THE SKINNY ON SKINNY JEANS.
SKINNY JEANS. you asked. I dish.
{Love ’em or hate ’em, they’re a lot more wearable than you think.}
I’ve made no secret of my love for skinny jeans. You can see my lovely pairs HERE, and HERE, and HERE and….you get the idea. They’re one of the most versitile pieces in my wardrobe. You can wear them with flats, heels, boots, sandals…dressy or casual.
In talking about skinny jeans, a lot of women feel like they shouldn’t be wearing them at all if they wouldn’t qualify themselves as “skinny”. Or over 35 (Jill). Or have a bottom-heavy figure.
* * * *
Not necessarily. You probably see people wearing the wrong jeans for them, and you’re blaming skinny jeans. It’s all about finding the right pair for YOU.
FIT:
As with any article of clothing, the fit of a great pair of skinny jeans is paramount. This is the part that can get people in trouble. Tighter isn’t better. No one can see the tag on the inside that says that coveted smaller size you want to fit into. All they can see is your midsection squishing out the top, and the legs puckering as you walk. Stop looking at the number, and get a GOOD FIT. If you’re buying them new, check the materials, and realize they will most likely shrink more after washing them. The opposite is true for thriftted jeans. How they fit is how they’ll fit. Make sure it’s perfect.
Skinny jeans fit more snug than normal jeans, so you HAVE to get a pair with some stretch & give (unless you will only be standing in them). No stretch = hard to sit in, & stretched out, faux-knobby knees. Not good.
Front: Make sure the zipper area & front of the jeans doesn’t pucker when you sit. You want to look feminine in your cute skinny jeans.
Length: because SJ are so versitile, you want to make sure the length works with different kinds of shoes you’ll wear them with. Swing by the shoe section on your way to try on your potential new favorite jeans, grab some boots, flats & heels to try on with your jeans.
STYLIZE:
If you are conflicted about what color to choose, go for a dark blue. Dark blue is popular, versatile, classic, and usually looks the best. And as far as decoration goes, simple is better. Skinny jeans make a statement all on their own. Don’t do sparkles, fancy embroidery, etc. Speaking of things to NOT do: don’t get snug fitted jeans with no pockets on the back. Ghetto. Seriously.
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WEARABILITY:
with skinny jeans or any wardrobe piece, always keep proportions in mind. If hips & thighs are your problem area, consider what cut of pants would best suit your figure. Your choice of shoes & top can do a TON in how your proportions come across, and you might be surprised how rockin you could look in a well-fitted pair of skinny jeans. Keep your height & proportions in mind when putting a look together with the jeans.
THRIFTING:
I’m always honest with you all about the possiblities & limits of thrifting. Right now is one of those honest moments: it’s pretty hard to find skinny jeans at thrift stores. You know why? Cause they’re really in style & expensive in regular stores, so girls hold on to them, even if they don’t fit, where most other items get donated when they no longer fit right. Or they want money for them & do consignment. That said,
Where to not shop: Goodwill. They have a million pairs of jeans.They’re not organized by size. UUGH! unless you want to waste a couple hours looking…
Where to look: Thrift Town. They have a good selection of jeans, but haven’t found a good pair of skinny jeans there yet. (& I’m there A LOT.) Good news is: 4,000 new items get put out every day in every one of their stores. Possibilities are good.
Where to pay more but probably have better luck: Eco Thrift & Crossroads. Eco: more sorting toward the trendy, but more expensive. Crossroads: consignment. basically, second-hand trendy stuff. you’ll pay more but it’s a quicker shop.
–> all of the store links take you to store locaters to find the store nearest you.
What’s your take on Skinny Jeans? Was this helpful?
Do you love them? Do you think you can’t wear them? Why?
Stay tuned later this week – how to turn a pair of regular jeans into a pair of skinny jeans in under an hour! + responding to your comments & emails on skinny jeans.
xoxo – Kari
Uugh…I wish I could wear these…maybe I should give them another try. Great article!
February 24, 2010 at 3:19 PM
Kari,
Okay, I’ve pretty much written off skinny jeans because I’m not ‘skinny.’ It makes me sad because I want to tuck my jeans into my boots sometimes too! Totally not fair. I see you said that finding the right pair can do wonders – but being that I’m ‘bottom-heavy’ and short, my thought is that it will just emphasize the problem areas. Is height a factor?
February 24, 2010 at 3:22 PM
Liz – so glad you asked! I’ll reply in full in my follow-up post soon. :)
February 24, 2010 at 3:28 PM
I happen to be wearing skinny jeans right now! I definitely agree – they need to have a bit of stretch to fit correctly and comfortably. Great post! Very informative.
February 24, 2010 at 3:23 PM
Thanks liz. You’re gorgeous in anything. seriously. :)
February 24, 2010 at 3:29 PM
How do you feel about eBay for finding hard to thrift items like skinny jeans?
