Summers in a Denim Jacket
What’s your ideal summer setup? Is it a beach house down the shore? Clam bakes by the bay? A trip to a vineyard with girlfriends? Fourth of July fireworks on the beach?
Whatever your ideal summer plans are, it’s important to embrace your summer style. Summer is a time to let your hair down, wear sandals, and show some love to the lightweight fabrics in your closet. The almighty jean jacket is a crucial piece for summer. Whether it's brand new or a staple of your closet, a denim jacket is sure to be one of your most-worn pieces in warmer weather. It’s easy to dress up or dress down - one of those goes-with-anything clothing pieces. They represent the carefree nature of summer. The best part is they’ll never go out of style, no matter the season.
There’s no wrong way to wear a denim jacket. You can literally throw it on top of any outfit (yes, even if you’re wearing jeans). That’s the beauty of it. However, there are ways that you can update your denim jacket for summer.
Denim Jackets for Layering
Duh! It’s a no brainer, but let me explain. As I said earlier, jean jackets are great regardless of the season; however, the part they play in your outfit depends on the temperature. In colder weather, jean jackets are used as layering pieces. You can wear them over sweatshirts, under a puffer jacket, and best of all, to break up the mundane color palette that comes along with winter. The point is, jackets serve more of a practical purpose in the winter.
In the summer, your denim jacket turns into the only jacket you need. Ava/Kris’ denim jackets are especially perfect for transitioning from winter to summer because of their versatility. Our Jane, Hailey, and Sara jackets have hidden button loops under their collars, where you can attach a faux fur collar for added warmth in colder months. Our collars are made with soft, luxe faux fur in an on-trend color palette that changes every season. Nothing transforms a basic jean jacket into a winter staple like the addition of luxe fur. The ability to easily add and remove a fur collar makes Ava/Kris denim jackets the most versatile, easy to style denim jackets for every season.
Denim Jackets as a Cover-up
You might not believe me when I say this, but yes, you can wear your denim jacket to the beach. Nothing says, "I woke up like this," like throwing a jean jacket over anything, even your favorite bathing suit. In the summer, denim pairs exceptionally well with white, so opt for a white bikini or (to be even more on-trend) a bright pastel suit.
For maximum coverage and practicality, we suggest our Jane jean jacket. It’s slightly oversized, so it will get the job done as a cover-up. The worn-in, light wash and distressed details make it especially well-suited for the occasion.
Pairing Denim with Denim
With summer comes specific fashion rules—white pants, florals, straw accessories, open-toed shoes - just to name a few. One of the most popular summer trends has proven to be denim on denim. Once forbidden, the “Canadian tuxedo” is a fashion-girl favorite if worn right.
The first key is matching the shades of denim you plan to wear. For example, if you’re going to wear a light wash pair of boyfriend jeans, try to pick a denim jacket similar in shade. Next, pick a basic top- nothing too distracting. For a mod and sophisticated feel, go for an airy white button-down. For a more fun look, pick a basic cropped tee or an on-trend corset-style top in a solid color.
The final key is picking a cropped or hip-length jacket. An oversized denim jacket can overwhelm a denim on denim look, so go for a shorter hem to ace this trend. Our cropped Hailey jean jacket is perfect for this look and is sure to become a summer staple in your wardrobe.
Biker Shorts and Jean Jackets
Fun fact: one of the most searched terms on Google this past year was "bike shorts." The one pressing question is: how do you wear them? We get it; they are an intimidating yet popular trend that seems to be pulled off only by Instagram models and fashion bloggers. The trend itself is not as hard as it seems, and once you master it, there's a good chance bike shorts will become your go-to summer shorts.
One fashion-girl approved way of wearing biker shorts is with a denim jacket. Pair a plain black short (or patterned, if you’re feeling adventurous) with any black shirt and top with your favorite jean jacket. Fashion girls love a matching set moment, so adding a cropped denim style like our Hailey on top just pulls it all together. Even if it’s a workout set that you just ran a mile in, topping it off with a denim jacket pulls everything together in a modest-meets-cool manner. Add your boldest pair of sneakers and run your daily errands in style.
Another way to wear bike shorts, especially while traveling or during colder summer nights, is by layering a denim jacket over a hooded sweatshirt. The bike shorts add a cool edge when paired with this top combination, and the added layers make this look perfect for colder weather and that transitional period from summer into fall. For a more chilled-out look, wear our acid-washed Sara jacket. The black, distressed color in a slightly oversized fit makes this jacket perfect for transitioning into chilly weather. The point is, jean jackets plus bike shorts equals an on-trend, fashion editor-approved outfit.
Photos Courtesy of: Christian Vierig/Getty Images