8 Transitional Denim Pieces You Can Wear Now & Later

Every few years we see a significant shift in the shapes and cuts of denim. Where the boot-leg reigned supreme in the early 2000s, the 2010s saw the skinny jean take its place. And despite the cropped kick-flare taking center stage in 2016, in recent seasons, there has been less of a prescribed rule of thumb, meaning more experimentation and — dare we say it – more fun.

For the fall '17 collections, denim was polarized into light and dark, with rich indigos and inks playing off '80s- and Americana-inspired light washes. Cropped, boxy jackets were seen on the runways of Off-White, APC, Stella McCartney, and MSGM, while embroidery adorned the denim at Adam Selman, Libertine, and Fyodor Golan. Both Ashley Williams and Raf Simons, with his Calvin Klein collection, paid homage to the USA's lonely cowboy: Williams gave her cowgirls plaid shirts and high-waisted denim, while Simons presented matching denim button-up shirt jackets and bootleg jeans, complete with steel-toed tan boots. All manner of denim skirts were spotted too, from the A-line button-ups at Maison Kitsune to Loewe's cropped fishtails and Jour/Né's straight-up minis.

Next season's denim drop is varied, giving us contemporary cuts, frayed hems, off-kilter seams, and nods to the '70s and '90s. We're styling floor-skimming flared jeans with sandals and poplin shirts now, but come colder climates, we'll be teaming them with sock boots and turtlenecks; our stepped-hem patchwork jeans, too, look wonderful with a slogan tee during summer, but when winter shows up, we'll be layering them under midi dresses.

Click through to see the brands producing the most exciting denim pieces to help you transition seamlessly from summer to autumn.

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