“How can you tell your own story when you get dressed every morning?” – Jenn Rogien, Costume Designer
Last week, I was lucky enough to win a place at the VIP launch of GAP’s new ‘Back to Blue’ collection where the charming costume designer Jenn Rogien was doing a Q&A with the equally gorgeous Executive Fashion Director from Grazia, Charlie Miller.
Jenn has been chosen as Gap’s new ‘Styled By’ expert, and using her knowledge of costume designing on shows such as HBO’s GIRLS and new Netflix hit Orange is the New Black, she’s working with the fashion brand to teach people how to style themselves with the ultimate fashion staple – denim.
The event took place at Gap’s Oxford Street flagship store, where my sister and I were treated to canapes and champagne before sitting down to an hour long natter with both Charlie and Jenn to discuss all things personal style…
Meeting Jenn was fascinating – she gave brilliant insight into her role as costume designer, which as a huge fan of Hannah Horvath’s exploits in GIRLS, was hugely interesting. Jenn explained how she was purposely given a small budget for the show as she really did dress for the characters – the girls of GIRLS are young and not wealthy, they can’t afford designer, unless it’s from a vintage shop, so Jenn spends most of her time scouring Brooklyn and Manhattan thrift stores. (If you are heading to Brooklyn and want some tips on vintage shopping check out my post HERE).
Jenn shed some light on how styling up Hannah as ‘dishevelled’ is just as hard as doing a nice tailored look and that the challenge was to dress for ‘real’ young women – characters that were all individually hugely quirky and extremely specific. The clothes really do tell the stories on this show, alongside in Orange is the New Black where Jen had to style up the overalls that the female prisoners wear and keep that interesting on the eye.
Once we’d finished getting all the gossip, it was on to the real reason as to why we were there – Jenn’s advice on how to wear denim. For her role as GAP style expert, Jenn has done a series of web videos with styling tips and demonstrations, which are all available on You Tube – here’s the one about finding your perfect jean. .
Jenn has some simple answers when asked the hard question of how to find the perfect jeans. As far as I know for myself and my girlfriends, finding the perfect pair of jeans is the utter holy grail and just like finding a good man, if you find them, you hold on as tight as possible!
Jenn says: “Denim is such a keystone of my wardrobe, but jeans are HARD. Here’s some tips:
– Try on as many pairs as possible
– Wear what flatters you, not what’s in style. If you don’t suit skinny don’t try and force yourself into them, choose a slim fit instead – you’ll feel much more confident
– Pocketing is important too, as is the colour of the wash. Whether it’s light or dark, go for what suits you and what you feel happy in.
Following the Q&A, I left with my own boyfriend jeans in my goody bag, eager to style these as I had been looking for a pair for a while. Boyfriend jeans are fantastic for a slightly more laidback look – but can be equally chic with some heels and a blazer. The Gap 1969 Boyfriend jeans are a darker wash and are lose fitting on the leg but actually quite fitted around the waist. If you want a more slouchy jean in a lighter, more summery wash, you should try their lighter wash range or shop around a bit in Levi’s or other denim specialist brands.
First up, you can’t beat some white converse with some jeans for a laid back look. To mix it up, you can alternatively dress up the jeans for a night out with some black strappies…
I also paired the jeans with some Zara heels and my new favourite find, this perfect Autumn Chanel-style jacket – an absolute steal for £12 from Primark…Run and get one now ladies whilst they are still on the rails!
Have you managed to find the perfect pair of jeans yet? If so, let me know!
LMNH x
