Jeans with heels: the easiest shortcut to chic

In a Notes app list titled Things That Are Just Always Chic, among watches, a signature scent and black Ray-Bans, one entry stands out: wearing jeans with high heels. A woman who arrives in that combination looks as if she owns the place — confident, direct and more compelling than in either a casual or a formal outfit.

There is a clear logic to it. Denim’s rigidity and the assertive stitching of a five-pocket jean create an architectural shape for the lower body, while a high heel elongates the leg and shifts the centre of gravity, nudging you to pull your shoulders back and stand straighter.

Heels work visually and audibly too: the crisp staccato of heel-tips on a hard floor announces your arrival. A pair of jeans is the most ordinary item in a wardrobe, and yet its ubiquity makes it powerful. The ongoing debate about which denim silhouette is most fashionable is the question I’m asked most often.

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