Yes, You Could Wear Black, But Chic Women Know This Shoe Color Trend Looks Better With Light-Wash Jeans

It could be the difference between a boring outfit and one worthy of compliments.

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Hailey Bieber wearing a butter yellow Phoebe Philo shearling coat, a white tank top, vintage Levi's jeans, and beige heels from Jude.
(Image credit: @danixmichelle)
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It's true: Light-wash jeans are making a comeback. Over the last few seasons, dark washes that lean indigo have been garnering praise in the denim world, but ever since 2026 began, much lighter alternatives have crept up, and Hailey Bieber is their number one advocate. The Rhode founder regularly wears vintage Levi's 501 jeans in light, faded rinses, giving the dated denim trend a much-needed facelift in the eyes of shoppers. Little did we know that it wasn't the actual color that was making light-wash jeans feel out of style. Rather, it was the way we were styling them, specifically the shoes we were wearing with them. Sure, you could wear black heels with light-wash jeans, but the color contrast is harsh. Instead, follow Bieber's lead and try combining beige heels with light-wash jeans for an elegant, understated outfit that works every time.

Last week, Bieber and one of her stylists, Dani Michelle, posted photos of the former wearing this exact combo, including vintage light-wash Levi's from her go-to curator, Denim by Orlee, and a pair of croc-embossed beige heels from Jude. With the unbeatable combo, she added a white tee from Joe's Jeans, one of Matthieu Blazy's new bags for Chanel, and a butter-yellow shearling coat by Phoebe Philo. Does a better outfit exist? We can't think of one.

Hailey Bieber wearing a butter yellow Phoebe Philo shearling coat, a white tank top, vintage Levi's jeans, and beige heels from Jude.

(Image credit: @danixmichelle)

On Hailey Bieber: Phoebe Philo coat; Jude Iris Mule ($510); Levi's jeans; Joe's Jeans top; Chanel bag

What makes Bieber's ensemble so great is the pairing of her light-wash jeans and beige heels. The soft, neutral shoe color blends perfectly with the equally soft and subtle denim wash, giving the late winter/early spring outfit an airiness that's hard to achieve in chillier weather. Often, people rely on gray, black, navy, and brown during this time of the year, but her use of butter yellow, light blue, and beige felt fresh.

If you agree, keep scrolling. Below, you'll find one easy way to re-create Bieber's look and more denim and shoe options to shop.

Get Hailey Bieber's Look

Shop Beige Heels

Shop Light-Wash Jeans

Eliza Huber
Eliza Huber
Associate Editorial Director

Eliza Huber is currently the Associate Editorial Director at Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2021 as a fashion editor after starting her career as a writer at Refinery29, where she worked for four years. During her time at WWW, she launched Go Sports, the publication's sports vertical, and published four (and counting) quarterly issues tied to the WNBA, Formula One, and more. She also created two franchises, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on new seasonal trends, up-and-coming designers, and celebrity style.