User’s Guide To Style

It's hard to get more basic than jeans, but a color palette once dominated by blue has been infused with candy apple red and blazing yellow. The shades pair nicely with a simple white tee, but why play it safe? We asked four women to dress up DKNY Jeans's bright purple ones. They carry the trend into fall—they're not full-on electric like summer's styles—and the cut is simple enough that it flatters a range of body shapes. Cotton jeans, $79 (macys.com).

Nachmani found the purple daunting, so she started with the familiar. "I piled on the same things I would wear with blue or black jeans," she says.  The result was surprising: "All the things I usually wear ended up looking  better with purple." It was also a vast improvement over her first try: "I  love a teal tank top, so I tried to make it work with the outfit. But it ended up looking pretty cheesy."

Top: "I started with  a white Topshop boyfriend tee, which goes with everything. It's loose, which looks sexy and subdued."

Jacket: "My satin Rebecca Minkoff jacket  works even though there's hardly  any purple in it. I love the structured shoulders. It's a little Michael Jackson–y."

Accessories: "I always wear a belt with jeans, because  I love when they're snug at the waist and looser on the legs— it's that model-off-duty look. The bag is Rebecca Minkoff—the color and silver  studs add another pop to the outfit."

Shoes: "I'm really into white pumps and pointy toes right now—it's so '50s sexy. When you cuff the jeans, the ankle strap of these Aldo heels is cute and flattering to the leg."

"I usually wear really bright brights  or muted colors. The jeans are in between, so they were a challenge for me," says Ziegler. A ripped peach T-shirt softened the look. "It's oversize,  which creates a flattering silhouette," she says. "I also could have gone for a bright red top. That would make the purple really pop."

Jewelry: "I wear these gold necklaces every day. The rings were  my grandmother's and my mom's, and the watch is Cartier—a gift from my husband. I love wearing family stuff."

Top: "I always go up a size or two in T-shirts, so I can messily tuck  them in and leave the back loose. This one is Iro, a French brand."

Shoes: "I didn't want everything I wore to make a statement, but I did want to give the outfit some edge with these chunky leopard Balmain heels. They also keep the outfit from looking sloppy."

"I have a long torso, so unless jeans are really tight on me, my legs look too short," says Lee. "But rolling them  up to midcalf makes my legs look longer and adds a rebellious vibe. I wanted that, because purple can seem rocker or youthful, depending on how you wear it."

Jewelry: "These Rocklove earrings are upside down crosses, but they're not meant to be satanic!"

Top: "The purple made me think '70s punk, so I picked this Zara cardigan for its faux-fur collar. I found  the sheer leopard blouse at a secondhand store."

Shoes: "I love the silver studs on my Baby Phat cage booties."