By Michael Kowalinski
What is the quintessential men’s wardrobe staple? Well, every man needs denim, be it jeans, a jacket, shorts or all of the above. The new way to wear denim has many incarnations, but one message is clear – looking cool and effortless is, well, back. For spring, it’s about looking comfortable and relaxed, as if you went with your gut instinct. Looking cool and on trend shouldn’t require too much thought.
We’ve compiled our favorite denim looks for Spring /Summer 2010. Wear them with ease, confidence and however you like. After all, that seems to be the message this spring.
Relaxed and Rolled at the Ankle 
A relaxed fit jean rolled up at the ankle is an effortless, easy look that made its way onto many a runway for spring. We all have that relaxed pair of jeans that we didn’t know could look so cool and now is the time to bring them out again with confidence. Wear them with a loose fitting tee or tight fitting tank, like at Marc Jacobs or with a collared shirt and blazer like at Kenzo. Many of these jeans are distressed, so no need to stress about keeping them pristine. At Junya Watanabe, they are worn with a fitted plaid jacket and an ascot, proving that mixing your loose jeans can look cool and effortless or serious and chic.
Denim as Part of a Suit
While denim may be considered a casual fabric or look, a new way to wear it is as part of a suit. Wear formal elements of a suit, like a jacket, but in denim. At Adam Kimmel, the arbiter of New York cool, jeans are worn with a denim jacket, waistcoat and bowtie. At Bottega Veneta, jeans, relaxed and rolled at the ankle, are paired with a jacket and tie. This can be worn out to dinner and cocktails and has an ease yet structure that can translate into appropriate attire for many a social occasion. Lanvin designed a small capsule collection for Acne, which featured dark denim single-breasted blazers that look business casual and fun. Wear it how you like. Even a single element of a suit in your look will take you from day to evening with ease.
Torn
Go on, tear it up! Torn and ripped jeans are in, which means you can be hard on them and no one will know. Faded, distressed or dark, when worn low on the hip they can ooze a down home kind of ease that’s irresistible and sexy. Wear them with a loose white sweater like at Martin Margiela or with a tucked in collared shirt like at D&G. John Galliano himself wore his torn, acid wash jeans with a waistcoat and lace up boots, proving the look can be tough and mean, or neat and sweet. Gents, it’s up to you.
Super Skinny
What about us guys who have a lean, waif like body who find ourselves sidling over to the ladies’ department in need of a long, narrow jean? You can safely put those down and come over the men’s side. With so hip it hurts brands like Acne, Balmain and Trussardi 1911 showing snug, super skinny jeans for spring, there’s plenty to choose from. Gentlemen beware – these are not the skinny jeans of yesteryear, but narrow, long jeans that can be worn with anything. They can be black or dark blue, with random zippers on the thigh for a tough, biker look or clean and simple if the goal is to be conservative and chic. They leave much to the imagination, but show you’re “in the know”, and isn’t that the object of this game?
