Light wash vs dark wash vs black jeans: which to buy first

The three washes compared

Light wash

Light wash has a soft, faded blue that feels casual and summery. It brightens an outfit and looks especially fresh with white, cream and warm neutrals. A light wide leg with a white tee and sandals is about as easy as summer dressing gets.

It's the least formal of the three, so it's the hardest to wear to a dressier office or an evening out. It also shows dark spills more readily. If most of your life is casual, though, it may be the pair you wear most.

Dark wash

Dark indigo is the most versatile wash. It looks crisp and close to a trouser, so it can go to work with a blazer and loafers and then out with a cami and heels. It's also the easiest to dress up or down with just a change of shoes.

If you're buying one pair and you're not sure, dark wash is the safest first choice. The trade-off is that deep blue dyes can transfer onto light fabrics and pale bags when new, and the color can soften a little with washing. Washing inside out in cold water helps it stay dark. Our denim care guide covers the details.

Black

Black jeans are the dressiest denim and the easiest to style for evening. All black from top to toe makes one long line, and a single bold color on top looks striking against it. They also hide creases and small marks on long days.

Black tends to fade toward charcoal over time, more or less depending on the fabric and how it's washed. Cold water, inside out, and line drying slow that down. Black also shows lint and pet hair, so a lint roller is a good friend.

Which one to buy first

Look at your closet, too. Pick the wash that goes with the tops and shoes you already own most. A second pair in a contrasting wash, light plus dark or dark plus black, covers almost every occasion.

Styling each wash with a wide leg

• Light wash: a white bodysuit, a cream knit or a striped tee, with platform sandals, loafers or white sneakers. Gold jewelry looks warm next to it.
• Dark wash: a tucked silk blouse and a blazer for work, a fitted tee and sneakers for weekends, a cami and heels for evening. See wide-leg jeans for work.
• Black: a black turtleneck and long coat for winter, or a bright top and heels for a night out.

More outfit ideas are in our wide-leg styling guide.

Shoes and accessories by wash

None of these are rules. They're just the pairings that look effortless with the least thought on a busy morning.

How each wash changes over time

All denim colors soften with wear and washing; how much depends on the fibers, the dye and your laundry habits. Light wash changes the least visibly, because it's already pale. Dark indigo can soften toward a mid blue, often first at the knees, seams and pocket edges. Black can drift toward charcoal. Many people love that lived-in look on cotton denim; if you'd rather keep the color as it was on day one, choose a fabric known for holding its color and wash it cold and inside out.

New dark and black denim can also rub dye onto light sofas, bags and shoes for the first few wears. Washing it once on its own before you wear it, inside out and cold, helps a lot.

Building a small denim wardrobe

If you're building up from one pair, contrast is your friend. Two pairs in the same wash mostly do the same job; two in different washes cover twice as many outfits. A simple order that works for most people: dark wash first for versatility, then black for evenings and an all-black look, then light wash for warm weather and weekends. If your life is mostly casual, swap the first two around.