Denim Review: J Brand 901 Low Rise Velvet Jeans in Lava

This weeks review is on the J Brand 901 Low Rise Legging Jeans in Lava Velvet. I’m actually having a hard time trying to find these online, all I can find is the 801 version which has a slightly higher rise, so those are the ones I have linked up to buy at the bottom of this review. This is my first time trying velvet jeans/pants, even though I have been in love with the fabric for some time now. I like venturing outside of denim sometimes as it’s always nice to review something a little different!

The 901 fit from J Brand is actually my favourite fit they have as it happens. I own it in a couple of washes and it’s the style that suits my body shape the most compared to everything else they offer. The lower rise and the lower positioned pockets is what tips it for me when it comes to the fit. I like the inseam length, the positioning of the pockets as well as the overall slimness. They are very well fitted usually.

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The only difference between the velvet version of the 901 and the denim styles is the obviously the fabric. With the velvet they are a little more loose in the knee and ankle area, they are not as stretchy and shape retaining as the power stretch denim, yet they are incredibly soft on the skin and comfortable. This is what I expected though because when I think of velvet in general, I never think of something super skinny and clingy, but I do think softness. I also took my regular size of 27 and they fit just fine, so I would say they run true to size for the J Brand 901 cut.

Taking these photos was really difficult actually, purely because this type of velvet is very light absorbent instead of light reflective. It seems different to the usual shiny velvets that you see as it really does absorb the light into the fabric so it doesn’t give off that shine that it usually does as a fabric. This is what made the colour quite hard to capture in the photos so I had to do a lot of colour enhancing and changing to make it as accurate to the jeans as possible and I think I succeeded. When I look at the photos and the pants in person, they seem quite similar.

The colour of these is what makes me love them though. I am a huge fan of burgundy jeans in general, they are my favourite, but in this velvet option the shade is incredible! I honestly can’t explain how beautiful it is, but imagining a beautiful deep and rich burgundy wash in a pair of jeans and times it by 10 because the velvet makes it so deep and intense, it’s almost like an actual ‘juicy’ colour where it reminds me of a drink or something tasty. That’s the only way I can think of describing it.

Now the pros and cons of velvet… It’s so pretty because it’s deep and has a 3D feel to it due to the fabric composition. It makes the colours stand out and vibrant. It’s quite warm as fabric goes and it’s very season appropriate, however it’s also the biggest hair magnet I have ever experienced in my life, much worse than 100 black jeans in twill combined. Hair actually comes from the air to magnetize itself to them, that’s how bad it is. It’s not as shape retaining as denim as it gets a little bit baggy in places and it’s actually quite hard to pair things with in your wardrobe because it’s not a very versatile fabric.

I’m sort of stuck in the middle with these ones. Usually I love J Brand, especially the 901 cut and I adore burgundy, but with the amount of cons it actually puts me on the fence. As much as I absolutely love them with the way they fit and the beautiful colour, if you own pets then they are pretty much going to be impossible to wear without looking like you are furry friend yourself. They do also make your outfits limited as you can run the risk of looking like you stepped straight out of the 70′s.

It is a little unfair for me to say that it’s these jeans that are the hair magnet though, as it’s not, that’s purely down to the velvet fabric itself. Anything made from velvet will do exactly the same, so I would just say take this into account and if you love them, I would say they are worth it, just keep a lint roller or parcel/packing tape handy as you will need it to remove the hairs often. I’m also storing mine turned inside out and put into a plastic bag for safe keeping. Have you tried them? They are so beautiful, but definitely a pair that requires maintenance, they are not easy wearing. You can buy the 801 version online at JBrandJeans.com for $194.

Jeans courtesy of J Brand.