For all of y’all who can’t get behind leather leggings but really like the look, I’m about to change your world. Ready? Two words: Coated Denim. They’re actually somewhat new to me, which is saying a lot since hello, part of my job is to shop for a living! I’ve actually seen them before, but for some reason I didn’t necessarily consider or understand them. And now I’m obsessed! So much so that I wanted to share them with y’all right away, along with different ways to style them.

But first, why are they so great? Well, they’re kind of a hybrid between denim and leather. They’re essentially waxed denim and give off the look of leather, but with the comfort of denim aka the best balance ever! Plus, leather isn’t breathable which sometimes bugs me, so they’re just the best.

Now that you know what coated denim is and why I’m obsessed, here are 3 ways I’ve styled this pair recently.

Dressed up for date night

Coated denim is a little sassier then regular denim, so they’re super easy to dress up. For a recent date with #mysteryboy, I paired them with a blouse, a cropped jacket, and a heel. I actually like these pants with heels, booties, or over-the-knee boots – they’re literally so versatile (just like jeans or leather leggings). Perfect to add something extra for a date or night out with friends!

Dressed down for weekends

As easy as you can dress them up, you can dress them down. They add a different type of element vs. regular jeans or leggings in that you’re actually wearing jeans but they look almost cooler, edgier. They also pair really well with chambray, which regular denim can sometimes be hard to mix with. You don’t have to worry about covering your booty like you do with leggings either since they provide more coverage and have pockets. And sneakers look just as cute as heels, in my opinion!

All black

Y’all might already know that I live for a black on black moment, but only when done right. The key to any sort of monochrome dressing (including black) is mixing up the textures. Since the coated denim is such a unique material already, they’re soooo easy to match for an all black look. Just throw on a black sweater of literally any material and you’re mixing things up.

If y’all love these looks and the coated denim vibe, you can shop my particular pair right here at Nordstrom’s (duh). Oh, and did I mention they’re high waisted? MY FAVE. They’re actually made by Sam Edelman which has a whole line called Sam Edelman Denim Collection that’s SO cute! Especially for all things Fall, all of their pieces are too good – I highly recommend looking through the line. I’ll share my faves below, too, including a link to my coated denim!

Thanks so much to Sam Edelman for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions are my own!