American fashion is having a moment—and it’s living in the form of a denim bustier.
Let us be real for a second: jeans are so associated with Americana that I sometimes picture the navy corner of our star-spangled banner, as being made of denim. I can practically hear a young Bruce Springsteen singing “Born in the U.S.A.”
But the twill-weaved cotton fabric, actually has French roots. It’s all in the name: denim, or “de nim,” means “of Nimes. The true birthplace is hidden in the stitching of the textile’s name, and we can thank Levi Strauss for inducting jeans into American culture during the Gold Rush.
For the Spring/Summer 2023 runway season, denim bras have been popping up in various cuts, in the collections of European fashion brands: Bella Hadid at the Givenchy show, for one. The supermodel was clad in a jean racerback with buckles holding together the straps while walking down in a matching low-rise skirt in the Jardin de Plantes. Versace sent a model down the catwalk in a charcoal denim bustier lined with leather. Then there’s fellow Italian brand and cult favorite, Diesel, featuring a in a zip-up jean crop with matching daisy dukes. Just like your favorite pair of jeans, there are an array of cuts and fits to make wearing a denim crop top surprisingly wearable.
Before I had any inkling that the fashion world was going to douse us in this indigo fabric for 2023, I was drawn to this Versace piece. The craftsmanship is exquisite: a dark wash with stitching along the lines of the bustier that harken back to a vintage pair of jeans. The gold Medusa clasps on the straps are what truly sold me. I knew they would pair well with my Versace logo hair clip, the crowning jewel on a sculptural high pony tail. While the fabric is normally casual, I knew I had to be… well over-the-top when styling this top. That meant pairing it with a woven geometrical mini skirt in shades of orange, royal blue, and eggshell. That meant picking up on the opulent gold clasps by wearing chain-strapped stilettos in the same gilded manor. It was the perfect blend of Americana mixed with a European sensibility.
Keeping it Krischic,
Kristin Vartan
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Keeping it Krischic 