Designer Jeans reviews

Denim Review: Kasil Benatar Skinny Jeans in Hitchhiker

05.24.2012 Posted in Designer Jeans reviews by Lorna, Editor

This weeks denim review is on the Kasil Benatar skinny jeans in Hitchhiker which were sent for reviewing by Kasil. I originally saw these jeans on the gorgeous Amanda Seyfried (here) and fell in love with them from the first sight! The wash was what really caught my attention and I was so excited to be able to try them and review them for you all.

When I first got these jeans, my initial thoughts were ‘wow, I’m actually going to be reviewing a ‘blue wash’ instead’ because usually, even though I love the current trends and colours, I am mostly reviewing fashion jeans and on trend jeans and I do begin to miss wearing my classic blues with a pretty wash.

This Hitchhiker wash is actually quite different to Amanda Seyfried’s, I believe she’s worn and washed hers a bit as hers don’t have the sandy undertone and are a more lighter blue. If that is what these will turn out like after a while, I can’t wait to wear them more. What I love about it the most is the deep set wrinkling it has on the backs of the knees (the honeycombs) and down the calves (the stacking) which can sort of compare to a very very worn in and washed out pair of raw jeans. That is the feeling I get when I look at these jeans, especially when they are laid flat, they are just beautiful! The lap whiskers are also very well done because when you sit down, it looks like they crease in the same places that the fabric does when you sit down.

They definitely have a dirty undertone to them, like they have been rolled around in the sand and mud quite a bit and washed out, but some staining was left. They also have a hole at one of the knees, it’s only a small one, but I can imagine that it will get bigger over time, only adding to the look of the jeans. They also have a bit of a blow out hole on one of the back pockets, a bit like if you keep your wallet in there and it wore the fabric down with the corner of it. That’s why these really remind me of raw jeans and I’m sure the name ‘Hitchhiker’ is representative of that. Someone who travels around with no plan and the jeans get really worn in and dirty.

Sometimes I find it really cool how washes can tell a story. I myself always end up picturing how these jeans could have naturally ended up the way they are and the story behind it. It fascinates me. I never really realise how much of a denim addict I am until it comes to getting my hands on amazingly done washes and I can really appreciate them and the denim.

Now the fit of these jeans, the Benatar, is the same as a pair of Kasil jeans I reviewed before, it’s a lower-mid rise skinny jean with quite a long inseam. I did have to tuck the hems under a bit actually to fit into my shoes because they are too long for me. Amanda Seyfried cuffed hers and I was actually thinking of trying that, but such a large cuff often makes my legs look shorter than they are. Next time I might try pushing the stacking down quite a lot or bunch tucking them. The back pocket placement on the Benatar is really good too, it’s symmetrical and you can tell they paid close attention to the positioning because they flatter your butt nicely.

It was nice reviewing a pair of jeans again actually, instead of jeggings. Don’t get me wrong, I adore jeggings and live in them for comfort, but it’s a nice change. It takes some while getting used to regular denim after being in super stretch for long periods of time. These are still comfortable though, they fit quite snug (I took a 27 which is my usual size) and they do give a small amount of muffin top, but since they are brand new they haven’t even stretched out yet. They have stretch to them and are not super thick either, they are a regular weight denim and they feel quite nice too. I’m so glad I was able to try these because I have fallen for them based on the wash alone. I’m definitely a sucker for an amazingly detailed wash! Buy these online at Couture Candy for $172.

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Brand: Kasil Jeans

Denim Review: Paige Denim Verdugo Ultra Skinny in Tumble

05.15.2012 Posted in Designer Jeans reviews by Lorna, Editor

UPDATE – I know I wrote this denim review at the end of January, quite some time ago, but I wanted to update you guys on these jeans. I’ve worn them a few times now and they have stretched out a bit, but not loads so that they are saggy and not really wearable. They have kept their shape quite well and are still comfortable.

I find that the tie dye wash is much easier to wear than I thought. It was quite daunting at first as it’s so bright, but if you pair them with black or white, it’s fine. I actually prefer the second outfit above, to how I wore them the first time below, I think it’s more versatile and edgier. It shows the jeans off better, so I definitely think pairing them with black works best for me.

Have any of you braved the bold pattern and bought these jeans? I would be interested to know how you are all wearing them! I love the outfits that Minka Kelly, Olivia Palermo and Heidi Klum put together for them. Especially Olivia’s, it was very pretty! Let me know if you have any questions about these jeans actually, I am more than willing to answer them. You can of course read the original review just below.

