LOVE them or loathe them, denim is here to stay.

Thanks to the late '50s icon James Dean, who rebelled with a cause in his cool denim jeans and leather jacket get-up, a whole generation of youths wanted a pair of jeans like his.

That was when denim was anti-establishment, it was street and it was cool.

Then, came the dark ages of denim. A time when the world was plunged into years of bad taste ruled by evil giant shoulder pads, neon plastic accessories, bad perms, mullets and (shudder) acid-washed double denims.

No thanks to the taste-challenged '80s, many fashion-forward groupies shunned denims in the late '80s in favour of khakis, tweeds, silk jerseys and possibly rice sacks too.

Not for long though, as clever marketing and worldwide branding campaigns built on celebrity sex appeal - butts, breasts and six-packs , rocked denim back into style in the '90s.

And with mind-blowingly expensive designer jeans being all the rage in the millenium, the rest, as they say, is history.

Or is it? Just when we think we've seen the last of those hideous '80s styles, guess what?

The '80s is back and it's storming down the catwalks in all things denim.

William Rast's Autumn/Winter 2009/10 collection led the pack with a blue-washed (out?) show that was a cross between tired biker chic and a gathering of modern cowgirls and boys on a night out about town.

Hey, don't get me wrong - the models looked good and you can almost imagine William Rast's celebrity designer, Justin Timberlake, in one of his creations. And the collection was, by all denim show standards, passable.

But we all know that tall, leggy, reed-thin models look good in everything, even in your table cloth.

So, don't assume that what works for them is going to work for you too.

Here are my 3 'Ds' on how to ride out the blue waves for the coming year without being a total washout when it comes to denim fashion.

1. Ditch the double denim look

Less is more when it comes to mixing and matching denims. Go ahead, play with coloured denims but keep things simple.

Pair denim bottoms with an occasion-appropriate top in a different fabric.

For example, start the day with a plain coloured, fitted cotton tee over jeans for a cool, casual look.

Guys, throw on a well-cut jacket (not denim!) to jazz up the ensemble for a dinner date.

Ladies, bling up the accessories, brighten up the make-up, get into killer heels and you're all set to party the night away in comfort and style.

Match fitted denim jackets with non-denim bottoms.

Denim jackets tend to play down most looks so skip it totally if you're headed for meetings, attending cocktail events or eating out at a posh restaurant.

2. Ditch the denim vest

I don't know about you but if there's one item that I'll never be caught dead in is a traditional stone-washed denim vest.

There's something about denim vests that is just plain nasty and - for lack of a better phrase - 'simply obiang!'.

3. Ditch the denim overalls

Unless you are between the ages of 0 and 6, has a Mario and Luigi fetish or being in dungarees is part of your job, steer clear of this unforgiving style.

You wouldn't want to look like farmer Joe and Jane in an urban jungle like Singapore, would you?

Good deals at Great Singapore Sale

1 Guess

Selected Guess jeans going at 30-50 per cent off the retail price. Buy 2 Guess items to get additional 10 per cent off total receipt; 3 items to get 15 per cent off. At all Guess stores.

2 Gap

Storewide discounts up to 50 per cent at all Gap stores. Buy 3 items to get extra 10 per cent off total receipt; 5 items to get 20 per cent off.

3 G-Star Raw

Discounts up to 50 per cent storewide. Paragon, Isetan Orchard.

4 Levi's

Free $100 Levi's shopping voucher when you buy any regular-priced jeans ($100 and above). The shopping voucher is redeemable storewide, with no strings attached. Available at all Levi's stores.

5 Diesel, DKNY Jeans, AX Jeans

Up to 80 per cent off at the Club 21 Bazaar, ending today.

6 Tough Jeansmith

Discounts up to 50 per cent off storewide. Heeren, Wisma Atria.

7 Miss Sixty

Discounts up to 40 per cent off storewide. Paragon.