Part 3 takes us into more brands and fabric content. The last post I ended under the $100 price point. Another great source at this price point comes from CABI— Carol Anderson by Invitation. These clothes are sold at home parties. I’ve had several pairs over the years and always found them to be a great fit. I have a show most every season to get these clothes half price. There are also CABI outlet stores in various parts of the country. (Woodburn, Oregon)
Oprah put these jeans on the map this year: CJ by Cookie Johnson (Magic Johnson’s wife) They are perfect for the curvier figure and are cut generously in the hip/thigh. I had to go down a size! Sized to a generous 18, this brand gives more options than other high end jeans. Prices start at $112 and go up depending on style. Also try Christopher Blue.
Citizens of Humanity, True Religion, 7 for all Mankind, Hudson, AG, Joe’s, Paige, Rock & Republic bring us into the category of high end starting around $159. I realize that many of you reading will feel that is an outrageous price for jeans! I tend to agree that you are paying a lot for name. My challenge is to find these brands on sale. I loved the fit with Joe’s Muse, Citizen Amber and David Kahn. Most of these brands are a pretty low rise and go to size 32 which is equivalent to a size 12-14. Some do carry higher rise cuts. However, their high rise is often a mid rise on many women so be prepared to ask for help. Every wash fits differently; some brands mark down a discontinued wash. I found Joe’s on the sale rack HALF OFF and David Kahn at The Rack for 29.99 (previously altered to my inseam!)
Photo Credits: Nordstrom You will find all these brands and more I didn’t mention in the Denim Shop. Check out the helpful videos!
ALTERATIONS: I hear women complain frequently that if the jean fits the hip, it’s too big in the waist. The waist is easy to alter with a simple alteration known as darts. The waistband is made smaller easily. A good dry cleaners, alteration shops in malls or private seamstresses will be able to do this for you. Another option is this clear plastic belt if the problem is slight.
FABRICS: Most jeans have a form of stretch fabric such as elastane or spandex. This provides the “give” that every sales person refers to.”They’re going to stretch!” But what about when they stretch too much? I believe denim designers are getting it when it comes to finding the right mix of spandex. I recall jeans that contained 6%–now it’s more like 1-2%. Some designers are using polyester instead which decreases fading, adds durability, and is more wrinkle resistant. Paige Premium Denim a brand I’ll discuss in a future post adds this component.
WASHING/DRYING: I already mentioned turning inside out. I dry jeans for just a few minutes on low and the take them out to hang dry. The dryer is simply hard on clothes. I steam lightly to rid that “crunchy” feeling or iron pocket flaps and hemlines. I noticed that Angie at You Look Fab does almost the opposite and has amazing results which alleviates ironing/stretching!
NEXT: Series will come to an end on Friday with a post on Jeans for Body types. What have you learned?
