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I Tried On All Your Favorite Trendy Jeans. Here Are My Thoughts…
We did a call-out for all your favorite trendy jeans, and so many of you suggested the same pairs over and over and over – it was quite compelling, and my team perked up. So while I was out of town, they ordered them in my size (don’t worry – we returned what I didn’t keep) and when I got home, they greeted me with a fun jean try-on. As we know, loose and baggy is still ruling supreme, skinny jeans being an immediate negative style indicator (controversial, I know, and a real bummer), and yet, as an apple-shaped lady, this is so challenging for me. It’s my dumb non-expert opinion that baggy jeans look best with smaller, more fitted tops (cropped or body suit preferred), playing with proportions, etc, but it’s just not what I’m comfortable in (both physically and not how I feel like I look best). For me, I’m not wearing a big boxy blousy top over big boxy baggy jeans, so I’m not having my moment, and that’s ok (I literally don’t take this stuff seriously, it’s just fun! But I’m not alone, it likely won’t be for long, and there are a few silhouettes that are actually working for me (the last one is my favorite). Here you go:
Quince – Bella Stretch
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
I’ve been skeptical about Quince, very curious how they are disrupting the market by likely duping other brands (who are likely duping the OG designers/makers, so… ) but the price point is crazy low and the quality seems to be very high. The verdict: I really loved how soft these were with the perfect amount of stretch, but not too stretchy that it felt like they’d lose their shape in hours. And for $50, I was like, wait, what? FIFTY DOLLARS?? They felt extremely high quality to me for that price.
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
I tried on both the 26 and 27 and kept the 26 (size down, I’m typically between a 27-28 depending on the week). The blue wash is really great, and the fit is mid-rise. I only kept three pairs of jeans, and this is one of them (three sounds like a lot, but you’ll see).
Pistola – Lennon High Rise Crop
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
Pistola has become a favorite brand for me, and I loved these jeans because I felt good in them. They are a slimmer cut but not “skinny” (I don’t think?). They are so comfortable, an easy wear and fit my lifestyle (which is very casual).
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
I probably wouldn’t tuck a shirt this far since they are higher rise and I’m shorter torsoed, but at this price point (a little over $100), I felt like they were a solid investment.
Mother – Hustler
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
A LOT of you said this was a favorite of yours (and admittedly looks so good with those shoes). These fit great, with the signature Mother Stretch, and the dark wash is certainly flattering.
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
With Mother, I always wore them post partum because they were so flattering and stretchy at the waist. “Bit of stretch, excellent quality, normal-sized pockets”. I really liked these and felt good in them (but was unsure that they are too “skinny”???).
La Ligne – Marilyn Mid-Rise Barrel
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
Admittedly, these are very cool – a lot of you sent this rec to me, and I hadn’t heard of them. They are dual-toned, the front being lighter than the back, and have a cool side seam and great tailoring. If I had a job in a big city that I had to go into an office for and look cool, I would 100% have kept these, but at this price point, I didn’t think I’d wear them enough to justify the cost.
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
The verdict: These are rad, but too much of an investment for my lifestyle! I didn’t keep them, but if you are looking to invest and want something really cool (that still looks polished), we all agreed these were rad.
AGOLDE – Fran Low Slung
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
Yeah, I liked these… The color is perfect, the wash is perfect, and the straight leg is still flattering. They are another pair that so many people swore by, but they are $$$. I didn’t keep them (they weren’t a “hell yes” at the time), but now that I’m staring at the photos, I’m really into them!!
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
Most people said to size down and wear high-waisted – I’m wearing my normal size, and if I had kept would likely have exchanged it for a smaller size. They are rad, but I just don’t love this baggy of a pant on me, and if it’s not a “hell yes” it’s a “no”. My younger team loved these BTW 🙂
AGOLDE – 90s Straight
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
I loved the wash on these (medium with some darker areas), but I didn’t know how to style the hem that came in really fast at the end (so I think you are supposed to just let it be awkward and baggy at the bottom?).