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This weeks review is on a pair of Paige jeans that I picked up at the press day in London late last year. They are the Paige Verdugo Ultra Skinny jeggings in Tumble wash. They have just been released last week on Paige’s website, so they are available to buy now. This particular wash is featured a lot in Paige’s campaign style photos and I understand why, they are such a statement pair!

The Verdugo cut, like I have mentioned before, is a fantastic jegging. It’s really flattering, incredibly skinny and so comfortable! It’s everything a jegging should be! These are slightly different to the normal Verdugo’s though, they are thicker and they feel more clingy, although I think the tighter clingy feeling is purely because of the thicker denim. These are definitely a lot more sturdy than the normal Verdugo jeggings!

The Tumble wash is really different, every pair is unique, so no two pairs will be the same due to the tie dye process they use. I think that’s really cool and it makes the jeans that little bit more special! My pair has a lot more red in it, which is what I prefer because I love red in denim. I never really thought the pairing of red, orange and then purple would go together. Purple and orange have always felt like contrasting colours to me, but it somehow works really well!

One issue I found with these jeans was clothing to pair with them, I went down the neutral route because the jeans are so bold and bright, I didn’t want too much of an overpowering outfit and other colours might make the outfit ‘too much’ so definitely keep everything else neutral. It really makes the jeans stand out and look amazing, but it does limit your other clothing options. Sometimes I don’t mind that though, if you have a statement piece, you just have to work with it rather than try to style it too much.

Another point is that I feel like these give the illusion that my legs are bigger than they are from the front, when I am walking or moving it’s fine, but stood still, because of the 2 bigger red patches on the front of the thighs, it does create an illusion that my thighs are larger than they usually are. That’s just my opinion, I’m not sure how you readers feel about them? Do you think the print here makes my legs bigger? From the other photos I have seen of these jeans on models and online, that isn’t the case as the other pairs I’ve seen don’t have the big tie dye patches on the front of the thighs. Since every pair is unique, it’s hard to say what illusion each pair will create, that’s something I find really intriguing though, the differences in each jean.

I haven’t worn these out yet, I have around my home, but not out properly. I absolutely love how fun they are, but they are quite bold. I personally feel like I need to be in a brave mood to make these work. They are definitely going to be eye catchers! I did take my usual size 27 in these and they fit perfectly too, so they are true to size for the Paige Verdugo jeggings. I’m really interested to know your opinion on these though! What do you think of them? I would love to see them on some celebs! Buy these jeans online at PaigeUSA.com for $199.

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Brand: Paige Premium Jeans

Denim Review: G-Star 5620 Super Skinny 7/8 Comfort Piedra Denim in Aged

05.10.2012 Posted in Designer Jeans reviews by Lorna, Editor

This weeks review is on the G-Star 5620 Super Skinny 7/8 Comfort Piedra Denim jeans in Aged. If you remember my G-Star Spring/Summer 2012 picks post that I did a little while ago, you will remember that these were my favourite pair from the selection. I was very happy when G-Star said they would send them over to review!

It’s actually been a while since I reviewed anything from the brand, I think the last pair I did was the Fender in a coated black. So it’s a nice change to try the brand out again. One thing I will say about G-Star is that they always get their fits so right! I find their jeans are literally tailored to perfection, but in a different way to most. They seem to use thicker denim, so their jeans are definitely more structured, but at the same time they have the fit down to an art form, so combining the fit with the thicker denim really makes them amazingly fitted. It’s nice to wear a pair of jeans that fill so well instead of jeggings. I adore jeggings and live in them most of the time due to the comfort factor, but this particular pair, I’m so happy about wearing.

Originally what drew me to these jeans was the grey wash. I’m a big fan of grey jeans and I don’t actually own that many of them unfortunately, but I thought it was very pretty. Grey is one of those jeans washes that either looks really nice, or really bad, I find there is no in between. This pair has fading in all the right areas to make them flattering (specifically around the knees and butt) and it’s a grey that has a depth to it. It’s not just a flat looking shade. The only parts of the wash I am not fond of are the 2 lighter areas up by the hips at the front. I feel like those throw them off a little bit and make my thighs look larger than they are.

