Jean Therapy

This spring, designers across the fashion spectrum are letting loose and having some fun with denim. So should you.

- Max Borlingor

JEANS WILL NEVER not fascinate. Giorgio Armani once said said they "represent democracy in fashion", while Yves Saint Laurent, the world's greatest couturier, famously declared they were the one thing he wished he'd invented: "They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity-all I hope for in my clothes."

Sure, but how to wear them now? The downside of denim's Zelig-like versatility is that it's invariably the first thing to fall victim to fashion's newest trend obsessions. Are we meant to be revisiting the 1980s stonewashed era, the oversized, hem-dragging 1990s or the bootcut aughts-or, wait, is that actually more of a flower-power bell-bottom vibe? The answer is yes and more besides. But forget all that.

The good news is that, for spring, top designers have turned out a staggering number of covetable denim options with, crucially, strong points of view on how to incorporate them into our ever-shifting wardrobes. To wit: Stòffa's relaxed trousers made from upcycled cotton by a small family-run mill in Guatemala; Brunello Cucinelli's superlative Western shirts infused with a hint of Yellowstone swagger; and an unexpectedly dapper, leather-trimmed mandarin-collar jacket from Loro Piana. Massimo Alba toyed with the material’s workwear roots via a lightweight carpenter-style pant and, for the daring, Prada presented funkycool jean blazers.