The Tops, Shoes and Jackets That Look Best With Printed Jeans

If you thought denim may be on the slightly boring side of the fashion spectrum, think again. With the revival of double (and even triple) denim doing the rounds this season and the micro-jeans trend we're about to tell you about, denim is experiencing a fun phase. So let's pause on classic straight-leg jean outfits and learning how to wear flares for a moment because we’re here to tell you about those printed jeans you’ve spotted all over your Instagram feed recently. You know the ones. If it isn’t zebra print, it’s checkerboard, stripes, spots or even colourful pictures (this will make more sense as you keep scrolling.)

Printed trousers have always been a summer favourite, but printed jeans feel fresh, new and exciting to try out. But we understand that like with any printed piece, sometimes one can feel a little bit stumped on how you wear it. Just like you would their smarter trouser counterparts, you can wear your denim iterations with almost any form of top—it doesn't have to be a plain white tee only. And when it comes to sandals, this will depend on the denim cut you opt for. So, for some inspiration on how to take your denim wardrobe up a notch, keep going to see ways you can style printed jeans this season and beyond.

1. Printed jeans + Colour-Matched Knit Top

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(Image credit: @lucywilliams02)

Style Notes: Queen of printed pants, Lucy Williams, snapped up her stunning shell-print jeans at a vintage store. And while you can't get this exact style, take tips from Lucy and sift through secondhand sites to find one-off styles. Look to pick out a colour in your printed jeans via a matching top. Simple.

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2. Printed Jeans + Matching Top

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(Image credit: @fiahamelijnck)

Style Notes: Like wearing your camera roll, Fia's polaroid-print jeans are delivering all the wanderlust feels. Go full-on statement with the matching top and let your fresh summer set do all the talking. 

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3. Printed Jeans + Clashing Print Top

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(Image credit: @alannanicolex)

Style Notes: Proving sustainable fashion is far from boring, Alanna styles these organic cotton checked jeans with a clashing print crop. Add bold, tangerine accessories and you have yourself a dreamy summer ensemble. 

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4. Printed Jeans + Cropped Jacket

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(Image credit: @greceghanem)

Style Notes: Yes, it's those Ganni jeans. The pink striped pair has been so popular this season, and it's partly due to striped trousers being a microtrend. Grece wears hers with a cropped jacket and proves why pink and green should always be seen. These are pretty much sold out everywhere, but we've tracked down a similar pair. 

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5. Animal Print + Black Top

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(Image credit: @nnennaechem)

Style Notes: Zebra is the animal print du jour and, frankly, we can't get enough of it. We've seen so many zebra jeans and Nnenna shows how to keep them classy by pairing them with a simple black top and gold jewellery. Wine optional, but welcome. 

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6. Monochrome Top + Monochrome Jeans

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(Image credit: @spicy.mayo)

Style Notes: Grid and checkerboard prints have been key for a few seasons now, and they're sticking around for summer. Yaminah paired hers with a striped top in the same monochrome palette and it really worked.

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Next up, nine denim trends we'll happily live in for the next six months

Freelance Fashion Editor

Harriet Davey is a freelance fashion editor who has been part of Who What Wear's extended team since 2017. She previously worked in print at Look magazine and has since worked across print, digital and social for many other titles, including British Vogue, Stylist, Grazia, Refinery29 and Marie Claire. Also a stylist, Harriet has had the pleasure of producing cover shoots and editorials along with commercial shoots for brands including Boux Avenue, Watches of Switzerland, Benefit Cosmetics and Revolution. To add to this, Harriet also works in live TV styling for ITV’s This Morning.

Back to Who What Wear. With hundreds of published stories on site, Harriet knows what the WWW reader wants. Keeping up to date with the latest It buys and runway trends, she can guarantee to keep you one step ahead of the most stylish people.

When not writing or styling, Harriet loves to go shopping (yes, more fashion). If she’s not in a local Hackney bar or restaurant, you can find her forever searching for her next holiday destination.