Denim Review: Henry & Belle Super Skinny Ankle Jeans in Cornflower

My denim review this week is on a brand of jeans that I hadn’t tried before, but had always wanted to, Henry & Belle. I got their Super Skinny Ankle jeans in Cornflower as my first pair of jeans from the brand and I’m happy to review them for you. The jeans did come with the Right Amount Of Give label attached to them (which you can find out more about here) and I think it’s a great cause.

Starting with the fit of these jeans, I would say they are so much like spandex. They are incredibly stretchy, you can actually pull at the denim and watch it stretch out inches when they are not worn, that’s how elasticated the fabric is. This does make them very comfortable and easy to wear as you can move freely in them with no problems, much like leggings. I love the rise height, the super skinny fit all over, the back pocket shape and detail is also really nice, the inseam is a great length too, but my slight downfall with the fit is down to how it’s cut with the fabric.

I suppose it’s quite hard for me to explain in text, but when I looked in the mirror I felt like these made my legs appear bigger than they are and when I also look at these photos I feel like they make my legs larger as well. It’s in the hip, crotch and upper thigh area as I feel like the denim just stretches over my body rather than contouring to its shape. I much prefer it when my jeans are cut so you can see the outer seams clearly and have lower front pockets (these have illusion pockets only) as it gives more shape and a sleeker appearance to the area. It’s very difficult for me to explain, but I am hoping you jeans lovers will understand what I am on about. I’m confident that it’s down to the super elasticated denim and the minimal design. This is one of my personal issues though, so I am not sure how they might fit and feel on other body shapes and sizes. I’m sure it wont be an issue to the smaller ladies, but for the curvier girls I think you might get the same effect.

Another thing I found was due to the complete stretchiness, they don’t enhance your figure at all. I know some jeans hold you in and make your butt perky and other different things, but these sit around your body rather than uplift it. So I did find that they made my butt a little flat, even though the pocket placement and size/shape is really flattering, I did feel like the super stretch flattened it a bit. It would help if I had a more firm butt ha ha, but unfortunately I don’t. This review does sound like I am criticizing every aspect of the jeans, but honestly that’s not my intention. I do think they are so comfortable, soft, easy to wear and flattering in some places, but I just have those personal issues with the lap area and the general spandex style fabric. I think when denim is this stretchy and thin, it never sits as well as it would if it was regular denim.

Now as for the Cornflower wash, I think it’s so beautiful! When I first saw it I really thought that it was such an intense bright blue! I have been on the look out for a shade like this for some time and these have filled that void in terms of colour. My photos are pretty accurate for the colour (on my screen anyway) and they are a lot like the blue of a Cornflower, although maybe a bit more vibrant. It really is a very pretty shade and it’s actually what I love most about these jeans. They definitely become the focal point of an outfit, so you are free to keep it neutral everywhere else and still have a bright look.

Since I hadn’t tried Henry & Belle before, I opted for my regular size of 27 to be on the safe side and they fit me true to size in comparison to most of my other jeans. I have given measurements below, but do be aware that since these are so stretchy, the measurements are a lot smaller than my regular measurements. So definitely don’t be alarmed by that and take a size bigger, they stretch out a tonne. Also, another thing that I love about the brand is the back story. The story about Henry and Belle is really beautiful and one you should definitely read online. Buy these online at Henry & Belle for $145.

Measurements:
Waist aligned – 13″
Rise – 8″
Hips -16″
Mid thigh – 7.25″
Inseam – 29.5″
Leg opening – 4.75″

Jeans courtesy of Henry & Belle.