Spring 2010 - Denim look is in

DENIM never goes out of style, but there are seasons when old, reliable five-pocket jeans simply are not enough.

This is one of those Denim Seasons.

The jeans legging, a.k.a. jegging, still is going strong, and denim designers also are talking up the chambray shirt, asymmetrical motocross jackets, cutoff shorts and, still, the boyfriend pant.

There are trouser styles and waistcoats for work, and, 'rip-and-repair' jeans are a must for weekends.

Ralph Lauren had overalls on the runway and showed jeans under an evening gown. Even babies are getting premium denim. A denim-on-denim outfit, sometimes considered a fashion faux-pas in the past, is a bona fide trend.

'The American denim look is everywhere - it's in the air, it's all over the world,' says creative director at a large retail store. 'The workwear feel is hot, especially for guys, and there's a sexy look for women. ... It's about cool Americans, and how they live, and we're trying to export that around the world.'

Denim is proving a strong springtime seller in stores, says a vice-president of fashion direction at another department store. She is fond particularly of the shorts and leggings paired with striped T-shirts.

'It probably has never had a larger impact on what we wear every day,' agrees men's fashion director for one of America's largest department store. 'We had gotten just about as casual as we can get without getting in our pajamas, so we're looking to incorporate denim into our lives at least five days a week, but not just Saturdays. We're looking to step it up. You can wear a button-down denim shirt with a tie.'