Fashion: Blue for you...

I can still remember what it felt like to wear my first ever pair of jeans. Uncomfortable. They were navy blue and so stiff and tight, they cut off the circulation at the thigh. I couldn’t sit down in them, but I was 14 and decided that standing at all times was good, in the name of fashion. They were the first item of clothing I bought by myself and I struggled in and out of about 30 pairs before I picked The Ones.

My next pair of jeans came during a grungy rock phase, so they were faded, frayed and scruffy - a look I could do quite well. I embroidered them (badly) with flowers and wore them to my first rock festival. As a student, I discovered straight legs, black and slightly oversized, to wear turned up with Docs. Classic.

Good old trusty jeans. We think of them usually as a wardrobe staple, always there, slotting in with changing seasonal trends, but this spring, it’s a different story, because denim has emerged as a major fashion theme in its own right for 2015 - and not just for casual, off-duty looks, as there’s smart denim tailoring too (prepare for the denim trouser suit, if you can).

The High Street has responded to the new denim trend with ingenuity and enthusiasm. Never has there been such a huge range of style, fit and finish of jeans so readily available, and with quality and design detail to rival the coolest, priciest designer brands.

It’s in the field of jean technology and body contouring that the High Street has really excelled - 21st century jeans are expected to work hard - look good, feel good and last for ever.

Next has a range of Lift, Slim & Shape jeans especially designed to flatter and shape, with a hidden support panel that holds in the tummy and clever seaming that uplifts the bottom.

They come in bootcut and slim leg, and in indigo or dark wash. There has been much praise too f or Next’s High Waist Enhancer jean, perfect for those who want a sleek look that fits to the waist. They come in slim or skinny fit and make use of a performance fabric that contours the body.

Meanwhile, Marks & Spencer’s technology teams have been hard at work, coming up with a fantastic range of jeans and denim wear for spring - and again, shape and flatter-ability is at the top of the agenda.

“Our Sculpt and Lift jeans offer an ultra-flattering fit,” says Lynne Langam, womenswear manager at M&S Trinity Leeds. “With curved seams and darts that flattering the figure, the innovative back stitching lifts the bottom for the perfect sculpted silhouette.”

M&S has also been working on dye, bringing out a range of Stay Dark jeans that use fade resistant technology, and look out too for the Dual FX jeans which use Lycra fibre technology to give a super-stretchy denim that’s ultra-comfy and keeps its shape and fit over time.

SHARE YOUR JEANS MEMORIES TO WIN £200 TO SPEND ON M&S SPRING FASHION

It might be your first pair of jeans, or the pair you love most now. It might be the jeans you were wearing when you had your first kiss, or it might be a pair of jeans you loved to see on your first love, your spouse - who knows?

Send in your favourite jeans memory and you could win a £200 gift card to spend on spring fashion at Marks & Spencer. Send by post or email. By email to: [email protected] or by post on a postcard or as a letter, with your name, address and telephone number to: M&S Jeans Memories Competition, Stephanie Smith, Features Dept, Yorkshire Evening Post, No 1 Leeds, 26 Whitehall Road, Leeds LS12 1BE to arrive by noon on the closing date of Tuesday, January 27, 2015.

Usual Johnston Press rules apply, go to: www.johnstonpress.co.uk/competition

10 PAIRS OF SHAPEWEAR JEANS FROM NEXT

To celebrate the relaunch of Yorkshire Evening Post and the new Your Life section, Next has offered 10 readers the chance to win a pair of its fabulous jeans from its own High Waist Enhancer or Lift, Slim and Shape ranges.

To be in with a chance, simply send a postcard with your name, address and telephone number to: Next Jeans Competition, Stephanie Smith, Features Dept, Yorkshire Evening Post, No 1 Leeds, 26 Whitehall Road, Leeds LS12 1BE. The first 10 from a hat after noon on the closing date of Tuesday, January 27, 2015, will win a pair of jeans and will be called by telephone to give their preferred style, size and colour. Go to www.next.co.uk to take a look first.

Usual Johnston Press rules apply, go to: www.johnstonpress.co.uk/competition

HOW TO WEAR YOU JEANS IN 2015

Up/down style - that means pairing distressed or slouchy styles of jeans with a tailored jacket, high heels, an updo and your best pearls.

Super-embellished - Dolce & Gabbana sent down the catwalk faded boyfriend-cut jeans covered in jewels and studs.

Flared - flared and patchwork is even 
better.

Slightly rolled up at the ankle - once is good, two is fine, three is too much.