See How Simone Ashley Just Dressed Up Casual Jeans in Milan

I wear jeans almost every day in the fall. They’re a staple in everyone’s wardrobe, but sometimes it’s difficult to put a dressy outfit together with jeans—especially casual light-wash ones. The truth is, I will never compromise comfort for an outfit. Jeans can be incredibly comfortable and relatively versatile; however, for a special occasion or a night out, they may not always be the most reliable choice for looking dressed up. My dilemma was solved by the outfit actress Simone Ashley just wore in Milan during fashion week. She made her jeans look far more elegant by using this styling hack: Pair a cardigan and slingback pumps with jeans.

Specifically, Ashley wore a bright red cardigan with her light-wash jeans, and slipped on black Prada slingback pumps, which she paired with a Celine chain-strap shoulder bag. Her look was effortlessly stylish and so easy to recreate. In one fell swoop, she proved that you can, in fact, dress up casual jeans. Cardigans and slingbacks are pieces known for leaning toward the more polished side of things, so when combined with casual jeans, they form a perfectly balanced, night-out-worthy outfit.

If you’ve been looking for a no-fail way to dress up your casual jeans, keep scrolling through to recreate Ashley’s look and shop similar items.

(Image credit: Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)

On Simone Ashley: Prada Patent Leather Slingback Pumps ($1200); Celine Goatskin Matelasse Chain Shoulder Bag Black ($995)