Holly Willoughby pioneers the high street denim revolution

Holly Willoughby’s latest must-haves are hitting the rails at Marks & Spencer and they reflect fashion’s rekindled love affair with all things denim.

All things because this spring/summer’s denim obsession reached new heights of style and fresh depths of shade, with designs extending far beyond jeans, and way way beyond jackets.

This time, we have a complete denim wardrobe available to us, should we choose to avail ourselves of it, including denim shirt dresses, tunics, pinafores, frilled blouses, zip-up boiler suits, button-through A-line mini skirts, pencil skirts, gently flared mini skirts, tailored jackets … the list goes on.

Holly’s 16-piece edit features some of her much-loved easy and flattering shapes and styles, with key pieces to snap up quickly including a belted denim midi dress and a button-through mini skirt and a frill detail denim shirt.

“I have always loved the simplicity of a denim dress and I live in a high waisted skinny jean at the weekend,” Holly says, adding: “‘I am a huge fan of wearing different denim pieces together - effortless but with a cooler edge. If top-to-toe denim isn’t for you, add a crisp white tee and a simple ankle boot, for a classic look that will see you through season after season.”

So there you go, permission to do double, triple and quadruple denim, should the mood take you. This can work well if you keep the look tonal – that is, all blue – but mix and match finishes and shades, teaming acid wash and faded blues with deeper, richer tones.

Meanwhile, this season Topshop is launching four new fits to its denim jean collection: the Balloon Boyfriend, the Slim Wide, the Dad (mid-rise wide-leg) and the Editor (rigid straight leg). Design director Anthony Cuthbertson says: “Though the Jamie continues to take the top spot, we are excited to see our customers’ reactions to our four new fits. We’ve also expanded our library to include an ‘80s acid wash for the new season, and focused on hem detailing and ripping across multiple silhouettes. This season denim jeans no longer feel like a staple used to complete a look, instead they take centre stage.”

When it comes to denim jeans, there’s a pretty eclectic mix going on across the high street, from cropped wide legs to skinny and high-waist styles.

But it’s all about the blues. There’s both deep blue denim and faded hues for a beachy look. Rips and holes are also very much a seasonal feature, although they do strike as a peculiar trend. Sustainability is very much the watchword in fashion as we are all being encouraged to swap, recycling and repurpose our clothes to give them extra life and save them from landfill. Surely, buying brand new jeans, already ripped to shreds, is rather ridiculous and misguided? If you want ripped jeans, find some old ones (your own or someone else’s – ask them first) and rip them yourself.

* On Wednesday, March 6, Trinity Leeds stages it first ever Work Perk Wednesday event offering exclusive discounts for the hard-working folk of the city.

Registration is now open for the three-hour event starting at 5pm, with access to more than 40 fashion and food offers, including at Marks & Spencer, Warehouse, Boots, and Victoria’s Secret.

Highlights include 20 per cent off at Victoria’s Secret, NYX, The Alchemist, Carluccio’s, Cabana, Handmade Burger Co and Cote Brasserie, 15 per cent off at Yo Sushi, and 10 per cent off at Nando’s, NYX, Oasis, Superdry, Warehouse and Wagamama.

The first 200 people who arrive on the night will also receive a £5 gift card. To sign up for the Work Perk Pass, and for the full list of offers, visit www.trinityleeds.com/work-perk-wednesday.

* There’s more fashion and beauty here