CHRONICLE – Like everyone else, our journalist has long searched for the perfect denim and has worn it for years. Until the day he got rid of it for good.
Long before making the decision to gradually erase them from my wardrobe, I have long been fascinated by jeans. It was on Friday September 27, 2019 that the peak of my love affair with this piece took shape. On this day, two major events are to be celebrated: the first anniversary of my arrival in Paris, and the Celine spring-summer 2020 fashion show by Hedi Slimane. On my smartphone, the collection leaves me speechless. All these androgynous silhouettes strolling around in flared jeans one after the other push me, the next day, to set out to conquer similar models in the second-hand stores in the Marais. From then on, my style changed radically. Victim of fashion? I gladly grant it to you.
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Until then, I had never seen denim so well worn and embodied on a Fashion Week catwalk. Even James Dean's version, which I had long considered a great inspiration, suddenly turned ridiculous in my imagination. The French designer's collection, presented at the Invalides on September 27, 2019, had everything to please me: an ultra-Parisian bourgeois spirit, a strong seventies accent, and these slightly faded flare jeans which seemed to lengthen the legs infinitely. At least enough to fulfill my fantasies, I who have long been self-conscious about my 1m72 in a generation where the 1m80 was idealized among men. In short, I could already see myself wearing this denim to the office or in the city, combining it with this same white blouse, this same houndstooth blazer, or these same ankle boots for a Jimi Hendrix result. Only here: I was not Jimi Hendrix.
The impossible quest for the perfect jeans
At that time, thrift stores in Paris were not as popular as they are today. A radical change took place during the post-Covid TikTok boom, triggered by a new generation nostalgic for 2000s fashion – which, in turn, boosted the popularity (and prices) of the best second-hand stores that I used to frequent. Before this phenomenon, I spent entire weekends going through all the bins in the Saint-Paul district, to finally get my hands on around ten pairs of jeans. I remember a dark blue one, very tight at the waist and wide at the legs which stopped right at the ankles. I also remember a faded and flared Guess model that I wore for years… Without understanding why it didn't highlight my figure. At least, not as I had imagined.
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Because often, I had the feeling of being compressed, or of completely disappearing into my clothes when I combined flared jeans with a long blazer jacket. The more models I tried on, the more difficult it was for me to put up with these folds that “drooled” on the edges of my shoes, or this “thin thighs, wide legs” effect that clashed with my elongated bust. At the same time, I was furious to see these photos of influencers wearing flare jeans “like at the Celine show”. How did they get the result to be so perfect? I finally understood that it was a size problem: this cut is only intended for people measuring 80 meters, except by cheating with a pair of heels. Which drastically reduces, you will agree, the field of possibilities from a purely stylistic point of view. First lesson learned: the quest for the perfect pair of jeans does not exist… At least, not for everyone.
Make a choice
But time does things well. Over the years, I have completely changed the way I consume fashion. I put an end to compulsive purchases, took more time to look at cuts, colors and materials. The idea was no longer to buy clothes, but to select pieces. The ones we keep for a lifetime. After a few years, I was finally able to know what did not benefit me, or the opposite. Also able to wear clothes and accessories that I had never dared to wear in public spaces. I began to appreciate the nobility of beautiful materials: corduroy pants, cotton shirt and sleeveless wool sweater gradually joined my wardrobe. It is therefore quite naturally that jeans have been eclipsed, in favor of classic pleated pants and dandy pieces.
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At the same time, the entire industry also seemed to be getting tired of blue-jean and leave room for more dressy pieces. As proof, Spring Summer 2025 Fashion Week: the houses of Saint Laurent, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Bottega Veneta and Prada have never had so much fun reinterpreting office clothing. Be careful, I never hesitate to wear a good pair of jeans, there must be two left in my wardrobe. I simply realized that the “casual” cuts often offered by denim were no longer for me. During the last Celine men's show by Hedi Slimane unveiled in September, I understood. The cashmeres, derbies and striped suits inspired by the heroes of Francis Scott Fitzgerald reminded me that the style of a fashion house, just like mine, always ends up maturing.
