Double D

I have a confession to make. I am addicted to denim.

At last count I have nine pairs of jeans, three pairs of denim shorts (with my eyes on a new high waisted Levis pair as I type), and two denim jackets (one with and one without sleeves). Last summer, denim even spread upwards in the form of my bleached shirt. This summer it has infected my top wardrobe again with the arrival of a slouch tee from Topshop, a refreshing variation on the ever so popular denim shirt. Its sleeves and pockets ripped off leaving a contrasting patch against the main acid wash. It is the latest edition to my breeding denim family.

My denim family is forever expanding (darker in real life)

I just can't help it. We are inseparable. But why have a got an obsession for denim?

I can remember my first proper pair of jeans. Ones that I bought myself and weren't just hand-me-downs from various cousins. They were dark indigo with a dramatic flair, embellished by silver stars. I always remember these jeans infamously as the 'what was I thinking' jeans. But after all, every seven year old girl was wearing the flair. Now, twelve years on, along with many other fashionistas, the skinny jean is my trusty denim outlet. My favorite pair? The acid washed skinny denims by Topshop that have been my most worn for a couple of years. So much so, they have a rather large hole between the back pocket and the waistband. They are weathered, beaten and ripped: or loved dearly I would call it. Evidence that the perfect pair do exist. The denim fabric is the epitome of casual cool and practicality. On those days where all other fashion fails you and you yearn for a new wardrobe, trusty jeans will always be there to pick up the pieces. Nothing looks better than a good tight pair.

But being a denim devotee, I am still unsure about the supposed fashion faux pas of head to toe denim. Is it too much of a good thing? Or something that is not channeled enough? I remember countless discussions between friends as to a persons choice to adorn this questionable look, but we never quite come to a conclusion. This season Chloe wanted us to embrace our inner ranch worker with slouchy denim shirts teamed with long jeans each sporting contrasting patching similar to my Topshop piece. It was casual and utterly chic, not at all wrong. The two pieces separated by a thin leather belt and accompanied by a brown leather bag. It looked so effortless, as if the woman was just returning home from tending to her horses. But could I imagine myself wearing this double denim ensemble in North Cornwall? I still wasn't convinced.

Chloe, from the S/S 10 collection

Dolce and Gabbana's take on this trend didn't help my ploy to conversion: denim jacket paired with denim skirt. When you imagine this combo in your head it reeks of a cutesy little girl and would be disastrous to anyone over ten years old. However, D&G tried to ease in this look by layering and decorating the pieces with black lace, diverting the eye so the two denims look less double denim and more delicious denim. But again I don't think I could pull this look off. It is more suitable on the catwalk. Yes I could look into buying lace samples from my local fabric shop and converting my existing denim pieces but I'm sure I would just end up looking like a lamp! Plus I have never been very favourable to the denim skirt since I said goodbye to my last at aged thirteen. I am much more of a shorts person. After all you don't have to worry about the positioning of ones legs.

But then, one day my attitude to the double D's began to fade. I was inspired by my neighbour, a person I would never have expected to admire clothes on, but I was. She did head to toe. High waisted jeans, slightly baggy, accompanied by a tucked in denim shirt while allowing some to billow over to hide and conceal a thin leather belt. She looked amazing, as if she had just walked of the pages of my Vogue trend round up, minus the long white hair. Who said you can't wear denim past a certain age?

Alexa in denim galore!

So there I was. It was double D-day. My first outing in nothing but. I stepped out in my high waisted denim shorts with a light denim shirt, both Topshop. I added a thin leather belt to break it up and some aviator sunnies to hide behind. I felt strange, slightly conscious of what I was wearing yet at the same time oddly cool. As cool as Alexa Chung looks in her Vogue shoot, a photograph that inspired my ensemble. 'Yes I am wearing double denim, and I like it!' I felt like shouting. But it ain't easy, it has to be thought about. Don't just chuck on every denim thing you own. Keep it simple and different. This is the rule that must be obeyed to make it OK. Choose two contrasting denim hues so it doesn't look too matching and I wore shorts to make it less head to toe. I like it, but I didn't want to make it too obvious on my double debut.

My new denim look slouch tee will be perfect to continue my relationship with this trend. Its dark blue colour will be a great contrast to my bleached shorts and thus a perfect partnership to finish my summer with.

Looking forward to next season, of its understated chic. Alas there is no strong outlet for denim amongst the neutral capes, coats and outdoorsy styles. But I will not stop wearing it I'm sure. You cannot ignore a love this strong: my lovely friend denim.