You love when your girlfriend rocks her skinny red jeans—but pulling off the color-below-the-belt-look isn’t just for the ladies. Making the most of the runway trends starts with building a body your proud of.
Here are four ways to make a seemingly tricky trend simple. Hint: It’s about more than just the pants themselves.
Select the Best ColorElectric blue, yellow, and salmon are great summer colors, but this season, try something a little darker and muted. Think: dark purple, tan, forest green, navy, and burgundy. These colors were all over the fall runways, and jewel tones help you exude confidence because of the luxe, yet subtle nature of the hues. Your best bet? Deep purple skinny jeans like the 1969 Authentic Skinny Fit Jeans from Gap. (gap.com; $55.99)
Embrace Neutrals
Pay Attention to FitYou have to be picky about fit with colored denim—it draws more attention to fit because the color becomes the statement piece in the outfit. And with a lighter color like tan, pulling and bunching is more noticeable. Go up a size if the jeans appear to be too tight in the crotch area. When in doubt, straight-leg or bootcut styles tend to be the most flattering because they create the illusion of a straight line on your bottom half, elongating your body. The Normandie-Major Jeans from Paige are fitted, but just loose enough for comfort and style. (www.paigeusa.com; $169)
Don’t break the style rule: Color on the bottom means neutral on top. One pop of color is enough to make a statement—too much and you’ll end up looking like a rainbow. If you follow Efron’s lead with burgundy denim, go with a white button-front shirt, a chambray top, black tee, or a chunky grey sweater up top like the Shetland Placket Crew Pullover from AllSaints. (www.us.allsaints.com; $135)
Pick Appropriate FootwearThe right shoes can make or break an outfit. Something with too much color, like a multi-colored sneaker could ruin your look. (Here’s how to Upgrade Your Shoes.) Try something more neutral yet sophisticated like lace-up boots and oxfords. Keeping the laces loose, tuck your colored jeans into this black pair from Ecco for that casual weekend look. Need something for the office? Roll up your jeans slightly, so a bit of a printed sock shows with a classic oxford from Johnston & Murphy. (www.us.shop.ecco.com; $300), (www.johnstonmurphy.com; $250)