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
I love Agolde – a definite favorite denim brand when I want to splurge (and I love their shorts a ton). I think this is just a style preference, and I’m not loving this on me 🙂 I also want to say fashion is very perplexing right now, and I’m not seeing a lot of people, even when we went to New York, who looked like they had a clear personal style. Just a lot of people “wearing clothes,” mostly athleisure (everywhere) or just baggy jeans and a square neck tank top (and socks). Brian and I talked about it a TON while we were there. I actually felt silly wearing an “outfit”. It’s almost like the tourists wore the outfits, and the locals just look like they put on clothes. I didn’t expect to see a bunch of Carrie Bradshaws everywhere, but we left super uninspired. So I think younger fashion is still leaning away from trying to look good, which I think does track with what we wore in the 90s??
J. Crew Factory – Wide Leg Crop
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
These were so cute for those who love wider legs, and the length is perfectly cropped. They are solidly tailored (and looked so cute with those shoes). A great light denim, with the right amount of stretch and a great price point.
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 27) | Shoes
I think these could totally be office jeans, too – they do have a raw hem, but they are clean otherwise, and the tailoring is great.
Old Navy – Barrel
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 4) | Shoes
For $30, I was super impressed with these. I think we have another year with barrel jeans (the good ones, maybe longer). This price point is solid, and these feel really high quality.
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 4) | Shoes
If you don’t want to invest too much into this trend, these (or the Madewell ones below) would be a great way in. You just can’t beat the price.
Madewell – Balloon Jeans
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
Ok, none of you recommended these, but I was recently at Madewell and they said that these are flying off the shelves – their new “balloon” pants. They feel more “barrel-light,” still with that rounded shape and slight tapering, but less exaggerated.
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
They are too high-waisted for me (and they are fitted at the waist, FYI), but curious what you guys think? Sorry, we didn’t steam them:)
Madewell – Low Slung Baggy
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 25) | Shoes
I really wanted to keep these – they are pretty dang cute! But they are so long that I would need to wear them with high heels and I just know that I don’t need them enough to spend the money because I don’t really wear jeans/high heels enough (again, I work from home so the only time I splurge on new clothes that are non-work from home clothes is for fancier shoots).
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 25) | Shoes
Definitely size down on these and wear heels or be ok with the Gumby look. I could also try the petite version because the waist, slight drop crotch, color, wash, and hem are all awesome.
Madewell – The Darted Barrel
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
While I’ve shown you these for months now, these are still my favorite barrel jeans that I think are flattering on those of us who don’t love a massive bottom. I have them in this wash (size 26) when I want to be a big slouchier, and also in the cream in a size 25 (which is fitted and feels cute).
Blouse | Necklace | Jeans (size 26) | Shoes
These are a 10/10 for me – comfortable, on trend, but still flattering and just so easy to wear without a crazy high price point.
So I kept the Quince, the Pistola, and the Old Navy – all of these felt like I’d wear them a lot (for my lifestyle) and weren’t too splurgy. But I am eyeing those low-slung Baggy Fran jeans now…Fashion is hard!!! I find that I get so stuck in my comfortable rut, and for the most part, I’m ok with it until I have the occasion or shoot where I want to show that I have a point of view – less about what is “in” and more about representing my personal style. I think moving away from NY and LA (and living in the suburbs … on a mini-farm…) has drained my daily desire to wear anything that isn’t comfortable and casual 🙂 Or maybe that’s just getting older. Turning 46 in a couple weeks, folks … xx
*Photos by Kaitlin Green
I’ve been in Madewell jeans forever, and lately I’ve been looking almost exclusively at Free People and Everlane! (The Gardener at Everlane is wild and amazing and I love it. It feels like it’s marching to the beat of its own drum.) I also like FP’s barrel silhouettes more than Madewell’s.