February 24, 2010 at 3:56 PM
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I’m officially obsessed with your blog. :)
Thanks for the article – I’m obsessed with skinny jeans, especially leggings! I found a great pair at Forever 21 for like $12 dollars. They’re soft and stretchy and don’t cut off your circulation on flights or sitting behind a desk all day.
Keep up the great work!
February 24, 2010 at 4:01 PM
Thanks so much, Laura! I really appreciate the support & links on your guy’s page. Forever 21 has some good deals sometimes especially on sale items. Nice find!
February 24, 2010 at 4:18 PM
Ok – They are so versatile, definitely a staple in your closet. It does take a bit to find the right pair though if you have a J.LO bum.
February 24, 2010 at 4:20 PM
when trying to find the right skinny jeans, it seems to me that pocket placement is a big deal as well. depending on your size you either want the pockets close together or farther apart. the pockets on the back make or break a pair of jeans for me.
February 24, 2010 at 5:35 PM
thank you thank you thank you…and I’m very excited for the turn any jeans into skinny!!!
February 24, 2010 at 6:44 PM
I don’t think skinny jeans are for me. Not because I think I’m fat, it’s more because I feel like my body type is not flattered by the style. I’m a size 10, 5″3′. I carry my weight in my hips, rear and thighs. It doesn’t make me sad that I can’t wear them I know sooner or later there will be a new style that is popular that will flatter my body. I get compliments from people who wish they had a rear like mine to fill out their jeans. :)
February 24, 2010 at 7:07 PM
hip hip hooray! Now, to find the right top/shoes to go with the skinny jeans. Mine have a seam up the front which I love, and my husband thinks is weird.
Oh and just in case you make the same mistake I did, please note that tennis shoes DO NOT go well with skinny jeans! (I forgot what jeans I was wearing and quickly put on my everyday shoes to dash out the door… yuk! I was SO embarrased!) :o)
Thanks for the post, I CANT WAIT TO READ the article on transforming regular jeans!
February 24, 2010 at 9:41 PM
For the longest time, I avoided skinny jeans. I’m decently slender (size 0-2) but I don’t have straight legs. They actually bend inward and I avoid anything that calls attention to them.
I have a more fashion forward male friend who enjoys pushing me out of my clothing comfort zone. So to humor him, while shopping in my Christmas present, a pair of knee length sexy and practical black boots, I tried on a pair of skinny jeans. To my surprise, with tall boots, it’s not so bad at all.
They are very comfy and I have to stop myself from wanting to wear them every Saturday. Went and picked up another pair ’cause I’m getting hooked. My dilemma now is how to wear them during warmer weather…
February 24, 2010 at 11:40 PM
Great post & looking forward to part 2. I was initially resistant to the skinny jeans but came around and you are right – they are functional and flattering to so many more people than you might think. I have 2 pair – one dark and quite snug, for dressier occasions, and another more faded pair that are super soft and stretchy that I live in on weekends.
I hope you talk a bit in your next post about true skinny vs. straight-skinny and also hemlines. I’m not super tall, and I find that the real “skinny” jeans that are tight on the calf and hit above the ankle bone do not flatter, so mine are more straight through the calf and hemmed to the heel.
Love your blog, girl!
February 25, 2010 at 8:03 AM
“Speaking of things to NOT do: don’t get snug fitted jeans with no pockets on the back. Ghetto. Seriously.”
Hahahahaha AMEN!!
February 25, 2010 at 9:43 AM
I’m broad-shouldered with a large chest and a rather flat derriere, so showing the tapered bottom of skinny jeans seems to emphasize my disproportion. I do like them tucked into boots that have a wider opening, but think they don’t flatter with flats on my body type. Any advice?
February 25, 2010 at 1:59 PM
Kari, thank so much for this article. I NEED a pair of skinny jeans to show off my boot collection. I’m afraid to wear skinny jeans because I’m a regular size and not super skinny. You have inspired me to go out there and try them. I think I’ll stay tuned to see how to do it myself with a pair of boot cut jeans sitting in my closet.
Cheers,
Ashley
February 25, 2010 at 4:20 PM
Ashley,
I think there’s a lot of women who have cute boots & should totally show them off in skinny jeans. It’s all about how you put the look together with them. (you have super fun boots, too!) I think, for many of my readers, their best bet on SJ will be to convert a pair that already fits them really well. Putting together the new SJ post as I speak with you. Coming soon! — Kari
February 25, 2010 at 5:47 PM
In the beginning of the skinny jean phase I was completely against them (I was the the same with leggings). I have learned I need to give myself some time before deciding whether I like or dislike something because now I would love to own more skinny jeans, leggings, and tights. My problem is that I am a small girl plus have ‘chicken legs’ so the jeans I purchased aren’t super tight on my calves, and I think that helps. Now I want a rockin’ pair of boots to wear with them but can’t find anything I like in my price-range, let alone ones that aren’t massive on my tiny calves. Any suggestions for boots?!
I’m also super excited about your next post on converting any pair of jeans to skinny jeans as I have a pair that I absolutely love the way they fit in the waist and rear, but are waaaaay too big of a flair at the bottom.
February 25, 2010 at 8:41 PM