Everything you need to know about pulling off Denim on Denim

Denim jackets are the perfect spring outerwear. It’s also pretty hard to beat a great pair of blue jeans. Can you wear both at the same time? Yes. One thousand percent yes. Don’t let the jokes about our cousins up north turn you away.

Here’s how to pair blue denim on blue denim—and still look cool.

Opposites Attract

This is the first rule of denim on denim: You can’t go wrong if you pick from opposite ends of the color spectrum. Navy jeans work well with any old, light-wash jacket—and vice versa. A crisp button-up and worn boots, like those on blogger Nick Christopher here, will help round everything out.

Break It Up

Yes, you can do a similar wash of denim on top as you do on the bottom. You just have to break it up like blogger Patricio Patterson does here by adding in contrast elsewhere. We love the fresh pop of the white henley underneath the indigo denim shirt. Pairing a stiffer, more structured denim top underneath a cardigan also helps to refine the look.

Go Deep

Want to really hit the style—without seeming rustic or Western? Saddle up and buy both items in the same wash from the same company to keep it streamlined and studied. Just make sure to nail the fit and finish it off with a pair of cool sneakers.