Designer denim in Crayola colors became available a few years ago in the mid-range price market, holding the loyal contemporary shopper to a new standard for casual Fridays.
The pants made a second emergence last spring in the shape of the skinniest jean to match the bold shoes that would come with the summer season. Rich hues in denim trends always seem to pop up when the atmosphere is covered in the neutral tones and tints of autumn. A pop of color in your wardrobe makes a great visual introduction to cleanse the palette of winter colors for the transition into spring.
Denim has evolved since the 1950s to become a staple item that sits at the bottom of the wardrobe triangle. We can build our wardrobe knowing a good number of tops will coordinate with most of the denim in our closets. Colors, believe it or not, will diversify those tops and enable the reinvention of certain looks with an undertone of fun and festivity.
A pair of apple-red denim really adds a retro, pop-art feel to a plain vintage T-shirt. For a button-down shirt accessorized with a neutral fitted blazer, tailored vest or cardigan, bright denim delivers spunk and pizzazz, brightening the aesthetic with a playful element.
Although it won’t be ideal for business meetings, it’ll help capture the eye of new clientele and future employers in a relaxed networking setting by displaying a cool, candid style.
A few brands pushing the great pastel, jewel tone and neon-colored denim styles are James Jeans, AG Adriano Goldschmied, Joe’s Jeans, Paige Premium, J Brand and Michael Kors. These lengthy skinny jeans make hind quarters look perfectly sculpted. You’ll rarely find a brand delving into different prints and dye techniques, such as Rich and Skinny’s ombre-colored skinny leg jean, just in time for spring.
For those who like to use ankle-cropped denim to show off a fabulous shoe, Free People comes to mind for a great fit and moderate pricing at $88. But perhaps your inner-splurger is itching for the more prestigious 7 For All Mankind or Hudson ankle-cropped skinny leg beauties for $169.
If you have some serious pennies to rub together, try a beautiful flared jean brought to us by TEXTILE Elizabeth and James, or the fabulously fitted DSQUARED2 boot-cut denim, all in the colors of the rainbow. But if you are more like me, hardly possessing a penny with a hole in it, there are still options that will make you and your rear end proud.
I have J & Company colored jeans, slightly flared, that I live and would die by, on sale for just about $40 (as of a few years back), and they were one of the best investments I made for my closet. If extreme comfort and great fit are elements you look for in denim, J & Company is definitely worth it.
Lucky Brand Jeans is another connoisseur in the pursuit of spectrum denim design, yielding the cutest capri denim styles with a favorable reputation for quality.
If you’re deciding between buying groceries or bottoms to accessorize that fabulous top you got for Christmas, ponder no further. There’s some denim out there that only costs a few bottles’ worth of Simply Lemonade, which you could probably cut back on anyway. Forever 21, YOOX, Hot Topic and Delia’s come to mind for some nice colored jeans that cost less than $40.
If you’re not into the low rise trend and possibly need colored denim to better suit your curves, Not Your Daughter’s Jeans and PZI Jeans specialize in catering to your preference, bringing the well-rounded wheel of colored denim needs to completion.
Al Burks is a 25-year-old apparel design senior from New Orleans.
 
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Contact Al Burks at [email protected]