Here are some nice tops to wear with your jeans

(Image credit: 2019 Edward Berthelot)

I, for one, am thrilled at the resurrection of the 'jeans and a nice top' combo. As I'm sure you'll remember, it was quite the thing during our teens and uni years, the perfect embodiment of 'casual chic'.

But then it gave way to dressier pieces such as suits and dresses and it seemed like there was no middle ground anymore. Until now.

Pre-coronavirus, the nice top, paired with a good pair of jeans, had taken over for such occasions as pub lunches, dinner with friends or colleagues, basically any occasion where you didn't want to seem stuffy but look like you at least made an effort.

Post-coronavirus, well it's just a step up from casual loungewear, for when you want to make a bit of an effort, but can't quite go to all the effort of actually dressing up.

And, more crucially, it means your top half is on point, and as that's the only part of you your colleagues can see during video calls, all the better.

For the new season, there is a myriad of styles to choose from. Square necklines, puff sleeves, silk, prints... there really is an option for everyone, from high end to high street.

These are all ideally paired with your trusted jeans, or, if you'd like to go the extra mile, lovely with a slip skirt or leather trousers too. Shoe-wise (if you can be bothered), pair with your favourite trainers or square toe sandals. Otherwise, slippers will do just fine.

Shop my edit of the best nice tops below

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.