I’m pretty sure you can see from the photos that the jeans are a really good fit though. The inseam is the perfect length and since it has a ankle zipper, that’s something that has to be right otherwise the zipper bunches up and looks a bit funny. The back pocket placement is really good, they are so flattering on the butt. They fit me skinny all the way down to the ankles and they have quite a low rise which is something I prefer in my jeans as it’s more suited to my shape than higher rises are.

The only issue I found with them was that my knees were a little higher (only a bit) than the moto stitching, they fit in the moto stitched area, but you can see in the photos that it’s not quite central, but again this is something that will vary with every person. Since the inseam is the correct length on me, I probably don’t have the same thigh to calf ratio as the fit model or since these are called 7/8, they are supposed to be cropped and my legs are not long enough. I prefer them full length though!

Another thing which I was happy about with these jeans was the fact that they are not heavily branded. Usually G-Star are known for having their tags and big patches quite heavily positioned on the jeans, but these are about as minimal as you can get from the brand. I love that about them because I am really not one for over branding. As for sizing, I took a size 27 in these which is my usual size in most brands and they fit fine. The waist area is quite tight and a little stiff, but that’s nothing that some wet denim stretching wont fix.

Overall, I really really like these jeans and they would be perfect if I could make those 2 minor adjustments I spoke about. You can buy these jeans online at the G-Star website here for £109, but they don’t look like they do on their website, they look like my photos, I think their contrast is heavily done.

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Brand: G-Star Jeans

Denim Review: Earnest Sewn Harlan Crop Twill jeans in Orange

04.30.2012 Posted in Designer Jeans reviews by Lorna, Editor

This weeks review is on a brand that I haven’t tried before, Earnest Sewn. I got sent their Harlan Crop Twill jeans in Orange to review and try, so this is my first time ever wearing a pair of Earnest Sewn jeans. As far as denim brands go, it’s safe to say I have tried about 90% of them, so it was quite strange that I hadn’t taken to putting on a pair of Earnest Sewn’s actually, but I do find the brand quite hard to come by over here in the UK, so that might be why.

I took my usual size of 27 in these jeans, but since I hadn’t had anything to compare my sizing to before, I think I probably should have taken a 26. The jeans do fit me in the butt area really well, but the waist is a tiny bit loose and I’m sure you can see they are quite loose and baggy in the legs too, especially from mid thigh down. I do think though, this is because of the cut. I do have an issue with having baggy legs in jeans because I do have smaller than average legs, even though the rest of me is in proportion, so it causes an issue sometimes and that’s why I usually stick to jeggings or super skinny ankle peg jeans as they are cut skinny the whole way down.

Also, since my legs are quite short, well compared to models anyway, they fit me like skinny jeans more than they do cropped jeans (even though the inseam states 28 inches). They hit at my ankles which is where I like to wear most of my full length jeans. I’m thinking these would fit me a lot nicer if they were cuffed, so next time I wear them I am going to cuff them a couple of times and that should sort out some of the bagginess. The rise on these is a good height too, it’s the perfect height for me, but as you can see it is a low rise of around 7 inches.

Three things I love about these jeans though is the wash, the back pocket positioning and shape and also the material. The Orange wash of these jeans is so nice! It’s not an intense orange, I would say it’s more of a dusty one. It’s definitely bright and strong, but it has a dustiness to it which mutes the shade just enough to be really wearable. It’s a really nice colour that stands out and makes a statement in an outfit in my opinion.

The back pockets, as you can see, are really flattering. They are positioned pretty much perfectly and the pocket shape is slightly tilted so they make the butt look rounded and nice. I really like the jeans for the back pockets alone! The fabric is a mix of cotton and elastane, but it’s a thinner denim and it’s very soft and comfortable. I could definitely wear these for a long period of time without feeling uncomfortable, plus they are very breathable so they will make great summer jeans! I also like the fact they have a black print as the waistband patch instead of an actual patch, I think that’s a nice touch!

If I could change one thing about these jeans, the only thing it would be is to make them skinnier all the way down so that they fit more like a jegging, but that’s just my personal preference. I’m pretty sure they would fit most of you really skinny as they do on the model on the Earnest Sewn website. It’s just an issue that crops up a lot with me, and those with smaller legs. Everything else about them is really nice, I can’t say I have any other issue with them. How many of you have tried Earnest Sewn? Do you like them? Buy these jeans online at EarnestSewn.com for $188.

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Brand: Earnest Sewn

Denim Review: Hudson Nico in Cherry

04.20.2012 Posted in Designer Jeans reviews by Lorna, Editor

This weeks review is on a pair of Hudson Jeans Nico second skin skinnies in Cherry. I got sent these by the brand for reviewing which I am very grateful for, but I can’t say I like them as much as my other Nico’s that I have.

