14 Ways to Wear Skinny Jeans for Day and Night

Street style in skinny jeans and fur jacket
Get inspired to style your skinny jeans in different ways. Edward Berthelot/Getty Images
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How to Style Skinny Jeans for Day and Night

Fashion intern Leigh Fidler wears a Diane Von Furstenberg Jacket and bag, and AG jeans on day 3 of Paris Collections
Kirstin Sinclair/ Getty Images Europe/ Getty Images

Skinny jeans are beyond trendy -- this denim style has evolved into a go-to fashion staple in most women's wardrobes. There's a good reason that probably own at least one pair of skinny jeans -- this denim silhouette is stylish, can be dressed up or down and it's widely available for any budget. However, you may be challenged by how to change up your look in skinny jeans, so you can avoid looking stuck in a style rut.

The good news is, with a little inspiration, you can easily style a single, great pair of skinny jeans to look different every day of the week. We're here with street style fashion photos to inspire you to create new outfits with your skinny jeans, including options that work for casual days and weekends, wearing to the office, the cocktail hour and date night out.

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First Things First: The Only Pair of Skinny Jeans You Need

7 For All Mankind Women's Skinny Jean in Rinsed Indigo
7 For All Mankind Women's Skinny Jean in Rinsed Indigo. Courtesy of Amazon

If you're shopping for a good all-around skinny jean, we strongly recommend buying a pair in the darkest rinse of blue you can find, such as this rich, deep indigo style from 7 For All Mankind.

A dark wash skinny jean is the most versatile denim style you can own, because it's polished enough to dress up for work, makes your casual tops look chic, and is sexy enough to wear out to cocktails or dinner dates. Celebrities even wear jeans on the red carpet, so a great pair of perfect-fitting, dark wash jean should be able to take you through most events and occasions in your life.

You can also choose to buy black skinny jeans, if that suits your personal style better. Both options are not only slimming to the figure, because they help to minimize any lumps or bumps on your lower half, they're also very versatile for wearing with both casual and dressy tops. 

Of course, if you plan on filling out your skinny jeans wardrobe with a few different pairs, you can go ahead and experiment with different washes. A well-stocked denim closet might contain several pairs of skinny jeans to provide you with a wide range of options for fashionable casual wear and dressier outfits. This could include at least one, must-have dark wash pair, a lighter vintage wash jean for casual days, a coated denim jean for a dressy, leather-look effect, and a colored denim jean (grey and pink are two stylish options).

You may also want to check out our plus size guide to skinny jeans, for extra tips on how to flatter your figure in this body-conscious denim style.

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Wear Skinny Jeans With a Long Top for Day

Street style long printed jacket and skinny jeans
Timur Emek/Getty Images

When you wear skinny jeans, it's what's on top that will make or break your outfit. For many women, the key to balancing tight-fitting pants is to create flattering volume up top. Bright, busy prints are also a great way to draw attention upward on your body, which balances your look all over.

Get more ideas for awesome street style outfits with jeans.

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Wear Skinny Jeans With a Long Top for Day

Street style vest and skinny jeans
Wear a long vest over skinny jeans to look chic. Christian Vierig/Getty Images

If you're curvy on the bottom, a long, boyfriend-style vest is a fashionable option that helps you achieve the right proportions in this denim style. Softer, body-skimming vests, such as this wool-blend option from Mango, skim your curves in a flattering way that boxier styles don't. A long vest also provides stylish coverage for your derriere and upper legs, which can feel exposed in skinny jeans.

Find out which rise of skinny jeans will suit your figure best.

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Another Long Top Option

Street style jeans and sweater outfit
Wear a long cardigan over skinny jeans. Christian Vierig/Getty Images

We also love the look of a long cardigan (especially one in a pretty pastel color, as pictured here) layered over a silky tank top and dressed up with pretty accessories for added polish.

Get more cute sweater outfit ideas here.

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How to Cheat a Long Top

Joe's Jeans black skinny jeans
Let your shirt flow over skinny jeans. Joe's Jeans

You can mimic the figure-flattering effect of a long top with skinny jeans (those pictured here are by the Joe's Jeans brand), by letting your shirt-tails hang out beneath a boxy sweater. Choosing a top with a pattern, such as this trendy, dark plaid style, creates visual interest.

We found the best jeans for every body type.

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Wear High Waist Jeans to Create Curves

Street style blouse and high waist jeans
Tuck your top into high rise skinny jeans to create sexy curves. Christian Vierig/Getty Images

What if you want to show off your sexy curves? Try tucking a slim-fitting top into a pair of trendy, high-waisted skinny jeans. We're in love with this confident silhouette for showing off your shape, whether you've got curves for days, or want to create the illusion that you do.

Check out these amazing plus size outfits in jeans.

