The Science of Double Denim
Pulling off the double denim look is no easy feat, especially if you are no Steve Mc Queen. Yet, this total-denim outfit should not be regarded with too much awe because it truly has great potential, provided that you know what you are doing.
What’s the first image that comes to your mind when you think of double denim?
Although there have been some low moments for this iconic outfit over the last few decades, chances are your imprinting on this topic still comes from America’s most beloved anti-hero, the one and only Mr. Steve McQueen wearing a pair of jeans and a denim Texan shirt in the same shades of blue with his signature nonchalant elegance.
In that case, it would be no surprise if you felt somewhat intimidated by the idea of acing the double-denim / total-denim look.
Double denim in history: from workwear to fashion
We all know that denim itself has its roots in the world of workwear, from the sailors of Genoa to Californian gold diggers. And the same goes for the total denim look, which was a regular workwear staple in 1900s America.
As it often happens, fashion and the film industry managed to make it cool with the help of movie stars such as McQueen, Elvis Presley, James Dean, and even Marilyn Monroe or style icons such as Gianni Agnelli and Ralph Lauren.
The rules of the game
Well, this one is pretty easy: there are no rules to the game of pulling off a double-denim or a total-denim outfit, just humble theories.
And here’s our own: the most sophisticated way to ace a double/total denim outfit is to mix slightly different shades of the same blue.
It is a work of patience and subtraction, but if you nail it the result will be truly terrific - something that bends towards the monoblock outfit, yet with a very subtle and dynamic multi-tone dimension.