Anita Rani’s wide leg jeans and oversized striped shirt ticks all our boxes for a polished outfit

Anita Rani has reminded us why jeans and a striped shirt will always be a staple outfit base as she put together a breezy casual look on holiday.

What do we always end up coming back to if we don’t know what to wear? Jeans and a nice top or, in the case of winter, jeans and our best cashmere jumpers. The combination of denim with an easy-to-wear shirt or knit is timeless and has a relaxed but chic feel to it and can be dressed up or down. Once you’ve found the best jeans for your body type you can re-wear them again and again with confidence and Anita Rani has just made a case for wide leg jeans.

The broadcaster has been enjoying a trip to India this month and on 15th January she posted a brilliant video clip on Instagram as she documented her hunt for a new suitcase to fit all her exciting holiday purchases in. On this casual sunny outing Anita wore a pair of blue wide leg jeans with an oversized striped shirt and sandals.

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Complete The Look

It might sound like a simple outfit - and it is - but this is what makes it so elegant and also very easy to recreate. Many of us will already have a striped shirt or wide leg jeans in your winter capsule wardrobe and if you don’t, there are so many options available right now that will give you a similar look. Anita’s jeans were a light blue wash which always has a bit more of a casual feel compared to dark indigo and black jeans.

This complemented the relaxed silhouette and opting for a paler shade of blue with your jeans is a lovely way to add a bit more contrast into an outfit if you style them with a darker jumper or top. The broadcasting star took a different approach and threw on an oversized blue and white striped shirt with her jeans, which she left untucked over the waistband.

She rolled the sleeves up to her elbows too and although this was probably more of a practical decision to help keep her cool in the hot weather it also accentuated the effortlessness of her outfit. The stripes were delicate and the blue was similar to the tone of her jeans. This tied the two pieces together even more and a striped shirt and jeans is a failsafe look for the daytime whilst on holiday when you’re not by a pool or at the beach.

It also works for spring and summer in the UK, but just because Anita Rani wore her wide leg jeans and shirt in warm weather doesn’t mean it can’t be worn in the winter. If you want to style these staples right now then all you need is to embrace layering with your best winter accessories and knitwear. Add a knitted vest, jumper or cardigan over the top of a classic cotton shirt or wear a thermal top underneath for extra cosiness.

Instead of ballet flats or sandals, we’d recommend going for a pair of simple ankle boots that will fit seamlessly under your wide leg jeans. In India Anita wore footbed sandals that looked like they could potentially have been the iconic Arizona style by Birkenstock. They had two straps, buckles and were a soft beige colour that looked great with the light colour palette of her clothes.

She also owns a similar sandals in a green colour that she wore elsewhere on her trip with a pink and white striped shirt dress. It just shows how stripes and shirts are a key part of her holiday wardrobe.