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Help me find new jeans, pretty please!

Ariadne

Veteran

OK, I just ripped a hole in the back of my cheapo straight leg jeans while getting onto my bike. These are my ONLY current basic jeans. I need to replace them ASAP and preferably for under $120 Canadian. I need:

-A straight leg or slight boot cut
-A high rise, between 9 and 10 inches
-A dark wash
-I'm in Canada, so no access to Nordstrom, but I can find most brands if I hunt around

I'm an hourglass, 5'8". I can usually wear regular length jeans. My waist size is currently between 30 and 31 inches, usually closer to 30. I have generous thighs and bottom. These are usually my tricky areas to fit with jeans. I prefer a higher back rise because of my curvy butt. The pics I posted in my other thread about the CM microchecks give a good idea of my lower body shape.

I'm working on weight loss so I do not want to spend non-sale premium prices.

Help please! I loathe shoppng for jeans.

ETA: I've written down all the recs from Antje's thread but so far I can't find any of those styles online with my size and within my price range.

Dressing

31 replies

Latest reply was from Michelle

Kari

Veteran

Brianna, I am a member of the "curvy butt club" too, and your body shape/size looks very similar to mine. I have a very low budget for jeans ($45 is the most I've ever paid for a pair, and I cannot fathom paying premium denim prices) so the jeans I list are good fits for me, but they are definitely not premium quality.

DKNY Soho bootcut: http://www1.macys.com/catalog/.....ryID=43842
Very stretchy when you put them on due to the spandex content, but they didn't stretch out. They are pretty forgiving to weight fluctuations.

Ann Taylor Lindsay straight leg: http://www.anntaylor.com/catal.....ory=Misses
One caveat - they stretch a lot, so definitely buy them small. If they feel too tight at first, they won't be that way for long. The rise is also probably too short for your taste (about 8.5".)

merry77

I tried on the DKNY Soho jeans last weekend and loved them! I did not buy them because I didn't like the color they had in my size, but I was sooo tempted even though they were faded.

I also don't have the budget for premium denim so I appreciate more affordable suggestions.

Ariadne

Veteran

Kari, I'll see if I can track down the DKNY Sohos. Thanks! I don't have access to AT, though.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

DKNY Sohos stretch out till the cows come home. Steer clear of them. Not worth $49.

I’ll be posting about PZI Jeans in the next week or so. You might like to give those a try, Brianna. ($70).

Ariadne

Veteran

Yikes, good to know. Thanks, Angie!

merry77

Thanks for the warning, Angie!

shana

Veteran

Do Gap jeans work for you Brianna? I can always find a pair of well fitting jeans there for a decent price and with all the different styles, they seem to accommodate different body shapes.

CK

Have you considered Levis? They have a lot of different styles now, and tend to have a higher rise. Macys has most of their jeans on sale now, and you can get Levis for around $35-40.

tarzy

Veteran

Brianna - I have similar jean problems.

I do wear the DKNY SOHOs - they're the best fit for me. They do tend to stretch, so I wear them two or three times and then wash them. Not optimal, but my only option until I find another brand.

The last Levis fit fabulously when I first bought them, but after the first wash they stretched out horribly. HORRIBLY. I had to get rid of them.

Shana - do you have a specific style for GAP? I always search at GAP, but they all tend to have a very low rise. The ones that have a higher rise seem to have that stupid whiskering/fading on them.

I've heard ON makes a good classic rise jean - the "Sweetheart" I think. I'm trying to get over there to try them.

Why can't anyone make a nice dark rinse, mid-rise jean - for a decent price - with no funny stuff on them?

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Tara - I bought the Gap long & lean jeans recently as a casual jean (more faded than my dark denim) and they're holding up well in terms of stretching. Long & Lean are not terms I'd ever use to describe myself, but the fit is good The rise is high, too. I also tried the Essential Jean, which had a wider leg and was voted down by the other women in the dressing room area!

Ariadne

Veteran

I had a pair of Gap jeans last year, and they wore out in less than 6 months. Not worth the $70. I tried the ON sweethearts earlier in the week and they were not a high enough rise for me at all, unfortunately.