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Hip-Length Top for Evening

EMANNO scervino skinny jeans
Wear a hip length top with skinny jeans for balance. EMANNO scervino

To dress up your skinny jeans for evening wear, pair them with a silky tank top or leather shell that hits around hip-length. If you want to create hourglass curves, or feel shapeless in a tunic shape, try a top that narrows at the waist and flares out beneath it, as pictured here. This is a feminine look that’s perfect for wearing on a first date and is easy to personalize with your favorite accessories.

Don’t be scared of adding volume with a fit-and-flare tunic -- this outfit works because it camouflages hips and balances the skinny fit of your jeans, giving you a more balanced silhouette.

Get inspired for date night with these pretty outfits in jeans.

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With a Leather Jacket for Day

Mango skinny jeans and leather jacket
Skinny jeans and a leather jacket go together like milk and cookies. Mango

Create a fierce weekend look by layering a biker-style, leather jacket over form-fitting skinny jeans. If you're curvy, stay away from cropped jackets and choose one that skims your hips, to balance your shape in skinnies. Wear with a simple t-shirt in a neutral color, flat shoes (I might swap those pictured here for chunky ankle boots, to give this outfit more edge) and unfussy hair and makeup.

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With a Tailored Jacket for Work

Joe's Jeans skinny jeans and blazer
Skinny jeans and a blazer are the new suit. Joe's Jeans

Want to look put-together without looking fussy? Reach for the fashion editor's outfit of choice -- a pair of dark skinny jeans paired with a tailored blazer in black or navy, like this outfit by Joe's Jeans. You could easily wear this outfit to the office as pictured, with the jacket buttoned neatly over an ironed, chambray shirt.

For a chic silhouette, be sure to choose a jacket that fits you perfectly at the shoulders, has a nipped-in waist to highlight your shape and hits at the proper length.

Curvy women will want to choose a jacket that skims their hips and ends at fingertip length. If you're boyish or athletic in shape and want to create curves, a jacket that ends around your hip bones — or even a cropped peplum jacket — is a stylish and flattering choice.

Here are more great ways to wear skinny jeans to work.

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Tailored Jacket for Evening

J Brand skinny jeans and white jacket
Skinny jeans look crisp and sexy with a while blazer. J Brand

Here's how to dress up skinny jeans for evening, when you want to look sophisticated. Match a white, tuxedo-style blazer with dark wash jeans and high heeled shoes, for a chic outfit that flatters just about every figure type. Add your own special touches with jewelry, to make this outfit your own.

Get more great ideas for dressing up your jeans here.

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Tweed Jacket for Day to Night Style

Street style woman in tweed jacket and skinny jeans
Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Here's a chic skinny jeans outfit that works well for daytime and beyond, on those days when you have no time to go home and change before evening. Pair your skinny jeans with a little tweed jacket that hits just at your natural waistline, wearing it over a simple top or lightweight sweater, as pictured here.

You could dress up this look with pointy high heels, or keep it casual in simple loafers or ballet flats. This is a pretty ensemble that's well suited for denim-friendly days at work, or for weekend shopping with friends.

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With a Classic Coat for Day

Kensie Women's Wool-Blend Cocoon Coat
Kensie Women's Wool-Blend Cocoon Coat. Courtesy of Amazon

What could be more classic than a pair of perfect-fitting jeans and a camel coat? This is a great outfit for transitional seasons and is an easy way to add sophistication to basic jeans and a t-shirt.

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Create a One-Color Outfit With Skinny Jeans

MiH Skinny Blue Jeans and Tunic
MiH Skinny Blue Jeans and Tunic. MiH Jeans

Skinny jeans are great for making legs look longer. You can accentuate the long, lean effect in this style by creating a column of color with your outfit, as in this ensemble from MiH Jeans. To achieve this look, wear your jeans with a shirt in a closely matching shade. For instance, if your jeans are a dark indigo, try pairing them with a navy top.

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Create a One-Color Outfit

Zara grey jeans and blazer
Streamline your outfit in a jacket and jeans in the same shade. Zara

You can also wear a boyfriend blazer (or long, boyfriend-style cardigan) that matches your jeans color, for a fashionable layered look that has a similar, slenderizing effect to wearing one color all over.

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Double Denim Outfit With Colored Jeans

Joe's Jeans Women's Collector's Edition Finn Skinny Ankle Jean
Joe's Jeans Women's Collector's Edition Finn Skinny Ankle Jean. Courtesy of Amazon

Colored skinny jeans are a fun option for casual wear. Combine a pair of skinny colored jeans with a soft, chambray shirt for an outfit that's current and versatile. You can wear this easy look for shopping, weekend outings or out on a casual date.

Dressed up with nice earrings, high heels and a big leather bag, it also makes a great go-to look for casual days at the office, for those of you who work in less conservative fields.Get more ideas for creating double denim outfits.