Cazzie David’s Got Your Classic Overthinker’s Guide To Denim

Putting together a comfy, cozy, effortless look might sound like a tall order, but it doesn’t have to send you spiraling. Just ask Madewell’s “resident denim expert,” Cazzie David.

The 32-year-old stars in Madewell’s new fall campaign, and together, they’re tackling your outfit-related anxieties head on. (It’s a fitting role for the writer and actor, who has built a literary career out of documenting her own intense battles with existential dread and baring her everyday neuroses in her 2020 debut, which was dubbed the “most neurotic memoir” of the year.) In the new ad, David lounges in denim, fielding queries from callers on a vintage rotary phone, including the age-old question “How do you know if you’ve found the one?” — the one being, of course, the right pair of jeans for you.

“You’ll just know,” David says in the 30-second spot. “They’ll lift you up. You’ll reach for them everyday and miss them when they’re not around.”

David’s Madewell picks make finding “the one” easy. The collection includes the high-quality, casually cool denim jeans that the brand is known for, as well as some cozy-looking layering pieces and fall-ready sweaters that take all the guesswork out of crafting the perfect ’fit.

It is a lineup built for anyone looking for a tactical loophole to bypass dress codes entirely, a strategy David herself relies on daily. “I’ve been wearing the Low-Rise Loose Jean and Easy Crewneck Long-Sleeve Tee nonstop,” she tells Bustle after launch day. “It gives me the same feeling of being in pajamas, but I’m wearing actual clothes.”

Ahead, David drops wisdom on some of the most common style struggles, and reveals some of her own fashion faux pas.

How To Survive Fitting Room Chaos

If the act of lugging an armful of potential purchases into a poorly lit fitting room in an overpacked mall feels like it might produce a panic attack (or worse, back-to-middle-school shopping flashbacks), you’re not alone. The physical loop of trying things on can be an overthinker’s biggest hurdle.

“The most chaotic thought I’ve had is probably ‘Is it worth trying this on?’ Because of course it is… as if going through the process of returning it would be less stressful.”

“I’ve always hated the act of ‘going shopping,’” David says. “I hate taking off my clothes and putting on clothes and then taking them off and putting my clothes back on.”

At the same time, avoiding the changing room entirely creates its own special brand of anxiety. For David, pushing through that exhaustion is a necessary evil — not because of the joy of the mall, but because dealing with mail-in returns is significantly worse: “The most chaotic thought I’ve had is probably ‘Is it worth trying this on?’ Because of course it is… as if going through the process of returning it would be less stressful.”

How To Hack A Formal Dress Code With Denim

Navigating an event invitation can bring on a minor wave of stress, especially when the dress code is on the fancier side. The standard reaction is to overcomplicate the outfit, leaving the bedroom looking like a textile factory exploded before eventually wanting to cancel plans altogether.

Despite what your mother might’ve told you, David believes that there’s always a time and place for a good pair of jeans if you follow a simple strategy.

“As long as you are balancing it out with a nicer top, or wearing a dark wash, I think denim has become universally acceptable for most occasions,” she says.

It’s a rule she puts into practice in her own collection, which pairs deep indigo washes with structured tailoring to completely mask how comfortable you actually are.

How To Handle Outfit Regret

As David explores in her latest collection of essays, Delusions, your 20s can be tough to navigate — and getting dressed is hardly an exception. Late-night fashion remorse is a powerful disruptor, and the Umbrella Academy alum is not immune to the ghosts of her closet past.

“I wore sweatshirts a little too often,” David says, reflecting on her past sartorial choices. “I loved wearing this one light blue leather jacket. Yes, you heard me right.”

But getting older and building a wardrobe that works for you and your daily routine, embracing comfort in the process, is a simple way to mitigate future regrets. It means filtering your choices down to pieces that — as David’s own Madewell campaign logic goes — make you feel so good, you wouldn’t mind running into your ex.

As for whether the perfect pair of denim can serve as the antidote to clothing-induced anxiety, David’s answer is definitive: “Of course it is.”