Starting to evaluate for 2018: Jeans first

Staysfit

Early this morning, the sudden urge to sort through my jeans overtook me and I found myself in the walk-in closet trying on every single pair! Does anyone else do this, or is it only me?! (It was 5 am so I was doing my best not to allow hangars to rattle and clang.). In any case, I discovered that I am no longer happy with low rise jeans. My skeletal frame is built with a high rise, so mid rise jeans effectively become low rise jeans when I wear them. Likewise, high rise jeans, which seem to have 9-10 inch rises, effectively become mid rise. I quickly pulled the remaining “mid rise” jeans from my closet to give away, keeping only two. One is a perfectly fitting, grey colored, pair of mid rise, coated, Joes skinny jeans, which bookends my hair. The other are straight leg, mid rise jeans, which I plan to replace with a pair that has a higher rise. I have discovered my first specific shopping item for 2018 - High rise straight leg jeans in an even, medium to medium dark indigo wash, without any rips, fringe, embroidery, or frills.

New and old: I have retired several pair of jeans this year, and purchased a few also. I retired all but one pair of my bootleg crop jeans. This is not my best look and I expect to retire the remaining pair next summer. I wore through a few pair of my favorite JCrew jeans, but replaced only one. The Frame denim crop split hem Jean from NAS was my best denim purchase. Something about them felt fresh, wonderful, happy and right! They were an unexpected surprise. My best guess is that the split up the front helps make my proportionally short legs look longer. They draw the eye up and down vertically.

After my morning closet frenzy, I realized that before moving forward, I need to look back. I started to hunt through my old posts. I knew I had one about jeans. Last years post should be here:
https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....-and-pants If you take the time to read, it is clear that I have been working on two things with my jeans: 1. Increasing variety. 2. Decreasing overall numbers. I think I have had some moderate success in this area. After I pulled the remaining mid-rise jeans for my giveaway bin, my total number of jeans is 30. The total number has gone down from 34 to 30 in a year. I started with 40, maybe more than that because 40 is from three years ago.

Thirty still seems like a large number of jeans, even knowing that I split my jeans into two seasonal capsules, with 15 pairs in each. I certainly don’t wear all of my jeans in a month. My winter capsule has the fewest options for variety. I wear jeans with boots because of the weather, and long skinny jeans work best for this purpose, so I have lots of them. The thought of sitting with wet denim after wide legs have dragged through slush and snow doesn’t sound appealing. Any thoughts about adding variety besides color, and texture/seaming would be appreciated.

I need to do more thinking about the numbers. I still want to reduce. I don’t have a formal target number in mind right now, but I know the number of jeans is still too high. I will continue to prune it slowly in 2018 as my current capsule wears out. I have replaced pairs only if the shade of the wash was necessary for me to make certain outfits. I also purchase to add variety. Otherwise, I let the numbers dwindle.

What do you think? What is your process for evaluating needs in 2018?

Nordstrom

FRAME Le Nouveau Split Hem Jeans

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6 years ago

General

12 replies

Latest reply was from gradfashionista

Anonymous

too early for me to even think about

but agree that if the low rise are not working best to donate

6 years ago

Bijou

Veteran

Reducing your jeans capsule by 10 pairs is a great achievement. I agree that if low rise jeans are not working for you, it is a good idea to let them go. I like how methodical you are in cleaning out your closet, just looking at one type of garment, rather than tackling the entire wardrobe keeps it manageable and not an overwhelming task.

In relation to finding new and fresh denim, UmLilla posted a great pair of jeans in this post:
https://youlookfab.com/welookf.....-jeans-wiw
The whole outfit is totally gorgeous, and one that I could see working for you too.

I hope you have a great 2018!

6 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is a terrific insight (about rise) and you might as well strike while the iron is hot -- now is a period of higher rises! I'm not telling you to "stock up" exactly, since that's precisely what you are trying to avoid -- but judicious replacement sounds sensible.

My own discovery about rises isn't much of a discovery. Low is too low on me -- though short and short-legged, I have a proportionately long rise, so a low rise both looks and feels "off." But high is generally not good either -- maybe because I'm short waisted. Medium (somewhere between 8 and 9 inches) tends to work best for both comfort and looks. I won't say "never" re a higher rise -- I'm sure the jean exists that will work well with that kind of rise (after all, after years of searching I found a low rise style that not only "worked" but became a favourite on me). But a high rise will never be (for me) a slam dunk.

