Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton can't stay apart for long. 24 hours after Kardashian attended the 2026 Met Gala alone, the VIPs were hand-in-hand on Broadway. Kardashian's date night outfit gave her boyfriend a taste of red carpet dressing, but with a spring denim twist.
Its been months since fans saw the SKIMS founder in jeans—eight to be exact. Her denim drawer is the most vacant of all the Kardashian-Jenner It girls, especially Kylie and Kendall. Two years after styling the pants trend in public, Kardashian made up for lost time—and jeans—in a surprisingly high-waisted, sky blue pair. Perhaps they were on loan from Kylie Jenner's closet. She wore an almost-identical Levi's pair with the heeled flip-flops trend last month. Kardashian didn't choose V-strapped thongs like Jenner, but her pedicure was on full display beneath satin, ankle-strap sandals.
Why jeans, and why now? Well, the presumed designer behind her top seemed to require them. Kardashian tied herself into a long-sleeve corset supposedly from then-creative director Glenn Martens for Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2022 Couture collection. Glossy strands made Kardashian a fashion mummy, wrapping around her neck, onto a braided bodice, and down each arm. An under-bust bustier—featuring a peplum-esque hem—was its only opaque piece.
Every element was a warm-toned, champagne color in the look book, but Kardashian's sampled 2026's cool-blue trend. It was originally dressed down with a denim maxi skirt, which Kardashian traded for the same light-wash in jeans form.
Say JPG wasn't what inspired Kardashian to end her jeans hiatus. She definitely got the hint from her younger sisters. Kylie and Kendall have rarely given their denim a day off this season. Wearing sandals with denim had Kylie's name all over it. She wore three Levi's looks to Coachella; another en route to West Hollywood's Sushi Park; and most recently, the white jeans trend at a New York Knicks game.
Or maybe, she was inspired by Margot Robbie, who wore Chanel jeans to a Met Gala after-party. If they're chic enough for a Saint Laurent soirée, they passed the "Broadway appropriate" test, no problem. Either way, here's hoping Spring 2026 denim trends will make jeans a mainstay in her closet again.