I found a store in town that carries PZI so I will check those out, and also a few of the premium brands mentioned in Angie's thread, particularly David Kahn and Hudson. If I have to shell out the cash, I will--I don't have anything else to wear for everyday bottoms, so jeans are kind of a necessity.

shana

Veteran

Tara, I have heard women on other boards rave about Gap's essential jeans - supposedly they work better for pears or women with fuller bottoms (not so good on my flat pancake butt). I love the Long & Lean jeans (I am neither) but they have a nice snug fit in the thigh and a good, not too wide flare. I have currently have a medium rinse pair in rotation. Unfortunately, I find the rise to be a little low post-pregnancy but I try to pair them with not too snug tops so it works out O.K

Brianna, what are you doing with your jeans that they wear out so quickly???? Honestly, I have many pairs of gap jeans - some that are as old as 10 years and none have worn out!! I have also never paid $70 for them - they almost always seem to be on sale or there are always coupons floating around. I think on the average, I pay about $30 for them - I don't think I would pay more than $50 for Gap denim though...

tarzy

Veteran

I tried on the Long and Lean yesterday, and they were okay - but they had that whiskering/fading. Are you guys finding Long & Lean jeans that are dark wash?

judy

Veteran

I have a couple of suggestions:

My son's curvy girlfriend bought these David kahn's a few months ago and they fit her great!:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/30.....rchresults

Curvy Oprah and another curvy friend of mine used to swear by AG...notice the review on this one: http://www.revolveclothing.com.....c=AG+Jeans

Good luck to all looking for the perfect jean, I sympathize.

Ariadne

Veteran

Shana, I don't know! I... wore them? As for the price, American chain stores are more expensive in Canada. Something that's $50 in the US will usually be at least $70 in Canada. I think I actually paid more like $80 for my Gap straight-legs.

Ele

(website)

I can back Brianna up on this. Last summer, I bought a pair of Gap boyfriend jeans and they wore out in less than two months! I don't really know what happened- they just got big holes in the thighs and the seam split. I have slightly large thighs that rub a little bit sometimes, but these were loose, baggy jeans! Crazy.

Brianna, I wish I could help you. I used to live in Toronto for university, but bought most of my jeans at Aritzia, which is probably a bit out of your range. I will keep thinking for you, though.

merry77

Jeans wear out for all sorts of reasons. Some washes of jeans wear out faster because of the dye processing. If you have hard water or high chlorine content or numerous other water conditions, it wears jeans out faster also. I've had pairs of jeans that last for years and years and years and jeans that last only months.

Maya

Veteran

Brianna, when I started looking for jeans after sprouting curves (yes, sprouting), I was also not willing to pay premium prices. I still think the full prices that are charged for premium denim are outrageous, criminal, etc. BUT if I can get them for less, then it's totally worth it. You're in Canada so I'm not sure how easy it is to get deep discounts there, but if you do have access to a discount shop similar to TJMaxx or Marshalls, you might want to give it a try. I have 5 pairs of premium jeans and I have not paid more than $100 for any of them. They are usually in the $60-$80 range. Even that is expensive for me but I have such a hard time finding jeans that are high enough in the rise and since I wear jeans almost every day for years at a time, I figured it's more than worth it.

Ariadne

Veteran

Yep, Maya, it is much harder to get deep discounts on anything here in Canada. I plan to check out Winners though, just in case. Does premium denim get marked down at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale? I'm seriously considering a trip to Seattle for that.

Maya

Veteran

Some of them do get marked down Brianna, but for me personally it still wouldn't be enough of a sale. It might be for you though. I usually don't like the jeans that end up going on sale at Nordies though. They're often the lighter wash, distressed, or otherwise unflattering kind. I like faded/lighter jeans but I think one pair is enough for me. I'm just talking about their regular sale though. A big sale like NAS might bring some better options.

OTOH, I did find some incredible dark wash Marc Jacobs jeans for $89 once, but I couldn't justify it so I passed. I guess it's hit or miss.

Kari

Veteran

I think I may have very low standards for jeans... the DKNY's actually stretch out far less than any other jeans I've owned (and they "bounce back" between washes instead of expanding into larger and larger sizes.) I know they aren't great, but it's what I could afford at the time (nearly two years ago when unemployed.)

Wow, are premium denim jeans really marked down to $60-80 at Marshalls & TJMaxx? I may have to look more closely. Maybe in the future it might be worth it to invest in one pair at a time if the prices are really that low.