Current tops are cut for higher rises, so that creates a slight problem. (For me, not you!) Anyway, I do have some higher rise bottoms that seem to work or that I can tolerate better; a higher rise trouser (vs. jean) is just fine! Especially if it's a side zip.

That brings me to your question about adding variety. I know exactly where you are coming from with the skinnies issue. There really isn't a lot of choice here for several months per year, if jeans are on the menu. And jeans, or at least pants, are often on the menu because even if one can find the right layers and boots etc to manage the cold with a dress or skirt, it can feel too fussy. Bootleg crops offered a tweak -- but I hear you on those also -- they are not my best look either and I think I'm going to purge my remaining pairs...it must have something to do with proportions? As ours are similar despite very different heights.

My suggestion was going to be -- how about non-jean, non-denim skinnies? Corduroy jeans are the obvious option (keeping the jeans features but changing fabrication). But slim trousers will also work and can be tucked. They don't always give as smooth a line but many of the ponte ones do and are more structured than leggings. You would need versions that come in long, of course.

Culottes (with long underwear!) and tall boots are another option I experimented with during snowy season last winter. I prefer non-denim for this as they drape better and are also warmer. (I had a wool blend pair).

Club Monaco

Alessia Corduroy Pant

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Kit & Ace

Go To Trouser 2.0

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Banana Republic

Sloan Skinny-Fit Tartan Plaid Side-Zip Pant

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J.Crew

Pleated cropped wide-leg pant in glen plaid

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Banana Republic

Sloan-Fit Slim Ankle-Zip Pant

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6 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I have done the "trying on all of my jeans" at one time thing too. It is very helpful to do this once in a while.

Right now, I think I have about six or seven pair of denim jeans that I really wear on a a regular basis. The others (probably another six pair) are either for working outside or a couple of dark skinny styles for "going out" casual. I also have tan and white twill jeans that fit into the jeans category. It seems like the right amount for my needs at this point so I'm striving for a one in one out approach moving forward.

I also have a few other pant styles - the deep olive embroidered cargos, some black ponte knit, navy linen - so plenty of pants for my mostly warm to hot climate. This year we are having a true winter but it's not always this way and who knows what Jan/Feb will be like.

My *main* goal for the upcoming spring/summer season is for new shorts. I really want at least three pair of nicer shorts. This is much harder than I wish it was! I don't want fabric that is too thin that it wrinkles with the first sitting. I'd like to find a shorts version of my tan twill jeans but those were so hard to find (and only one size available) that I doubt that's an option. Many shorts have leg openings that are a little too wide for me at the thigh.

I've also discovered (or have changed preference) for my rise and three of my everyday shorts are just too low rise for me. Currently I have a wardrobe hole for tan shorts - I have white, olive and plenty of denim. I've tried other colors but never have loved colored shorts for myself.

6 years ago

Anonymous

Although I cannot say I've jumped out of bed at 5am and started trying on jeans *laughs* , I can relate to much of what you've said here. I have too many pair of jeans as well, and would like to get some control over my collection. Right now I wear exactly 3 pair out of how ever many there are in my drawers (now I want to count, out of curiosity). I too posted about looking for suggestions on updating denim ....and there were a variety of answers. Angie's was probably the "right" one: waiting for a few months to see what newness there is in stores (this not being the right time of year to find new ). I still like a cropped flare, although I'm not wearing them right now (mine are all in lighter weight and lighter washed denim) so I'm hanging on to mine . I like Bijou's suggestion of those VB denims that Ummlila posted - I'd like to find a tuxedo stripe pair too . Another look I'm going to investigate is a looser fit - almost like a straight-leg/boyfriend cut - in a dark wash, and cropped slightly above the ankle.

6 years ago

tanstaafl

Active Member

Trying on all of my jeans would take me only 5 minutes, at most. But I only have three pairs of jeans. One medium wash skinny, one medium wash boot leg, and one darker wash straight leg. The straight leg ones are new, and I really like them better than the skinny leg jeans. They are a medium rise, which I find most comfortable and flattering for me. I'm finding I don't really like my skinny jeans. They are also pretty worn out and need to be replaced, but I can't tell if I don't like them because they are skinny or because they are worn. I think it might be the leg shape, since my bootcut pair are just as old and I prefer them to the skinnies. But the skinnies are essential this time of year with the winter weather.

6 years ago

kkards

Veteran

we went to a casual business dress code this summer, so I've bought more jeans this year than I have since college....I've also embraced the higher rise, but I never really wore a low rise, I was always more of a mid rise kind of girl...so I haven't get rid of any based on rise....but over the last couple of years I have weeded out a couple of more jeggings style jeans. more of what I've bought is more straight leg or slim instead of true skinny.

