So much coolness comes in a Levis blue denim 90s skirt
November 23, 2018Summertime is the ideal time for dresses and skirts, I feel. When it’s this hot, you don’t want all the material of trousers or jeans, just as much bare leg as possible. Of course, skirts are good in winter too, but all the faff with tight, thermal leggings, shorts underneath to keep your bum warm… No, summertime skirts are the way to go. And since it’s been so hot for so long, you’ll finally get a chance to actually have a choice of skirts and dresses, not just quickly put one on and then back into storage when the thunderclouds strike. A Levis blue denim 90s skirt is one of those fun options that can be worn summer after summer, because it’s timeless.
Levis blue denim 90s skirt from Blue17 vintage
Summertime fun in a Levis blue denim 90s skirt
Obviously, being such a thick material, the denim skirt is good pretty much all the year round. But an acid wash mini skirt just feels like hot evenings, outdoor parties, and late summer nights. Really you need to accompany it with a bright pink tank top, or something equally fun and frivolous, and shoddy plimsolls. There’s no point trying to be chic here, it’s cheap and trashy all the way.
Blue denim mini skirts with ruffles, or rows of buttons down the front, original length or cut off into a miniskirt make you feel like you’re in one of those American teenage films, where they have a party down at the beach or all hang out drinking down at the pool. Or at the woods, or the car lot if it’s not one of those films where their parents have a mansion, huge yard and swimming pool. Denim skirts are a perennial favourite with the costume department to signify careless summer joy and they should be your favourite too.
Birds eye view of blue denim 90s skirt
An elegant denim skirt
Having said that, about denim skirts being essentially a trashy item (and I mean that most fondly) a dark wash pencil skirt can be surprisingly elegant. It needs to be knee length or slightly below the knee, and to have lots of stretch so that it’s very tight. Worn with, say, red lipstick and and red v neck sweater, it’s very 50s. You can also pair a Levis blue denim 90s skirt with leopard print, which is another one of those things that should be incredibly tacky but can be elevated to elegance too. A dark denim skirt, leopard print top and leopard print shoes is a look that quirky but pulled together. Take Bet Lynch as your inspo – why not?
Garden party photo shoot
The original Levis blue denim 90s skirt
If you’re going for the original Levis blue denim 90s skirt then you have a lot of choice of looks. Jean skirt were popular in the 90s, but there wasn’t just one style. Vintage Levi skirts included the button down the front style, A Line, frayed, with zips, embroidery, striped or coloured. They also came in all lengths, including mini, though just above the knee or mid thigh was most popular. You could also get a deliberately frumpy halfway down the calf length and some vintage maxi skirts. Because the favourite look of the 90s was looking like your clothes came from the charity shop even if they were brand new, there wasn’t really a uniformity of style, it was all different just like you’d find on the rails of a vintage shop.
This meant that something that looked very old also counted as a Levis blue denim 90s skirt. So not only fraying but patching. This would include the skirts that look like they are made from opened out jeans. Also many patches of different colours, including denim patches or patchwork. Another way to individualise the skirt is via embroidered iron on applique. Some people liked to paint their skirts too.
90s levi denim mini skirt and chevron knitted top
Decorating your Levis blue denim 90s skirt
Just have lots of fun decorating your denim skirt. Shred it with the cheese grater, bleach it in the bath, embroider it or do what you want. Perfection isn’t really key. Which is good because you should be aware that if you use bathroom bleach on your skirt Levi Strauss it can go beyond bleaching the colour to eating the fabric and you can get very weakened fabric that tears whether you wanted that or not.
They also came in all colours of blue from very light bleached, almost white, to dark denim. They were also popular in both black and white with silver, brass or copper buttons. Levi high waisted styles were en vogue. Printed patterns on the skirt happened too – usually something simple and cute like stars, polka dots, hearts or stripes.
Levi jeans skirt
Styling a Levis blue denim 90s skirt the 90s way
The best way to style Levi denim for a 90s look is to put it with something you think doesn’t go. So pair the heavy fabric with a delicate cami top or beautiful evening top. A sequinned boob tube, beaded vest, or anything else fancy and sparkly will do the trick too.
And then add chunky boots – massive army boots or Doc Martens. Or, alternatively, for a really child-like vibe, why not try jelly shoes? Then add a tiara or big dangly earrings. Or maybe plastic jewellery? If it came out of an egg machine all the better. I mean, colourful, expensive perspex jewellery that is carefully designed and hand made is great, but doesn’t everyone have a fascination with those childhood staples, poppa beads? Or cheap plastic princess tiaras, sweetie bracelets or adjustable rings. And don’t forget hair clips! If it’s designed for a baby that’s even better. This look works for day or night.
Layer a chunky cardigan over it all for practicality. Think of being five and raiding the dress up box, then your mum makes you wear some sensible shoes and a warm jumper with your fairy outfit. That’s what you should aim for with your ideal 90s outfit.
