Jeans! Oh… JEANS! But how is a girl to find the perfect fit. Someone once told me that the average woman tries on 19 pairs of jeans before she finds one that fits right. My first and best advice with jeans is to try and try again.
Piece of advice number 2: Don’t go too cheap on the jeans. The $25 pair of jeans does not fit or last like the $80, $100, or $200 pair.
I suggest Buffalo, 7 for All Mankind, and Joe’s Jeans. Buffalo is the most cost effective. I like Buffalo because their jeans come in different lengths and cuts. 7 for All Mankind are my personal favorite because I have never met a pair of 7’s I didn’t love. Joe’s Jeans are a favorite of many people. When going on a personal shopping trip with clients, Joe’s Jeans are my go-to brand because they fit lots of different body types.
The rise and cut of the jean is very important. The “rise” is the length from the crotch to the waistband. In-store, you probably won’t ask or be asked for an exact measurement. The label will say low-rise, mid-rise, high-rise.
(F.Y.I: low-rise jeans DO NOT look good on most women. Low-rise jeans are often the culprits that cause the dreaded muffin top. If the jean’s rise hits higher on the waist the muffin top becomes less of an issue.)
The “cut” (or the leg opening) of the jean is the next important part to consider. The “cut” of the jean is defined by width of the leg opening, compared to the width of the jean at the knee.
For example: Straight legged jeans have the same width at the knee and the opening. Flared jeans will have a much larger width at the leg opening versus the knee.
Here are some examples (the opening has been folded up to the knee bend):
Skinny Leg Cut Jean — The leg opening is smaller than the width of the knee.
Straight Leg Cut Jean — The leg opening is about equal to the width at the knee.
Bootcut Jean — The leg opening is slightly wider than the knee width (presumably, to fit around a calf-high boots)
Flared Jean — The leg opening is much wider than the width of the knee.
The skinny jean has become very popular in past 7-5 years. HOWEVER, If you are self-concusious about your lower belly, hips and/or thighs, skinny jeans are not the jeans for you. Skinny jeans will only serve to exaggerate the size of the hips and the thighs. The best cuts for those of you who are concerned about the lower belly, hips, and/or thighs are wide legged straight cut jeans or boot cut. Straight legged and boot cut jeans will give you a balanced look from waist to ankle.
The wash of a jean (or the color) can be important as well. Darker washes are usually more flattering on most people. Other washes can be flattering if they are “discolored” in the correct places. When looking at a wash make sure that the lightest part of the jean is on the top of the thigh (bellow the pockets and above your knees) and that the side/seems of the jean (inner and outer thighs) are darker. The slight differences in color between the top of the thigh and the sides create a slimming effect!
Notice how the wash is a bit lighter on the top of the thigh and darker on the sides
So to recap what IS important when shopping for jeans:
- The Rise
- The Cut
- The Wash
What is NOT important…. THE NUMBER! The size on the tag is not important, no body can see it but you. What others will be able to see that you have tried to squeeze a muffin top into a teenagers low-rise skinny jean or… that you have chosen a classy pair of jeans that fits you perfectly and looks great on your body! Now that you have the knowledge you need to pick the prefect jeans… heres to happy shopping!
The Image Crunch 