I was browsing on polyvore and came across a set featuring an outfit comprised of a denim mini skirt and a denim shirt. The set featured photos of Rihanna wearing a similar outfit. I wanted to see the outfit on Rihanna so I clicked through to view the set items in order to find the Rihanna photos.

Upon viewing the set in detail I was surprised to discover that the photos of Rihanna were accompanied by the headline “Double denim disaster!”. Frankly I don’t know how anyone could use the word “disaster” to describe anything Rihanna wears. She can make a potato sack look like haute couture; but apparently wearing double denim is considered a fashion faux pas or used to be?

Here is the set in question that featured Rihanna wearing “double denim”.

The set was created by Polyvore member laura-jane-girlbehindthelook author of www.blogbehindthelook.com

The article in which Rihanna’s outfit was described as a disaster was written by someone named Chelsea White for the London Daily Mail website. She starts out her article writing:

Move over Chris Brown Rihanna has a new love in her life – denim.

The singer stepped out in Beverly Hills California on Friday wearing an all denim look for a long day of shopping.

While it was unlikely anyone would not recognise the superstar Rihanna was clearly trying to have a Pretty Woman moment wearing a ripped denim skirt as if in an attempt to look like she did not belong in the expensive stores of the famed Rodeo Drive. (Read The full Article Here),

I seem to recall seeing a similar headline on this same website recently. It was associated with Victoria Beckham unless I’m mistaken and it was something to effect that only Victoria could effectively pull off a double denim look; so apparently it is not considered the height of style to wear denim with denim which brings me to my original question:

What’s so wrong with wearing double denim?

Apparently there was a period of time when some fashion person with access to enough minds decided to declare it a bad thing to wear denim with denim. You know how that sort of thing works. Probably some fashion editor who wrote for a popular magazine wrote some article about it denim on denim being a fashion faux pas and women all over the world just took it for gospel and stopped wearing more than one piece of denim apparel at the same time. And as these things go it became the rule that you just don’t wear denim with denim.

So all of a sudden celebrities start wearing denim with denim” almost as if some other fashion editor has overruled the decision of the previous editor and now it’s deemed okay to wear “double denim” . Not only is it deemed okay to wear double denim but it would appear to be the trend of the moment as multiple celebrities have been seen out and about in double denim outfits.

Back in 2006 someone wrote in on Yahoo Answers and asked:

Do you think it is ok to double-denim?

im not talking wearing a denim headband with jeans. i am talkin full on double deniming. examples: jean jacket with jeans jean jacket with jean skirt or shorts etc.

a full top and bottom denim article of clothing. is this okay in the fashion world or not?

The answers varied. The majority were against wearing double denim calling it a dated look and mentioning Irish girl bands from the 90s. The answer that was selected as the best answer:

absolutely not. it is way too 90s and the new style is all about mixing it up. if ur going to wear denim jeans throw on a casual jacket but dont double denim. (Source),

But as recently as 2010 it seems double denim was on it’s way to coming back into vogue” at least in Australia if not elsewhere. An article found on the website thepunch.com.au was headlined “Double denim – no longer a fashion crime”. In the article the author writes:

And so to the big question: is double denim which has for so long been considered the pinnacle of over-matched outdated bad taste worth re-visiting?

Or do you risk people not realising that you’re being all vintage/anti-fashion/out-there cool and instead assuming you’re such a dag you never actually stopped doing the look the first time round?

Personally I think the double denim trend belongs in the ‘’If you remember doing it the first time around avoid it this time” camp. (Source link),

So again I ask What’s so wrong with wearing double denim?

In the set at the top of the page denim shorts are paired with a denim shirt to create an outfit similar to the one being worn by Victoria’s Secret model Martha Hunt who recently stepped out to do some shopping wearing denim shorts and a denim. The items in the set include a Zara Asymmetric Denim Shirt and a pair of CURRENT/ELLIOTT Super Loved Boyfriend Destroy Shorts. The shoes are from Alejandro Ingelmo (the Kennedy in black patent),. The bag is from Meredith Wendell (the Raffia Circle Handbag),. The set also includes a set of Monochrome plastic bangles and a Black and White Yin and Yang Stretch Belt.

Here are some other fashion sets from Polyvore featuring double denim looks

This look created by Polyvore member cutandpaste pairs an Abercrombie & Fitch Carissa Denim Shirt with Paige Denim Jimmy Jimmy Skinny Tigerlilly Jeans.  The double denim outfit is finished with a pair of Sole Society Sheila open toe heels an Alexander McQueen Mirror Patent Leather Honeycomb Heroine bag and turquoise jewelry by DANNIJO.

Model Miranda Kerr is featured in this double denim set by polyvore member lilly-2711

In her set lilly-2711 pairs an ONLY Apolo formfitting denim shirt with a pair of Hudson Jeans Courtney Mid-Rise Skinny jeans. The outfit is finished with a pair of CHARLOTTE OLYMPIA Black Cotton Kitty Flats a black Mulberry The Alexa textured-leather satchel and a pair of Miu Miu Glitter Infused Cat’s Eye Sunglasses.