90s skirt levi strauss
Tights or no tights?
Also, don’t bother with tights. Even nude ones. Later in the year, you could wear it with colourful, patterned or striped tights but right now you just don’t want to the extra stickiness.
Nude tights might cover your leg stubble but hopefully you’ll have enough of a tan on your legs by now to slightly disguise it. I know tanning really isn’t good, so I should be advising you to start applying the fake tan instead but personally I prefer a bright top and a manic coffee fuelled conversation technique as a distraction, rather than sticky potions or sweaty tights to make my legs more orange or acceptably smooth. You might be lucky and already have naturally smooth legs of an appealing colour of course. In which case, still don’t bother with tights. Now I’m sounding as if I have a vendetta against the hosiery industry. Not at all, of course.
No denim at all?
For coolness, you might want to dispense with an actual Levis blue denim 90s skirt, no matter how short. I’m not suggesting you go around in your knickers but why not try a chambray skirt? This looks a lot like denim but is much lighter. It is what “denim” shirts are often made of. It’s blue like denim, cotton like denim, but airy like shirt material. You can have chambray shirts but also chambray skirts. They are often longer than the classic denim skirts, and fuller, since the light material can be gathered or pleated. This gives you a more 1950s or 1980s style. Chambray is particularly popular for dresses.
The denim dress
Denim dresses are also a good summer option. Because denim is quite stiff, it can be used to make strapless dresses and it will hold itself up. You can also find vintage denim tops. Again, it’s good for strapless tops and also corset style tops. In the 80s, blue denim maxi dresses had a very folksy vibe. Designers like Ralph Lauren were inspired by prairie style and American pioneers. They made clothes in “homespun”, honest materials like denim and cotton. Denim has always been associated with workers, like cowboys or mechanics. Although, traditionally these men don’t wear denim skirts.
Levis blue denim 90s skirt – What makes denim denim?
Denim is not just any blue fabric. When you look closely it has a strong diagonal rib. This is called a twill fabric and is produced when it’s woven. The weft thread passes under two or more warp threads. This makes for a tough, heavy cloth.
Traditionally, the cloth is dyed with indigo, but in any case, there is one blue thread and one or more white threads, so the colour isn’t, as it seems, solid blue. The nature of the weaving means that the outside is blue whilst the inside is white. The actual indigo plant has been used, not only for its colour but because indigo has herbal properties which protect the fabric against being nibbled on by insects.
Its predecessor, “Dungaree” fabric, was made in India for hundreds of years before denim came along. And yes, that’s where we get the name for our dungarees. But denim itself has quite a history. It was first made in France in the city of Nîmes under the name “Serge de Nîmes”.
Levis blue denim 90s skirt from Blue17 vintage – Jeans are born
It had a massive surge in popularity in 1873 when a tailor named Jacob W Davis from Nevada, the USA, made a pair of trousers for someone to chop wood in. They needed to be strong, splinter proof, and comfortable. They also needed to last a bit longer than the average work clothes around there. He added rivets at stress points. When everybody saw these trousers, Davis was inundated with requests to make them. It was hard for him to keep up. He had been getting his bolts of fabric from the dry goods store wholesaler Levi Strauss & Co. Davis proposed a partnership with them and Levis jeans were born with a patent for denim pants re-inforced with rivets and mass production in San Francisco.
The US Navy authorised its use in 1901, along with chambray. The phrase “blue collar” comes from all the working men who wore blue chambray work shirts along with their denim jeans.
Levis blue denim 90s skirt – Celebrity Denim
There are so many celebrities who have been pictured in a Levis blue denim 90s skirt it’s hard to know where to begin. This is because approximately 95.6% of all female people who have ever worn Western fashion have owned or worn a denim skirt at some time in their lives. This is almost definitely a true fact. And as we know, celebrities are people too.
Thus you will find Kylie Minogue rocking a distressed denim ra ra skirt back in the 80s, and Kylie Jenner rocking a tight distressed pencil skirt far more recently. Jenner also has several other denim skirts – short and A line, embroidered, patched and quilted. Girl likes her denim skirts. Beyoncé and Rhianna each have a similar range, and Madonna has loved denim clothes all her life.
Levis blue denim 90s skirt – So Much Denim
For those like Madonna who absolutely love denim so much they have a wardrobe full and don’t know where to start, help is at hand. Simply wear it all at once. It’s a known fact that there is no such thing as too much denim. Double denim, triple denim, quadruple denim – not a problem. Layer your denim skirt over denim jeggings, top with a denim shirt over which you wear a denim waistcoat. Finish with denim basketball boots. Final score: quintuple denim. Or, your Levis blue denim 90s skirt goes with a denim waistcoat, denim trucker cap and a necklace made of repurposed denim fibres. Score: Quadruple denim. Denim midi skirt, white t shirt, denim jacket: double denim. Any questions ?
