Dazzling denim

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This summer, jeans are a rainbow-inspired riot of vivid colour. David Hayes explains how to work the look.

Boyfriend or high-waisted? Flares or drainpipes? Those debates are old hat in the fast-paced and faddy world of denim. A new talking-point trend has emerged for summer. Brightly coloured skinnies are making an early bid to be jeans of the season.

“There was so much bright neon on the catwalk this season, it just seemed right to do coloured jeans,” says Julia Davies, the denim buyer for Topshop, about the store’s range of bright skinnies, including lemon yellow, paint-box green and hot pink, which are priced at £32 a pair. “The look has been bubbling under at festivals for a few years now. It’s about irreverence — and being brave with colour. I’m loath to say it, but it probably has a lot to do with the new-rave thing, too.”

Okay, so it’s a hot trend, but what is more surprising is that coloured jeans are selling like, er, hot cakes. “They have been incredibly successful for us,” Davies says. “And it’s not just about one must-have colour, either. At the moment, we are doing really well with yellow, green and blue, but we will have even more colours as the season goes on.”

Never one to be outdone, Kate Moss has run up coloured skinnies, in postbox red, for her debut Topshop collection — personalised with tiny embroidered swallows, hearts and stars that are copies of her own tattoos.

With price an important factor — nobody can pretend that paying a three-figure sum for a pair of lime-green jeans is a sensible investment — it’s no surprise that the high street is leading the coloured-denim comeback. And not just at Topshop. “We have coloured denim in baby pink, mint green and pale blue in our bestselling skinny-fit jeans,” says Sue Vyse, the brand director for Warehouse. “So far, the styles on sale have outperformed expectations.”

It’s a great trend for new brands, too. “Labels such as Rich & Skinny, Ksubi and GoldSign have done some really great brights for the summer,” says Aimee Brown, the denim-buyer at Selfridges. “Coloured jeans are mirroring what is happening on the catwalk, but in a younger, more fun way and at a better price.” Top marks go to Rich & Skinny for the best rock-inspired colour names; for starters, check out Motley Blue and Ramone Red.

Though experimenting with colour no longer sends women into a panic, squeezing into a pair of hot-coloured skinny jeans is never going to be as problem-free as throwing on a bright summer dress. Ease yourself into the trend with a pair of electric-blue or dark-purple jeans (Frankie B has the perfect pair), and gradually work your way through the spectrum.

Washed-out baby blues and pinks are a softer option; take a tip from Luella Bartley, who paired pastel-pink jeans with graphic black-and-white prints on the catwalk. Alternatively, mix neon brights with this season’s washed-out neutrals.

“The look can be quite rock chic, worn with a skinny-fit T-shirt, Converse trainers and an oversized blazer,” says Vyse. “Pastel colours look less harsh than blue jeans with a vest top and flip-flops.”

And what to avoid? “I don’t know about you,” says Davies, “but, personally, I find one all-over colour kind of scary.”

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