How To Wear It: Light Wash Jeans

Goodfellow & Co. Lightweight Jeans in Light “indigo blue” – $29.99

About these specific jeans: I wouldn’t call myself a light jeans guy. Never have been. Always evoked images of ’80s rockers and American Eagle summer catalogs. There’s just so much that can go wrong. Too saturated a shade? Dad jeans. Fit isn’t right? Well, dad jeans again. Whiskering and fading? Too trendy. So how do you straddle that line? It’s easier than you’d think. And Target’s newish Goodfellow & Co. light “indigo blue”, shown in this post, hits all the right points and none of the bad ones. Here’s how to wear them, with suggestions for items (some identical, some similar replacements when necessary) to complete each outfit.

 

#1 – The All-American

The Shirt – Goodfellow & Co. Lyndale V-Neck Tee – $5 ($6)
The Shoes – Soludos Dali Espadrilles – $40 or H&M Espadrille – $18
The Shades – Ray Ban New Wayfarers – $69.99 w/ EXRB69 ($85)
The Watch – Timex Weekender Chrono – $60ish

When it comes to light jeans, this is about as classic a look as you can get. Hot-weather approved because the white shirt and the light color of the denim keep the sun reflecting off your body. So, even with your legs covered, you’re still keeping cool to a degree. Roll the cuffs a bit to get some airflow, and throw on casual shoes like espadrilles to not overthink it. Can’t go “All-American” without thinking Wayfarers (and can’t go wrong with just five bucks for the shirt, too).

 

#2 – A Sportsball Game

The Shirt – AmazonBasics 3/4 Sleeve Baseball Shirt – $5-13
The Shoes – Soludos Dali Espadrilles – $40 or H&M Espadrille – $18
The Shades – Warby Parker Fletcher – $95
The Watch – Invicta Pro Diver Auto – $85

Definitely some summer nights vibes here, as the heydays of baseball are (well, usually) smack dab in the middle of summer. Having the main body of the shirt white provides contrast against the light jeans, otherwise these colors might be a bit too matchy-matchy. Honestly, with the white shirt doing the heavy lifting, you can even get creative with the sleeve color – try black, navy, or even the burgundy-ish “Port.” The jeans are an almost completely neutral grey-blue, giving you plenty of options.

 

#3 – Dressed Up

The Shirt – Standard Fit Short Sleeve Polo Jersey Shirt in Navy Print – $14.99
The Shoes – Sperry Top-Sider Boat Shoes – $90
The Shades – Persol Galleria – $140ish
The Watch – Orient Kanno Diver – $175

Joining the lightweight denim as an alumnus of the Goodfellow & Co. Spring 2020 Roundup, this navy polo has a sharp, substantial, semi-spread collar and upgrades your look. Fit was great on me. And since the pants fit nicely, you’ll want your polo to skim the body to not create unnecessary heft & unbalance upstairs. Keeping it cleaned up, we can add the timeless Galleria shades from Persol as well as a simple but sharp Orient dive watch.

 

#4 – Spring Into Summer

The Shirt – Gap Lived-In Stretch Poplin Shirt in Untucked Fit – $32
The Shoes – Sperry Top-Sider Boat Shoes – $90
The Shades – Sunski Dipseas – $58
The Watch – Timex Brass Case Chrono – $60

This combination shows how different shirts will completely change your look. Crisp and pressed with loafers might be a bit overkill, BUT, there’s something to be said for easy, slightly-wrinkled casual shirts here. For a few drinks on the back deck, a lightweight poplin will keep you from overheating in the sun. Patterned or solid, the choice is yours. This is one of my preferred looks with these jeans, as it easily moves from spring to summer.

 

#5 – Evening Drinks at the Riverfront

The “Shirt” – Banana Republic Performance Linen Crew-Neck Sweater – $47.70 ($79.50)
The Shoes – Soludos Dali Espadrilles – $40 or H&M Espadrille – $18
The Shades – Nah, not at night. C’mon now.
The Watch – Timex Waterbury Chrono – $99

Contrast, that’s the name of the game here. You want to go dark enough that there’s definitive difference, but without being too extreme. Yes, black could work here, but let’s go with navy to bring out some of the blue in the jeans. A lighter weight sweater helps your airflow, and sharpens your lines, while still maintaining a laid-back, easy-cool vibe. Top it off (bottom it off?) with espadrilles to not take the look too serious, or upgrade to loafers if you want to get fance-ayyy.

 

#6 – Pattern City

The Shirt – Bonobos Riviera Short Sleeve Patterned Shirt – $58-78 (or your favorite short sleeve button-up shirt, of course)
The Shoes – Sperry Top-Sider Boat Shoes – $90
The Shades – Sunski Dipseas – $58
The Watch – Hamilton Khaki Automatic Field Watch – $368

You can even get a little crazy with this one. The pants provide a neutral base, so you can either go muted like this subtle stripe, or crazy like these sweet-ass palm trees. Make it your own. My only advice is to go with either a white or dark base to the pattern, as in-between shades and more busy patterns can get muddled in the color of the jeans.

About the Author: Ryan N. is a professional web developer for (and alum from) the University of Delaware, who keeps a close shave as to not be confused with his strongly-bearded twin brother. He plays guitar and drums, loves going to concerts with his wife, and loves being a dad.