The Colored Jeans Thing...

I am in love with all the brightly colored jeans that can be found in just about every store out there right now. Target, Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Ann Taylor, to name just a few. I've got a few pair of my own- a fabulous bright kelly green from the Gap and a purple-ish pink that I got at TJ Maxx. They are literally everywhere you look- I've even seen them at work, on customers AND on employees. That's where my issue starts.

The thing is... they're still jeans. They're still casual. In my opinion, they're not always appropriate for a professional setting. But, to be fair, it is an extremely fine line. If you work in an industry that encourages fashionable as well as professional dress, it can blur the line even further. So, to help all of you out there who want to sport a pair of bright, colorful jeans while still maintaining the correct office dress code, here's how you wear them:

First, what NOT to do:

- Do NOT wear jeans with rips, tears, stains or distressing of any kind.
- Do NOT wear similarly casual pieces such as sneakers, vans, sandals and jersey tops (t-shirt material)

Pretty simple so far, right? Next, what you SHOULD do:

- Choose dressy pieces to elevate the look and keep it from becoming too casual.
- Choose conservative tops that are clearly work appropriate.
- Accessorize for a dressier look.

Here are some polyvore sets demonstrating the right way to wear colored jeans for a professional setting:

Colored Jeans Part 1 by rtboo featuring low rise jeans

As you can see above, all three looks utilize a dressy, work-appropriate top and some kind of conservative heel. Any of these looks could also be elevated with some jewelry- a long necklace or a great pair of earrings, maybe even a cuff bracelet.

And some more options:

Colored Jeans Part 2 by rtboo featuring sleeveless tops

If all you have is a simple shell to go with your jeans and you don't feel quite dressy enough, add a blazer! It's a sure-fire way to make those colored jeans more "business casual" and less "hanging out with friends casual."

How do you feel about this colored jeans trend? Are you loving it? Hating it? Wishing you could wear it to work? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts. And as always, thank you for reading!