11 April 2013

Denim, Denim Everywhere

I have a complicated relationship with jeans.  I want to love them.  They just seem so timeless.  Jeans never go out of style, you always read in terrible magazines that men find women sexiest in a pair of jeans, the right pair can go from day to night, yada yada yada. I've just never been able to find that magical pair.  I feel like my girlfriends have these religious experiences where they put on a pair of jeans and they look 5 lbs skinnier and their legs look 3 miles long and their butt looks like circa-2001 Britney Spears.  No pair of jeans has ever done any of those things for me.

It may be because I've never bought a pair of designer jeans.  I know, I know. Everyone says that they're the way to go.  But when designer jeans first came around again, they simply did not offer them in lengths/inseams for us shorties.  And you cannot hem jeans more than 1/2-1 inch without ruining the look.  The only jeans I've owned for the past 6 years have all been from Old Navy and meh.  They weren't AWFUL, but they certainly weren't flattering and they most DEFINITELY did not make me look sexy.  At all.  And then a fellow blogger {I think it was Kate at Nautical by Nature?} posted this article about Gap and Old Navy mom jeans. Suddenly it all made sense!  I was buying the wrong jeans!

I got rid of all my jeans {I hardly ever wore them anyways} and swore I would buy new ones....yeah, that part never happened.  But armed with research, I'm ready for a denim bonanza.  The hunt for the perfect pair.  Here are the top recommendations:


1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7

In all fairness, there is still a pair of Gap jeans in this mix {#7}.  But multiple people recommended checking them out, so I'll give them a shot.  There is also a pair of Banana Republic jeans in there {#5}, as 3 different people recommended them. The picture from the website is hideous, so let's hope they're a bit more impressive in person.  I have high hopes for the Levis {#3 and 4}.  They are super inexpensive, have great reviews, and look quite stylish in the pictures. Then there are the 3 extra $$$ fancy designer pairs {#1, 2, and 6}.  I'm not trying them until I've tried all of the others.  That way, if I end up spending that much on a pair of jeans, I can say I tried everything.

Several people recommended the J.Crew toothpick and matchstick jeans.  People either love them or hate them, which I find to be true of all J.Crew pants.  In the past, their jeans have been majorly frump-tastic on me.  If none of the above pan out, I would be willing to revisit the Crew to see if any improvements have been made.

Plan of attack: order the Gap, BR, and Levis.  Cross fingers that one or several of those pairs is a winner.  If not, move on to the upper echelon of denim.  Cross fingers that I don't become hopelessly addicted to overpriced jeans.

Wish me luck!

14 comments:

Melissa said...

I've also heard great things about that BR pair - best of denim luck! If you do decide to go designer, my best pre-maternity luck was with Paige; $$$, but they do last and don't suffer the "skinny sag" problem I've found with less luxe brands.

KLA said...

I love my Levi's!

In the Pink said...

I am also currently searching for the perfect pair of jeans! After trying a ton on I think I'm going to go with J.Crew's toothpick kind - (from the regular J.Crew not factory - I didn't like those as much). I have two pairs of Paige denim that I love (black and pale pink) that my friend gave me when she worked for Paige corporate, but I can't decide if I want to suck it up and buy a denim-colored pair.

MHM1314 said...

I own one pair of jeans. ONE. And it's always a love hate.

Jessica said...

Jeans can be so tough! I have had many, many different brands (including the ultra pricey 7's that everyone raves about), and I have to say: My Gap 1969 jeans are my favorite. They are a dark wash, long and lean cut and make my legs look 6 feet long when I wear them. If I could only have one pair of jeans, those would be them! I recommended them to a girlfriend of mine who is about 5 inches shorter than I am with a completely different body style. And now she LOVES them too!!! Hope you find some that work well for you!:)

Victoria said...

I am simultaneously relived and horrified by the GAP Denim expose you linked too! Now I feel better about never having been able to find jeans there.

Someone mentioned Paige denim above. I don't own any, but have heard good things (and they carry them at Nordstrom Rack).

Portuguese Prepster said...

good luck! jeans are always such an annoying struggle! I totally know where you are coming from! I love the J.Crew toothpicks, flattering on my super short frame.

Crystal T said...

I agree with Jessica. I have a ton of various types of designer jeans: citizens, 7's, rock n' republic, etc. I have been incredibly disappointed with my skinny 7's that everyone raved about. However, I am in love with my GAP 1969 jeans and wish I would have known about them before I invested in designer jeans I no longer wear. I have bought 3 pair of the exact same jeans because they are so flattering and fit so well. I hope they will work as well for you because you can't beat the price!

MCW said...

I hate jean shopping more than bathing suite shopping! Good luck.

Lee Harmon Waters said...

I went through this about 5 year ago. I threw out all of my jeans and then decided I would buy one pair. I bought a pair of Joe's Jeans (brand) Petite Provacateur (style). I've never had so many compliments from one piece of clothing. They are one of the few designer labels that makes a petite jean and it delivers. As it should..they cost $170ish. But, it's better than 3-4 $60 pairs that make you not happy. Worth a try!

SHF said...

Another brand you might want to check out is Fidelity. Their jeans are really flattering and they're started to make petite lengths in some of their most popular styles.

SHF
thechroniclesofs.blogspot.com

Catherine said...

As a fellow petite, I sympathize with the jean search! My new favorite brand is DL 1961. They're definitely at the designer price point, but their petite line fits SO well. Love the skinnies and the cindy bootcut.
Oh, your insta pic of hs jeans made my day- who doesn't have a similar burn-worthy photo!

Laura C said...

Ahhh the quest for the perfect pair of jeans... So tough!!
I love the J Brand Mid Rise.
Good luck & report back on your findings. :)

Lauren said...

I perfer dresses over pants. There is a shop in Chicago called "The Jeans Bar" where all they sell are jeans and it's set up to look like a bar. The people there look at you and just start handing you jeans. It's fun, but pricey.

Believe it or not, but Victoria Secret's online store has some decent jeans at decent prices.