Women's Jeans
Jeans  are a fickle master. Somewhere between James Dean, Marlon Brando, Brooke Shields, and Kate Moss almost all women have picked up a pair of jeans for comfort and style. In fact, there's a veritable denim boom in our midst, with designer jeans costing you hundreds of dollars. Some years you're "supposed" to wear high waists (those years were in the mid-1980s), some years you're supposed to soak in a bathtub to get them super tight (also the '80's), some years they should come to clam-digger length, right below the knees (1950's and today), and some days they're supposed to be low waisted and baggy (1990's). Today skinny jeans are very popular in both classic colors and bright colors. In response to the restrictions of skinny jeans, many companies, such as Old Navy, have made a looser, more comfortable pair of jeans referred to as boyfriend jeans. How do you know which trends to follow? Look outside, look in the media, and look in the mirror. Regardless of trends, if your jeans don't fit, you'll look bad. And if they fit and follow a style, they might still look dumb. That's why it's important to decide what you want to wear for yourself. But, luckily, many jeans styles are timeless, many are flattering, and the industry is opening up more and more options for ladies to look good in their denim.
What's all this high style going to cost you? Find a good sale at Target or Old Navy and you could score a pair of jeans for $9.99 or less. Designer denim--think Seven for all Mankind or Acne --could run around $200. Embellished denim (with beads, sequins or diamonds) can cost around $600. A vintage pair of denim can go for $1,000. So it seems the sky's the limit for this fashion staple.
Have no fear, denim novices, here is a guide to your basic terms and styles. Check out the instructions, the pictures, and then your fine fine silhouette in the mirror.
What Size Should You Get?
The most important part of wearing jeans is making sure they fit. As with all clothing, size varies greatly from designer to designer. If the size you think you are doesn't fit in a certain brand, try on another size because it's much more important to have your pants fit you than to have the tag say some arbitrary number. No one can see the size tag.
Jeans should fit snugly from the inseam to the waist, without any extra fabric in the area, keeping you looking trim and streamlined. The current trend is towards jeans with a trace of spandex in them, giving you just enough flexibility and hugging your form just a bit more. According to indigofan, 100% cotton jeans will shrink approximately 2-3cm after the first washing. It's also a good idea to simply ask for help when looking for the right size -- Many sales associates are required to be knowledgeable about which brands come smaller than others and which types of denim shrink or expand over time. Never shorten or alter your jeans before they have been washed at least one time.
Women of all shapes have trouble finding jeans that flatter them. If you find a brand or two that works on you, buying several pairs is often a time saver (just remember that the shelf life of the über-trendy jeans is fairly short). For those on a limited clothing budget, classic, flattering styles are most practical.
What Fits Your Body Type?- Slim -- Flares, low rises, tight waists and backs will give you more shape and also show off your lean silhouette.
- Curvy -- Flares and bootlegs show off your curves.
- Athletic -- Low rises and contoured waists, skinny legs make your hips wider and flared legs make you look curvier.
- Full Figure -- Dark washes, bootcuts, and 2% stretch denim will slim, curve, and accentuate your assets. Avoid heavy back-pocket embelishments if you have a larger behind.
- Short -- Get your jeans hemmed rather than resorting to rolling or cuffing which will just make you look shorter. Dark washes will elongate your legs. Also, cropped jeans have the tendency to make your legs look even shorter so think about purchasing one in a dark wash if you must.
- Long -- Find a brand that works and stick with it.
Bad Ideas- Elastic waist jeans, especially on larger women.
- Ditto for pleated jeans.
- And light washes.
- Pants so tight your fat bunches up above them--known as the "muffin top" phenomenon.
- Neglecting your undergarments. Invest in a low-rise thong if you intend to wear tight low-rise jeans.
- Big, washed out spots where pockets should be that make your rear look giant.
- Pockets that are incongruous with your proportions.
- Overwhelming embellishments.
- Distressing draws attention so make sure there isn't too much of it on your problem areas.
Components of Style
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Straight Leg
A bit looser, especially around the ankles, than the skinny leg, straight legs are favored by those who want more comfort and room to move around in their jeans. |
Wide Leg Making a strong comeback this season, the wide leg looks great with a tighter top and wedges. |
Skinny Leg Skinny leg jeans have been all the rage and is still going strong this season. Ideal for those with a slimmer silhouette, it goes great with anything from a simple tank to flowy tops such as babydolls. |
Flared A bit wider at the bottom than boot cut jeans, flared jeans are great for accentuating curves. It looks better when complemented with a tighter top as opposed to a flowy one like the skinny. |
Boot Cut You can't go wrong with a pair of boot cut jeans -- it's infamous for flattering all body types. |
Hot Designers
According to The Style Group these are the top jean designers right now:
Classic Designers
Caring for your jeans
After you've plunked down good money for a well-fitting and fashionable pair of jeans, you'll want to make sure they last. Here are a few ideas for denim care: - Cold wash will keep the color darker, longer. Cold will also prevent shrinkage.
- Warm water will shrink jeans, but may get our tough stains. BEWARE: don't wash jeans with whites unless you want to turn all your clothes blue!
- Air dry jeans for the least shrinkage and the least fading.
- Use a warm iron to get out wrinkles.
- The Laundress recommends the following:
- Turn jeans inside out, to preserve the dark color.
- To keep white denim looking brand new wash in warm or hot water. Pre-treat stains and re-wash if stains are still visible before the drying cycle.
- Wash and dry your denim before hemming or altering.
- Consider dry cleaning very expensive jeans. The process will remove dirt but won't effect the wash as much as a machine.
External Links- About.com -- All about jeans, including a denim glossary.
- About.com -- A guide to jeans, including many terms explained above.
- David Toc -- An index of almost all of Calvin Klein's jeans advertisements. Erotic and controversial.
- eBay Australia -- How to buy jeans for your body type.
- Fast Forward Mag -- A funny and realistic account of one woman's attempt to find flattering, classic, reasonable jeans in a world of trendiness.
- Funny Hub -- "Mom Jeans" was one of the best Saturday Night Live commercials of 2003.
- Indigofan -- A great spot for high-end jeans. This is a location for denim afficianados and jean collectors.
- Jeans Information -- A Thai company tells you the pros and cons of buying jeans online.
- Jordache Corporate -- Their ad campaigns are significantly less erotic than Calvin Klein's.
- Pai-Nai -- Designer jeans information and updates.
- Slate -- Decoding the psychology of designer denim.
- Slate -- Why the $300 jeans market is about to crash.
- Wikipedia -- About jeans.
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