10.10.2011

foundations: ma vie en denim


as cliché as it sounds, it's true: the foundation to a great wardrobe is a great pair of jeans. in my experience, shopping for jeans is like dating: tricky and frustrating when you're really looking for what you want. you fall in love, you fall out of love. you outgrow your favorite pair; you're ready to move on to the next. what worked for a while suddenly doesn't fit anymore. you get emotionally attached to that pair that you saw on Emannuelle Alt on a terribly chic street style blog before you even try it on, and when you do, it's about four inches too long, and you realize it's the endless French editrix legs that you really want.

and so it goes.

the worst is when you're in need of a specific pair, and you resign yourself to spending an afternoon trying on a bunch, to no avail. or, more realistically in my case, give up after about an hour of shimmying into ill-fitting pairs in poorly-lit fitting rooms. in the past decade, i've tried virtually every style: flares, wideleg, bell bottom, bootcut, straight-leg, boyfriend, raw, skinny, and the jegging.

flares and bell bottoms i will always associate with high school, the mall, and the platform Steve Madden sneakers i always wore them with to add about 3.5" to my height. wideleg, straight-leg, and bootcut jeans were my go-to in college, which i paired with my favorite Enzo Angiolini pull-on boots. i totally felt bad-ass in my favorite boots and jeans combo, hanging out in front of campus buildings and smoking with friends. then came the mid 2000s, when Kate Moss was photographed in a pair of tight stovepipe jeans, and suddenly the exiled ghost of The Tapered Jean was gloriously reborn as skinny jeans. i moved to NYC around then, and purged my wardrobe of straggly college and study abroad items in favor of my first pair of skinnies by 7 for all mankind.

in the years since, i've flirted with baggy boyfriend styles, bravely tried to break in A.P.C. raw new cures (sadly, it didn't work out), and updated my uniform of choice to skinnies and boots. this is pretty much what i've been wearing for the past five years.

the verdict after all these adventures and misadventures in denim wash and cut? many readers have asked about my favorite jeans featured in my past posts, so here it is.

current/elliott roller jeans | favorite YA leather jacket | club monaco tee | vintage Coach kelly bag | Hope ankle boots

the current/elliott 'roller' jean is about as close to a perfect pair of jeans as i've ever worn. it's in between a skinny and a straight-leg jean. the classic dark indigo is a very clean wash, and i like that there are no discernible trendy details. the hem is finished and then unrolled so you don't have a bulky original hem to deal with if you want to cuff your jeans, which i do often enough (or when it's rainy out!). it's the perfect mix of that elusive, but oh-so-worth-it skinny slouchy fit. current/elliott tends to run a little big, so i use J Brand's sizing for comparison - i'm usually a 26 in J Brand, so my true size in c/e is always 25. the c/e roller fits just loose enough at the waist for a belt, and gets even better when you've worn it in. it's both slimming and comfortable - you don't notice that you're wearing jeans. the denim is a nice, old-school 99% cotton, not a spandexy one, and it's super soft. a nice bit of stylish swagger is included.

i've been wearing mine nonstop these days. what's your life in denim?

32 comments:

  1. aaah when i lived in california I just avoided jeans completely. I am so intimidated in shopping for them lol but now that I'm in Kansas I might have to buckle down and shop for them :x


    vestigialwings.blogspot.com

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  2. My life in denim is a sad sad tale. I'm blessed/cursed with needing a 36" inseam, so when I once in a blue moon find a pair that is long enough, I usually don't have the luxury of getting to choose between styles. I thought I had struck gold when I realized Topshop's website has a "tall" section, and I bought a few pairs that fit me splendidly, but then along came a legal dispute that made Topshop no longer ship to Norway (A Norwegian man owns the rights for the name "Topshop" in Norway so they can't open stores here. My guess is that they cut us off because of that). Now I am lost and bewildered and without my trusty topshop jeans.

    The solution? Skirts and dresses, for the most part :)

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  3. I'm still in the search for a pair of nice black jeans which isn't going well at all seeing that most designer jeans are quite thick and I'm looking for something thinner to wear year round in Hong Kong. While I think indigo to light acid washes are nice, they're relatively difficult to match with my clothes.

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  4. I love jeans and love hearing people's denim stories, so yes, love this post! I really like the look of your c/e rollers...wish they came about earlier! My own straight/skinny jeans are Diesel ones, and while I find them pretty much perfect, I always think I want to taper them just a little more at the ankle - but I wear them rolled out most of the time so it doesn't really matter.

    It was a total epiphany when skinny jeans became the trend for me! I think my denim identity came together at that point. I think I'll still be wearing them even if they go out of style.

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  5. 7 for All Mankind. I can't wear skinnies - too short-legged. Thus has an entire decade passed me by:).

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  6. I'm one of those weird people who doesn't wear jeans as part of my daily uniform ... maybe once a week and then when I'm bumming around on the weekends and need something in a durable fabric. I interestingly think that *because* of skinny jeans, I started exploring pants a lot more. I like the look just fine but typically do not like wearing anything that is tight. That said, I have the same c/e jeans, and they are one of the two jeans that I actually wear during the week. You described the fit perfectly.

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  7. I just got another pair of Levi's recently, the same cut as blue jeans this time in black, the straight leg/ skinny cut---I think I'll be wearing them to shreds this winter with boots. Tried other items on the same day but found them way too low waisted for me. Still love the close to straight bootcut from Habitual too though, have had that for six years, still pair it with heels and works real well. The CE one looks perfect on you!

