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There are so many brands and stores that carry all types of jeans. Blue, black, white washes and skinny, straight and bootcut styles to choose from can be a bit overwhelming trying to decide what works best for your body type. Let’s be honest, shopping for denim can be a job on its own, not all jeans are made the same, you might be a size 28 in one brand and then you might be a 26 in another. What is up with that?! It can be nearly impossible, to even order denim online because chances are you will probably have to return them.
I would spend hours in stores trying to find the right shape and size, and I think as women we all are looking for the same thing. We want a pair of jeans that makes our ass look good first and foremost, make us look slim, is the right wash(something we know we can pair with a lot of the clothes already in our closet), among many of the other requirements to make us grab a pair and head straight to the checkout line. I think jeans are something we will always be on the hunt for, no matter how many we have.
Once we find a pair we absolutely love we wear them down to the seam until we can no longer go out in public and look presentable in them. An issue I always find myself struggling with is the thigh area always ripping on me. The more I wear the jeans and the constant rubbing of my thighs cause the color to wear out or eventually get so thin, holes begin to appear. After trying so many brands from high end to low end, I have compiled a list of some that I think are definitely worth your money! Some are on the lower end of the spectrum that is just as good as the ones that are ranging in the hundreds.
1.LEVIS
Okay, so I had to put this OG favorite on this list because Levi’s are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! They have been making jeans since 1853! Almost two centuries creating denim, so I think they know pretty much everything there’s to know about creating the perfect pair of jeans.
Growing up my mom used to always make me wear them, and for whatever reason, I hated them (what do we know when we’re young, right?) I rediscovered them again in middle school going into high school after hitting puberty because I suddenly developed hips and a butt and could not find a pair of jeans that were my waist size (26) and were able to go past my thighs. If I was lucky enough to find a good pair of jeans that went over the bottom half of my body, I always had the waist gap, for those of you that do not know it is the space in the back of your pants where the pants are “too big”, for my fellow hourglass shaped girls, you know my pain!
Now I’m just like any girl out there, I am always on the hunt for a discount or sale and Levis is one of the few places that are either always having a sale or for my students out there they give a 15% discount if you just show your school ID. Another little secret I have is to go shop at their outlet stores! They have the best deals, and always have great jeans on sale, also retailers like JCPenny, Kohl’s have great discounts on their denim as well, you probably won’t have as big of a selection as the actual brick-and-mortar but it does not hurt to go and take a look.
The style I personally I without a doubt grab without trying on and will always count on them for any outfit is the 724 High Rise Straight Leg. I am 5’9 and find they fit me more of a mid-rise which I love since they hid my little stomach fat but give off the appearance of being high waisted. They have three popular washes and they literally go with anything and everything. Date night, a pair of heels, a cute top, and a pair of these, and your good to go. Looking for a more casual look, you can roll them up, pop on a pair of sandals or sneakers, and a basic tee and you look put together. They will literally enhance the curves you might already have or if you think you don’t have, they give the illusion that you do. My ride or die pair of jeans.
2. KSUBI
Now in the past year or so, baggy denim has been all the rave. And can I just say, I was not a fan at first but they absolutely are a trend I can jump in on. You can throw on a pair of sneakers, and a crop top or oversized band tee, and you’ll look like you know what you are doing with your life. My favorite is from KSUBI, both men and women have the best pair of oversized distressed denim that is so comfortable. I have worn them on road trips and even napping so they are some of the best as far as flexibility goes.
Their denim is a bit more for the skater and rebel chick, but don’t let that scare you! Give these a try and I promise you will be surprised how good and effortless they look with anyone’s style. As far as fit goes, since they are more of an oversized straight look, my girls with a generous bottom half can pull them off since it gives the illusion of an already bigger bottom. They are a bit on the pricier side but you will not have to buy another type of these jeans for another 4 years or more.
3. RE/DONE
This brand is super unique and I love them ever since I first saw them. Their whole purpose is to repurpose old vintage Levis. They take apart the old traditional styles and make it into something new and fresh. I have always been in love with vintage jeans but whenever I go thrifting, I can never find any that fit, but Re/Done gives you the feel of old denim without the hard no stretch denim feel.
Unlike traditional Levis, this brand gives you more of a distressed feel, with some minimal tears along the leg or a fringe bottom. The Stovepipe is the absolute best, they hug in all the right places just like Levis, but they feel so comfortable with the amount of stretch they have you feel as if you can work out with them. They have two types: the one with stretch and the one without so make sure you know which you are buying. This collection only has high rise, but it is very flattering for anyone that might want to hide their stomach area.
4. PACSUN
Call it fast fashion or whatever you’d like. I recently discovered the denim section at Pacsun and they have some amazing options to choose from and some styles that I have never seen before. Mom jeans have been all the rave these days, whether you’ve seen them on Rachel Greene in Friends or on Bianca Stratford in 10 Things I Hate About You. Pacsun gives you more elevated modern mom jeans, more distress or no distress, and a mixture of washes. They resemble high-quality denim and I always get compliments whenever I wear them. At a great price point, they always are having sales and they have a 15% off student discount which always comes in handy.
5.ZARA
Okay, another fast-fashion retailer that people might not think has some pretty good diverse selection of denim is Zara. Their denim is the only brand I found that I can fluctuate in sizes and it will still look great on me. Hence I can purchase online and won’t have to return them in-store. A pair that I think every girl should have in their closet is their mid raised crop flare jean. These are the type of jeans you grab off the rack because you didn’t see the bottom and thought they were a regular pair of denim but ended up trying them on anyway in the dressing room.
Well, they fit amazingly and have the best stretch. Now don’t think because they are cropped that they only work for the summer or springtime. Pair these with a pair of ankle booties and a chunky sweater in the fall. For the winter add a coat and you have a basic outfit turned elevated because of the detailing at the end of the denim. With four washes to choose from, you can definitely find a pair that suits your style and taste. All for less than $40, it is a major steal!
6. J BRAND
So J Brand might be on the higher side of the spectrum but when I tell you that they have the best bootcut jeans I mean it! Living in Texas for a short while I naturally would wear cowboy boots like all the time. I struggled to find the right pair of denim that went over the boot perfectly and was not too constricting. The Valentina High Rise Flare is not technically a bootcut but it works just as well if not better than your traditional pair. They give me flower power era, from the 60s or 70s. Their not exactly bell bottoms but they are quite wide.
I would recommend going a size down if you want them to fit a bit snug. They have a ton of stretch and they truthfully slim down your thighs. I have no idea what type of magic these jeans have but when putting them on my thighs are not as prudent as they normally are. It is definitely an investment piece but they will last so long especially since you’ll get more wear out of them during the colder months.
7. R13
This brand is the all-time cool girl/guy factor. They come out with the best pieces and prints that you would not think will be cute. But despite all their other clothing, my favorite unique jeans from them are the Crossover denim. A friend of mine used to be an ambassador for the brand and she would always urge her customers to buy these jeans. I swear to you, you will be stopped on the street and asked where you got your denim at!
8. Moussy
Designer jeans are seriously so good! The quality is by far unmatchable. Moussy is such an underrated brand, their washes are super different as well as the distressing on the denim. It is not too extreme to the point where you have strings all over the place but enough to give your outfit a little edge. I have also seen some ladies in their 40s and above gravitate towards these jeans as well.
9. Slvrlake
Another designer brand of denim that is worth every penny. Slvrlake is all about minimalism and wanting to enhance a woman’s figure, not overpower it. With a classic color collection and style, they are bringing back some of the 90s and early 2000s fashion with their jeans.