The Nico fit is one of their classic super skinny jeggings with a medium to a higher rise and flat back pockets. These don’t feature their signature pointed v flap on the back. I already went into detail before about the Hudson Nico (which you can read in this review here) so I wont repeat myself and bore you with that if you are a regular reader. In comparison to the Nico in Chelsea though, these do fit differently. The material is a blend of cotton and something called PES. I’m not exactly 100% sure what PES is, but it’s quite scratchy and stiff. I guess you could say it makes the denim feel thinner but stiffer at the same time and the inside of the denim, when it’s against your legs, feels quite rough actually. I find this material doesn’t make the Nico fit as nicely as it does in regular denim, it’s not as slim and fitted or as smooth, in my opinion.

The Cherry wash though is so pretty! It’s actually quite similar to my Joe’s Jeans in Geranium, but it’s got a more dusty and faded appearance, so it’s not as intense. It’s definitely a nice colour. I myself would have named it something like Watermelon or Strawberry though as it’s not as red or dark as cherries, so that might be a little confusing. The Watermelon colour that Hudson have is actually more like a pink colour, I guess that’s accurate as well for the shade. But this Cherry wash does literally go with anything, it’s not too bright and strong due to the faded dustiness that it has, so it doesn’t make you feel too conscious if you are afraid of colour, but at the same time it really brightens up your outfit.

Overall, I can definitely say these are not my favourite Nico’s due to the fabric content. My favourites are my Chelsea wash and then followed by the Scarlet Coated Red, so these would definitely not take the top spot unfortunately. I think though, if they made these in their normal classic denim, without the PES, they would be perfect! I would love to own all of the colours then! Hudson have 6 available and they all vary. There is Cherry, Watermelon, Tangerine, Lemon, Berry (mint green) and Lavender. I think the Lavender and Lemon are beautiful colours! Since I do have sensitive skin though, I think a lot of you probably wouldn’t notice the fabric content, but for those of you who itch with polyester etc, I think you might notice the PES like I do. Other than all of that, they are very pretty, I’m just a little sad about the cotton blend because they could have been perfect for me! Buy these jeans online at HudsonJeans.com for $154.

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Brand: Hudson jeans

Styling Session With Luisaviaroma

04.11.2012 Posted in Designer Jeans reviews by Lorna, Editor

Back in January, I was invited to the Luisaviroma bloggers event ‘Firenze4Eva’ in Florence, Italy. Since it was all the way in Italy though, I was unable to attend unfortunately, but we decided to do the style lab a little differently this time! Usually at the Firenze4Eva events, bloggers get to choose some outfits from the new collections and either style them on themselves or on a model which Luisaviaroma provide. For this one, we decided that I would choose an outfit online from their website and they would mail the clothes to me, then I would put the outfit together and shoot the photos that way, then send them back. I think it worked quite well!

I chose a pair of Dsquared Super Slim washed jeans, which I paired with an American Retro cropped sleeve Crepe shirt in Fuchsia and a pair of Yves Saint Laurent 140mm Palais Suede Peep Toe Pumps in Marine.

Obviously it wasn’t mandatory to choose jeans, but being part of DenimBlog, it only makes sense to! This was actually my first time trying Dsquared jeans and they fit really nicely, I love all the little details on them, especially the ankle zips and the imitation double back pockets and obviously the wash. They are really pretty jeans! The American Retro shirt is also something that I wouldn’t usually choose, but I was very much attracted to it! The size Small ended up being really large, so I had to use my own belt to hold it in at the waist, which gave a better silhouette.

Now, the YSL shoes! I had never tried them before, but I definitely always wanted to! They were a lot more comfortable and pretty in person than I expected. Plus, the Marine colour is such a beautiful shade! I loved it! I only wore them to stand for these photos as I took my own flats to the location, but they definitely felt comfortable, which makes a change from the usual painful Christian Louboutin heels that I have worn in the past.

So this is the outfit that I chose and put together for the Luisaviaroma styling session. What do you think of it? Comment and let me know! Choosing the entire outfit online was a little tricky as I wasn’t sure how everything would fit or how it would look all together in person, but I am quite happy with the outcome. All of the products are available to buy at Luisaviaroma.com and you can click the names of the items a couple of paragraphs up to take you to the direct page to buy!