I’m the first person who’ll tell you that a wardrobe without vintage denim, specifically 501s, is hardly complete or satisfactory. They’ve been beloved for over a century, and aren’t going away anytime soon. However, for once, I’m eyeing another denim style with the same adoration and honestly obsession that I have for my classic, perfectly faded Levi’s 501 jeans. And I’m not the only one.
Taylor Russell, the star of Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All and a jury member of the 2024 Venice Film Festival, was spotted in the Italian city a few days ago wearing the exact jeans trend I’m referring to: raw, dark-wash denim. Hers appear to be of the barrel-leg variety, with a high waist and rust-colored stitching, similar to styles by Tibi and Jamie Haller. With them, she wore a white, crewneck tee and a cropped, cream-colored V-neck sweater, along with black loafers, a CDG bucket hat, a tote bags, and sunglasses.
On Taylor Russell: Comme des Garçons hat
But Russell isn’t the only certified fashion girl who’s choosing the more formal, sophisticated denim style. All over New York City this week—aka New York Fashion Week—show attendees have been opting for darker, raw denim, be they straight-leg, barrel-leg, or flared silhouettes. Specifically, I’ve spotted them outside of Tibi, Nanushka, and Tommy Hilfiger. And those are just the ones I saw with my own two eyes. When I started really looking through street-style imagery, countless more appeared. Instagram’s Eva Chen was among the chic dressers I saw in raw denim, styling a wide-leg pair with what appears to be a black Dior Bar Jacket. Stylist Savannah White chose Tibi’s Sid jeans, also going the blazer route, though hers was cropped and embellished with multiple brooches.
Convinced? Same. Scroll down to shop some of 2024’s best raw denim, from Levi’s to Tibi. Trust me, after seeing how many ways this style can be worn, you won’t regret packing away your vintage jeans for a season or two.
Shop raw dark-wash denim:
Tibi
Indigo Denim Sid Jeans
ZARA
ZW Collection High Waist Cropped Bootcut Jeans
Levi’s
Ribcage Full Length Jeans
ALIGNE
Markus Rigid Horseshoe Jean
ZARA
Raw Barrel-Leg Denim
Citizens of Humanity
Miro Relaxed Jeans
Jamie Haller
The Baggy Painter in Raw Rinse
J.Crew
Denim Trouser in 1996 Semi-Stretch