The weather has already shifted towards sunshine and higher temperatures here on the west coast, and the “April Showers” are well under way. To celebrate the official start of spring, I’m excited to be posting a review featuring a jean from Joe’s Jeans new Sun Faded collection. The Joe’s Jeans Sun Faded Skinny Ankle in Margo is one of 15 styles in the brand’s spring Sun Faded capsule collection, which features a variety of jeans, shorts, and jackets (as well as one totally covetable romper!). The collection has a very west coast, laid back vibe and is inspired by 70’s California surf culture. Each of the garments is treated with a sun aging or salt washing technique that creates washed out indigo looks with bright white distressing and whiskering. There’s definitely a throw back vibe to each of the pairs, and the capsule features not only sunny dye techniques, but also 70’s inspired silhouettes like a high rise flare, high water, and a cropped denim jacket. For my review today, I’m test driving the Skinny Ankle in Margo, a crisp Americana classic featuring a slim leg, and slightly cropped leg.
Given my recent transition from New York out to the west coast, I’m excited to finally let go of my normal routine of dark wash skinnies and try on a lighter wash pair of denim. These sun faded skinnies are the perfect jean for spring in California – I can immediately imagine wearing them down to the beach or out to one of my favorite wineries in Sonoma. With the beautiful weather and being surrounded by water, sometimes a dark wash jean just feels too stuffy and aggressive for the laid-back San Francisco vibe. It looks like I’m finally starting to (trying to!) embrace the California relaxed wardrobe!
These jeans have a bright light wash indigo base, and feature blasting through the thighs, light whiskering through the box, and a bit of grinding along the front pockets. Usually I’m weary of whiskering, but the more tonal look on these makes the effect more fun and relaxed, and a far cry from the aggressively trendy whiskering of the Britney/JT days. They also feature unique (and pretty rad) hardware. The front button closure is treated to look like wood with a surf inspired slash icon, and the grommet on the front 5th pocket is also made of light colored wood. It’s a subtle detail, but definitely gives a nod to 70’s surf culture, Woodie station wagons, and lacquered wood surf boards.
The fit on these jeans is slim and snug. There isn’t a lot of stretch to them, which I love. They feel similar to a true vintage blue jean, or a washed down selvedge – not a lot of elastine (only 1%), and definitely a jean you can wear into and will show character with age. The rise hit me perfectly just below the belly button. These jeans feature a mid rise, so you have the support and comfort of a higher rise, without being a trendy high-rise. They felt like an instant classic and when I wiggled into them, I felt like I was pulling on a pair of perfectly worn in vintage jeans. Keep in mind that these jeans are a skinny ankle fit, so they will hit most people near the ankle bone. The inseam is 28” which hit about 1” above the ankle bone on my 5’9” frame. I love the look paired back to heels, but I think they would also look great back to ballet flats or beachy leather sandals.
For my look, I paired the Sun Faded Skinny Ankle in Margo with a men’s button down from Life After Denim, booties by Tracy Reese, and jewelry from Giles & Brother and Miansai. I like to balance out the super skinny proportion of the jeans with a slouchier men’s top, and elevate the whole look with the leather and suede heels and gold statement jewelry. If you’re going to give lighter wash denim a go for Spring, try pairing them back to loose tops or bright tunics to maintain a laid-back cool look, with balanced proportions. Often with a lighter wash pants or jeans, the eye goes right to your legs (thighs & bum!), so I like to add bright colors and bold accessories to break up the look and draw the attention head to toe.