Denim: Street Style, Vintage, Obsession

While the history of blue jeans originates in men’s workwear of the late 19th century, this posh lookbook focuses on fashionable contemporary women who have made denim an essential part of their style. Leverton (Denim Dudes) compiles portraits of dozens of women hailing from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, many of whom work in the fashion industry. “I’ve been wearing denim since I was five years old and have been faithful to denim ever since,” says Linda Robin, a stylist in New York, who’s pictured wearing high-waisted jeans by designer Rachel Comey. Ayana Matsuba, an editor at the Japanese fashion magazine Clutch in Tokyo, who sports vintage Levi’s jeans with a leather patch in her photo, notes how “wearing good denim helps me to write great articles about denim.” While some of the commentary may be inaccessible to the average reader (“The type III is another gem I found at the flea—it is actually a vintage kids’ piece that I customized with a Pegasus chain-stitched patch inspired by a vintage Hermès pattern”), there is plenty of inspirational street style worth admiring. Color photos. (Apr.)