenty of other examples of how to bring old-school trends into the present: the bedazzled Viveta suit from the Variety Power of Young Hollywood party, the H&M x Erdem sweater-and-skirt combo from the collaboration’s runway show, or even the Ralph & Russo gown from the Spider Man: Homecoming premiere. Basically, if you’re seeking style inspiration with a vintage edge, look no further than Zendaya in 2017.