6 years ago

Violettt

Active Member

One response: "So Slimming Ponte Pants" from Chicos. They are so much more comfy than jeans, which I've given up wearing for the most part, except two pairs with added stretch in a dark wash denim. I also love plush corduroy jeans/leggings from 3 years ago. They are fab~

Cannot stand those low rise jeans, very un-flattering. I vote for high rise for ladies~

6 years ago

Staysfit

Veteran

Violettt, I have never been to Chicos! How did I pass over a place so many seem to love? Do they carry tall sizes? The people I know who have had success there are either petite or short in comparison to my height.

Kkards, I admit that my love of jeans didn’t dwindle after college, so I continued wearing them as a main component of my work attire, although hopefully with both polish and refinement. Some of the casual business outfits I see appear overly relaxed, maybe lackadaisical, and are not inspiring of confidence in the professionalism of the wearer. It can be hard to find that balance. On a slightly different topic, jeggings, I have not tried them. They remind me too much of Yoga pants, although my assessment may be inaccurate. My 78 year old mother, purchased a pair from Costco this year and loves them. I will be the first to admit they look great on my mom. Jeggings, or jeans? I guess whichever works for your style and situation. My mom retired from hospital pharmacy one year ago. She can wear what she wants now!

Tanstaafl, it sounds like you may live in a wet, cold and or snowy climate also. My personal preference has always been for a skinny or straight leg. They are easier to tuck into a boot, and tucking in protects from wet slush, ice balls and salt.

LisaP, I must owe you thanks for my 5 am jeans sorting! Sometimes I read something and it percolates in my mind and then things come together without my knowing why or from where! Although 5 am during a vacation week?! Tuxedo stripe jeans sound so appealing. I had a pair of khaki pants with a tuxedo stripe that I wore to death. I loved the pair Ummlila posted. I like Angie’s suggestion of waiting, although it never hurts to keep looking around, just in case......

Testyle, I have a love hate relationship with shorts. I have mostly given up. If I am doing something active I wear yoga pants or shorts, and if I need to do anything else I put on a casual skirt. I wish you luck with your search.

Suz, thanks for your thoughtful reply! My short response right now is only because I am short on time. I need to go work on some things with DS and DH. I hope to find some time later to respond more fully because I find your suggestions are truly helpful!

6 years ago

Joy

Veteran

You have done a through and wonderful job with your jeans. I did something very similar before moving and it is time again. I wear jeans almost every day year round, so want variety and divide roughly into seasons but want them all in the closet. Earlier this year I felt done with low rise and have culled the worst offenders, several passed to DDIL who is much younger than I am. NAS this year meant replacing some for winter ( generally thicker and full length) although I need to experiment more with cropped ones, a tights underlayer, and tall boots. I also picked up some burgundy KUTS at the Rack. Most are skinny or legging jeans but fit me more like a slim straight.
For 2018, I need to focus on warm weather styles. This past summer I wore washable trousers as much as jeans each day. I have not replaced blue jeans, especially dark denim. I bought some wide cropped and did DIY raw hems. I need to try on all my white jeans and see if they have too low a rise. I am looking forward to what will be new in jeans for spring/summer but hope the cropped look is still stylish.
For variety, I seem to depend more on color and a bit of pattern rather than silhouette. I have no distressed or embellished jeans. (The clearance racks are filled with distressed/ slashed denim, so I suspect it is on the way out.).

6 years ago

ladypainter

Active Member

Have you looked at Boden? The website's size chart links for each item shows garment measurements for each of the different sizes of any given item, including rise and inseam--very useful! They also offer a wide range of cuts from skinny to wide-leg, and in summer offer a sailor jean in various fabrics.
Madewell offer a variety of mid-to-high rises (9"-11"), and their "perfect summer jean" style is based on the high-waisted styles of the early '90s (before the bumster-rise era). Dialing in the fit for that brand seems pretty tricky, though.
I second the notion of checking out Chico's.
Now that you've "harvested the low-hanging fruit" comes the challenge of deciding which pieces need to go while they're still worth consigning/donating. Good luck

6 years ago

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

I applaud your enthusiasm, but would hold off on evaluating your jeans until stores receive new stock. If you’re anxious to do so now, however, consider revisiting your footwear preferences simultaneously, since they’ll partly determine your denim options. If you gravitate toward
mid-calf or high rise boots, for instance, skinnies are your only option. If you prefer low-shaft booties, then you have more options at your disposal.

6 years ago

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