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  8. Hi, what boots are you wearing? They look like the perfect wedge ankle bootie :-)

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  9. @christine i just added a few links for you - they're still available from yoox :) they're not wedge booties but have a very comfy and walkable heel. :)

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  10. @Maja Piraja oh no! well, i'd totally consider this a temporarily inconvenient blessing, you'll never have to pay to get your jeans hemmed! is there a uniqlo anywhere near you? j.crew also has a great selection of tall sizes for pants and jeans. j.crew is now carried by Net a Porter as well.

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  11. I wear it! jeans. They are available at the juniors section of Nordstrom. They run about $70. I tried them on in a whim and they fit perfectly, almost like leggings. Quite a feat because I am really skinny. I've been loyal to the brand ever since and currently rotate between 3 pairs (two blue, one black). I added a pair of Forever 21 jeans into the mix when I got sick of wearing them daily. F21 fits decently on my body and the jeans were only $10. I am getting sick of my jeans now though. I really want to try the new Gap 1969 jeans since they look really small and I like the feel of the lightweight denim material.

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  12. Thank you so much for the tip about J.Crew, I'll check them out immediately! :)

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  13. what a great post! my jean style is alot like prêt à Porter p; love "minimalist" jeans without whiskering or back pocket stitching or bling. i used to be a huge lover of earnest sewn for that reason and the fit was the same up top no matter if it was a skinny, boot or straight leg. i just hated hemming (i'm 5'4"). now j.brand tends to be my go-to.

    i have been eyeing the c/e roller for a while but couldn't find a good review of it until now. i've got 2 other pairs of c/e's and they are fast becoming my other fave. i'll definitely be getting a pair of these...have you worn them without rolling? is it more of a tapered leg? i imagine they would look great with a pair of pointy-toe pumps...

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  14. These are definitely "your" jeans! They look amazing. I prefer my J brand skinny jeans with a midrise and dark wash.

    I also nearly wore out a pair of jcrew dark wash gaucho jeans this summer. They were light, loose and airy.

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  15. Oh no! What happened with your APC? I'm dying to get my hands on a pair so I can start breaking them in.
    As for me, I got a pair of great great great Blank NYC pants for $25 and regret not buying two! I've had luck with Ksubi and Acne for jeans but I will remember to try on Current/Elliot the next time

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  16. Those Current/Elliot jeans are a perfect fit :)

    I've found my niche in skinny jeans and doubt I will ever waiver. I'm thin but not particularly tall (and don't wear heels unless it's a very special occasion), so many other styles make me look like I'm swimming in my mothers clothes. I now own thee paris of jeans and they're all perfect: black gap cords which are so stretchy and comfortable they function as jeans, dark wash 7 For All Mankind jeans, and durable mid-wash Paige jeans that I wear for cleaning/activities that will most likely result in permanent damage to clothes.

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  17. I find jean shopping the most infuriating task ever, as most seem to fit awkwardly between my legs making them look sausage like. It's always a relief to find some that are flattering, but getting there is tiresome.

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  18. @Alice (VESTIGIAL WINGS) i know what you mean! well, hopefully my post is helpful :) shopping for jeans online with some detailed reviews to guide you is much less annoying than trying to find the right pair in stores!

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  19. @Sam really? what colors do you tend to wear a lot? i've always been of the mindset that denim blues are pretty much universal neutrals ;)

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  20. @lin your post on denim was really great and inspiring! :) its kind of funny and cool how much i associate with certain denim styles.

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  21. @Prêt à Porter P oooh i remember XOXO! your Baby Phat jeans sound epic - have any photos? ;) old school material is the best for denim - denim that has a ton of stretch and an artificial wash kind of icks me out.

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  22. @LPC what's your fave style? and would you say any pair of denim really defines a period in your life?

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  23. @S coolness :) what's your other pair?

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  24. @Nanashi which style is your Levis? i've seen some of their high end line at Barney's Co-op. are you still wearing your awesome broken in raw jeans?

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  25. @Rebecca good for you - cherish your good fortune that you can wear small denim sizes! :) i've never tried the Gap jeans - haven't shopped there for years after their quality and styles went downhill. have you tried j.crew? i like that they also feature MiH and other design collabs.

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  26. @Kim i am so with you on the non blingy jeans. i do not need some bling or weird stitching to advertise that i'm wearing jeans :P

    i have a pair of J brands that i love too - so clean and sleek. i have worn my c/e rollers plenty without rolling as well. they look fab unrolled with flats and Chucks and just about every shoe. i also LOVE how they look rolled with a pair of pointy pumps or ankle boots ;) hope my post is helpful! let me know which pair u end up getting!

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  27. @chic_e thanks e! :) the one pair of j brand jeans i have are also midrise. they're great!

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  28. @L.L. haha my epic 2-year attempt to break in a pair of APC raw new cures went as far as 3 weeks. so sad! i think i bought 1 size smaller than i should have. but really the jeans never fit around my hips right and the right size would have been too loose through the leg. so i ended up selling them. if i were a guy i'd probably only wear APC raw jeans :P

    $25 for jeans is a steal! i've heard great things about ksubi and acne too, but the high prices for acne especially always puts me off. c/e is def my all-time fave brand, though!

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  29. @Austere haha! i have a pair of ratty jeans that i wear for 'household chores' as well! everyone needs a go-to manual labor jean ;)

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  30. @jamie-lee ah, yes, the dreaded sausage denim effect! i can't even count the number of times i've stared at myself in a dressing room mirror aghast at some ill-fitting denim fiasco. the worst is when the jeans are totally off-size, like you can barely get them up past your thighs :P

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  31. Uh I only really wear black jeans as of late. For some reason I think indigo looks weird on me. I think it's also because I feel like black denim I can pass off as a pant I can wear to more 'formal' occasions whereas indigo seems rather casual.

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  32. Thanks for the shoe links miss sophie! They're such a beautiful, refined shape.

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