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Tara, my Gap long & lean are the medium wash - there is one darker one and one more faded. They are great for going to the playground with the kids, etc. and I hadn't noticed much whiskering?? Maybe because they are more faded.

I also have to put in a word for David Kahns for curvy figures. Yes, they are expensive. BUT. I paid nearly $200 for a pair 3 years ago and have worn them 2-3 times a week 9 months a year since then. I am not exaggerating! It's only in the past month that I've noticed that the knees are looking worn.

Think about the cost per wear on the DKs. It's worth it!

marianne

Brianna, I don't know if it's worth coming to Seattle for NAS - it is a zoo and Maya is right about denim deals. I also noticed that a lot of merchandise marked down for it is usually marked down even further about a month later. However, if you are in Seattle, check out Nordstrom Rack - I've seen a lot of jeans there, but their stock varies quite a bit. Going on a weekday morning is best.

Vani

Veteran

Brianna, I'm also considering investing in a pair of DKs. I tried them on at Nordies and they just make you fall in love with your lower half. The fit is just fabulous. The SA told me they stretch out a bit so good idea to size down. There a lot of good deals on the DKs on ebay and I've been stalking a few pairs myself.

Antje

Veteran

Hi Brianna, good to know there is a fellow denim hunter out there... and it sounds like we have some similar requirements.

Note that I used to wear DKNY Sohos, and I like the overall fit initially, BUT they stretch terribly and I do not recommend them!

Here is an update on my own denim quest and the brands I tried:

- David Kahn, original boot cut: the best for me so far. Love the fit everywhere except that I wish the front rise was just a bit higher. I have them at home right now with the tag on and will decide next week whether they are a keeper or not.

- CoH Amber: loved the fit around the butt and legs, but found the front rise a too low (muffin top issue); it's a little lower than the David Kahn's (not by much, but it makes a slight difference and makes me consider the DK, while I returned the Ambers)

- Joe Muse: the rise was okay but I didn't like the fit so much, I thought they flattened my butt

- CoH Kelly: the rise was way too low, these weren't a good candidate

- Rich and Skinny highwaist: loved the high front rise. Not sure about the overall fit; they seem to run small and 29 (which fit alright in the other brands) created a serious "stuffed sausage" effect, yikes. I might try them in 30. However, I also hated the screaming logo on the leg and am not sure I can get past that.

I have not been able to locate the CoH Elson in my size yet (looked at Nordstrom online and in-store, Shopbop and Bluefly) but will probably keep trying, and I also want to try the R&S in a bigger size.

Keep me updated on your progress; I'll definitely watch ths thread to see if there are additional recommendations for my own quest as well.

Ariadne

Veteran

I actually found a pair yesterday--it's a Canadian brand, Simon Chang, and the denim cut is called Jessica. I can't find them online and haven't seen them in stores before. They have a high back and waist rise, were $80, and are very comfy. I'll post pics of them later today or tomorrow.

Maya

Veteran

Kari, I don't want to give anyone false hope: I have never purchased jeans from TJ Maxx or Marshalls. Mine were all purchased online (ebay, smartbargains, Bluefly, and that pair of GoldSign jeans I won in that contest). I just figured those places might have something since I have bought other designer items from them before.

Brianna, let's see those pics!

I must be the only one who didn't find the R&S high waist straight jeans to run small. Actually, I think Angie found them true to size as well so maybe not. The R&S high waist SKINNY jeans were definitely small though, but I kept them anyway. I don't think I'd wear them to dinner or anything though. Oh well, jeans, bras, and shoes all have such a personal fit.

Antje

Veteran

Brianna, great news indeed, glad you found a good pair and at a great price. Pls post pics! What store did you buy them at? If I ever make it up to Vancouver this spring/summer I'd definitely look for them.

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Antje, based on your assessment of various jean brands I am feeling that we are really similar in our fit requirements. If you don't love the DKs, you should keep searching for the COH Elsons - that is the only other fit I also like (although the DKs are more flattering to me on the whole, I think). The Elsons are allegedly a straight leg, but to me they are pretty much a skinny. Keep us posted!

Brianna, glad you found a pair to fit all of your requirements, that is never easy for anyone -- please post a photo!

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