Friday, January 24, 2020

The Genius Guide to Buying Jeans


Looking for jeans can be one of the most stressful chores in the shopping universe, worse than buying a swimsuit. 

I rarely wear jeans. All my weight lies below the waist. Adding a layer of heavy denim plus two more layers for the fly is not my idea of a good time. For obvious reasons, my favorite denim has always been a nice pair of loose-fitting overalls. At 77 this is no longer cute. Even my three-year-old grandson doesn't wear them anymore.


However, there are some times a nice pair of jeans are what an outfit needs. Breton t-shirts look great with jeans. A black turtleneck and jeans speaks French. I love a man-tailored shirt tucked into a pair with a terrific leather belt or with a shirt tied at the waist.


Jeans can go anywhere these days, even the red carpet. The Lovely Boutique Where I Work even allows staff to wear jeans. Let's face it, a grown up woman wearing a nicely tailored pair of jeans looks hip, with it and "young".

Heavenly Helen Mirren
Brooke and Calvin forever

Linda Rodin rocking some

I'm always ready to give jeans another shot as I continuously look for the perfect pair. Let these hints be your guide and you may have the jeans thing all zipped up.

Hint # 1: Don't give up. It may take a lot of searching and (sad but true) trying on, to find them.

Hint #2: Make it a jeans-only shopping trip. Avoid looking at anything else—new merchandise, 50%-off-sale—to concentrate on jeans. If you shop where there is more than one store, hit them all, for jeans only.

Hint #3: Don't go it alone. If there are actual sales associates (as there will be in smaller or more specialized retail) ask for help. She will know which jeans do what and give you clues as to how the various styles fit and wear.

Hint #4: Know your legs:
JEGGINGS are as close to leggings as denim will go.
SLIM are tapered to the ankle.
STRAIGHT will fall in a line from the hip.
GIRLFRIEND (or boyfriend) will be almost baggy from the hip with a wider leg (comfy but never dressed up).
BOOT CUT is closest to Straight with an extra flare at the ankle to accommodate wearing boots.
BELL BOTTOM gradually flares like sailor's pants.  
WIDE LEG begins to flare at the hip and can end up quite wide indeed.
TROUSER will hang comfortably from the waist and seem most like a pair of pants.
CROPPED is tricky to pin down (pun intended) as much depends on how tall you are. There are cropped wide-leg jeans that are almost culottes or those cropped two inches above the ankle. Think of cropped jeans as something fun to add, not your only pair.

Hint #5: Don't buy jeans too loose. 99% of today's jeans have from 2-4% Spandex woven into the denim. This allows the fabric to keep its shape. When you first put them on, new jeans should feel snug; they will loosen up. If jeans are comfy to begin with, try on a smaller size. Otherwise they may get baggy after a few hours and you will wish you had. Of course, you should be able to breathe, sit and button that top button.

Hint #6: We are too grown up for distressed jeans. Unless you have truly distressed them yourself over years of loving wear, leave overly distressed (torn, ragged, patched) jeans for the young and restless.

Hint #7: The darker the wash, the dressier they will look.

Hint #8: Almost all jeans are "high waist". Today's jeans are cut to hit the small of your back and dip just at little in front, following the natural curves of the body. The era of hip rider jeans is blessedly over. Let's take advantage of this rational moment in fashion. NB "Mom jeans", if you still have any, are still a fashion don't.

Mom's not the word...

Hint #9: Pull on jeans are not that crazy. If you hate the idea of a zippered fly front, try pull on jeans. Some even have faux fly stitching. If done right they can be quite flattering.

Pull on and fly not

Hint #10: You may be a petite...or not. Petites are generally cut for women 5'4" and under. If you are short-waisted and/or have shorter legs, try jeans in petite sizes. Remember they are usually cut smaller. If you wear size 8 in regular misses sizes, try a 10 petite. The reverse is true as well. If you have a long torso and/or long legs you may do better in misses regular sizes. These days jeans are available in plus and petite plus too. Thank goodness!

Bonus hint: You may need to alter. The most common complaint is if they fit your hips, they are too big at the waist. This is an easy alteration but for a pro to do. Trust me, I've tried to do this at home.

If jeans are too long, be sure to wash them before hemming. The 96% cotton part can still shrink, though they shouldn't if you hang them to dry (highly advised). Be sure to wear the shoes you will wear with them. Unless they are trouser jeans they shouldn't have a "break". Boot cut, bell bottom and wide leg jeans should be hemmed as long as possible—about 1/2" from the ground.

Really, she's wearing shoes...

Jeans have transcended their humble beginnings as sturdy pants for men hoping to strike it rich in the 1850s, although pursuit of the perfect pair may seem as elusive as finding that golden nugget.







2 comments:

  1. yes indeedie, and in the dressing room, lean over and look at yourself from the back- use a makeup mirror if necessary but check for panty line...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your fashion jeans are really extra ordinary. Your blog is very helpful for fashion lovers. We want updates from your blog regularly.

    ReplyDelete