How to find the Perfect Pair of Jeans

Jeans are what we live in. Designer jeans, overalls, jean shorts, jean skirts, skinny jeans, boot cut, tapered—the list goes on.  Thinking back over the years, in the last 50 years, we’ve seen the bellbottoms of the 1960′s, the high waisted flares of the 1970′s, skinnies of the 1980′s, and bootcuts of the 1990′s all come full circle in the last decade, and all of them are still wearable in the 2000′s.  In my opinion, you can’t have too many pairs of jeans.  With all the various styles being stylish again, you can create a hundred different looks with a great closet of jeans.  So how do you find the perfect styles that work for you?

Know your body type.  If you have bigger hips but a smaller waist, often high waisted styles will look good on you.  Also bootcuts and widelegs are your friend.  Think J Brand Lovestory, Diesel Louvelys, and 7 for All Mankind Gingers.   Got a bit of pooch in front?  High rise jeans will suck you in and slim your waist line.  If you are tall and lean, you can work just about any jeans, but skinnies will show off your height.  Think Diesel Matics or True Religion Julie jeans, or Rock & Republic Straight Leg jeans if you need a really long inseam (most R&R’s are 36″ inseam).  Got some junk in the trunk?  Try a pair with a higher rise in back, like Joe’s Honey jeans.  Short and petite?  Citizens of Humanity Petite fit jeans are great, or you could do as Rachel Bilson does, and pick up a pair of Siwy Hannah Crop jeans which actually fit her like a normal length pair of skinny jeans would!  Another brand to try is Paige Premium Denim, no matter what body type you have, they have several different cuts designed by a former fit model.  They are a must try.  I particularly love the Paige Laurel Canyon bootcut which fits almost any body type well.

Not sure what jeans will work on you?  Hit up a store like Saks or Nordstrom that has a wide selection of jeans and try on all the popular jeans and learn what size and cut looks best on you.  Even if you don’t buy them there, you can often find them on the HonestMall or eBay cheaper!  It doesn’t have to be expensive to be fabulous!

Try on styles that you don’t think will work on you – you may be surprised.  I never thought skinnies or high rises would work on me until I tried them.  The higher rises really are slimming and don’t have to look like “mom” jeans.  And skinnies can work on just about anyone, with the right top.  If you are not skinny everywhere, pair your skinnies with a loose flowy top to hide any tummy but flatter your legs.  Not sure if you can pull off the latest trend in denim?  Try pairing them with a simple black or white tank or t-shirt and your look will be classic instead of trendy.  Besides, most of us want jeans that we can wear for more than one season.

When you try on jeans, take note of the fabric content.  If they have any spandex or elastane, they will stretch out a bit after wearing them for a few hours.  Diesel jeans are especially known for this and I’ve returned a pair or two that I unintentionally bought too big.  Don’t buy denim before you sit down, stand up and walk around. Make sure that they don’t feel too tight on your legs or don’t give you muffin top after you move around a bit.

Be sure to bring your best gay boyfriend or bitchiest girlfriend to tell you if you really look fat or not – don’t bring the friend that will say everything looks great on you.  You need honesty!  And for the guys, bring your wife or girlfriend, she’ll tell you the truth!  Also, its not a bad idea to take a bag along with some of your favorite shoes to try on with your jeans to see where the length of them hits on your favorite heels!

Once you’ve found your perfect jeans, if needed, hem them! PLEASE!  Nothing looks worse than jeans being walked on.  Most of the time your local dry cleaner can take your jeans up for about $10.  And if you buy them at Saks or Nordstrom, they usually do alterations on site.  And if you are like me, you can have your best friend who is a pro at doing original hems on the sewing machine do it.  (You rock Jessie, thanks!)

Now get out there are shop!  It’s good for the economy!

Also check out our guide to the top 10 stores to shop for designer denim

image via nytimes.com