Fashion is an interesting topic now, for sure. Maybe there are several reasons for the current direction. 1. We still aren’t ready to give up pandemic comfort dressing. 2. “Quiet luxury” can only last so long before people crave something less stuffy and bland. 3. Full-on polished outfits feel a bit try-hard since we’re so used to casual now. 4. Fashion feels vulgar in this era…like how can we dress up and go to brunch when everything is falling apart and lives are being destroyed? Shouldn’t we be at protests and giving our $ to urgent causes? It feels disrespectful to be pretty or to celebrate anything. 5. We’re depressed and jobless and without health coverage, or anticipate becoming so. So maybe we can’t afford to shop and attend anything that requires dressing, or just don’t care what we look like. 6. So many brands have either supported the wrong politicians and therefore are potential future donors or have dropped their DEI policies. Tricky to know how to proceed…obviously if everyone stops buying, the economy suffers more than it already is being forced to. But. So many buts. I’d love to see round-ups specifically of responsible brands. Not just domestic,… Read more »
I love this thoughtful comment. 🙂
Gotta admit, I winced a little at “barrel jeans have one more year left.” And then….? They all end up in landfills, or in overstuffed Goodwill stores where no one wants them anyway? And we’re all just cool with that?
I DO think we can enjoy looking nice even in the middle of this chaos, but I guess for me it’s more about finding what looks beautiful and classic and will for 10+ years. Fashion brands NEED us to worry over trends or they wouldn’t sell any clothing, and we all kind of unknowingly play their game.
Like…if we loved skinny jeans 10 years ago and thought they looked cute on us, what’s changed? A company told us we have to think otherwise so they can get our money? What if we just rocked the damn skinny jeans?
Fashion changes and trends are of course influenced by companies’ need to make money but also the world changes, times change and we change so our fashion changes. I completely support anyone wearing what makes them feel good (and skinnies are probably coming right back around) but I personally have been craving something new in fashion lately. The shoe trends have been killing me (please pardon my gross hyperbole)! Ballet flats, loafers, boat shoes, flip flops??! Please can we come up with something, anything new?! Of course easier said than done. To be sure I am not advocating for any disposable fashion but just hungering for a new visual language that acknowledges the new world we are in. Not the most pressing of our current concerns, I know. Maybe everyone is sort of depressed and uninspired by the weight of the awfulness going on and that is reflected in how we are dressing. Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful discussion y’all.
I wonder if there’s not a more sinister reason. Young people, worried about being judged for anything that could be perceived as conspicuous consumption, are adhering to a uniform of non-fashion. Clearly money is being spent on new baggy jeans, square neck tank tops, and Alo athleisure, but those objects don’t risk attracting attention or judgment the way a capital O Outfit might.
I’m a short woman (5 feet tall), and anything barrel or wide or baggy just doesn’t work for me, so I’m still rocking my skinny jeans. It also helps that I’m around Emily’s age, which means I just don’t care about trends, and I dress for me!
Same Deborah! I wear a couple of different pants styles (right now I am in my cute overalls era) and sometimes wear my skinnies with oversized white or blue button downs. I was in France recently and of course checked out the chic Frenchwomen style and naturally younger women wore more of the trends, but the chicest women wore classic, simple, flattering clothing. Just what I needed to see! I mostly wear what is comfortable (and mostly cute), and sometimes wear what is flattering, depending on the circumstance. I do have to dress professionally for work situations, and find that simple, classic, and flattering is easy and appropriate. Long-story-short, I am in my early 50s, still love clothes, but am not at all interested in trends (which is basically someone else telling me what I “should” wear). I mostly admire women who wear what they love, trendy or not!
Wow! This is incredibly helpful seeing them all on the same model in the same pose. Well done!!
+1 to the lack of personal style in NYC (which shocks me as a longtime local!). BUT – it’s very much a West Village, Greenwich Village, and East Village thing. In Brooklyn and parts of LES, style is alive and thriving, and as inspiring as ever. The Cut wrote a rage bait-y article about the rise of the “West Village Girl”, if you’re curious.
Yes, I very much agree with this. Certain parts of the city are mind numbingly similar.
I’m not gonna lie, I was slightly put off by that comment as a fellow NYC local – sure, there are neighborhoods where there’s not a ton of personal style on display, but I find NYC incredibly inspiring from a fashion POV. Seeing cool street style requires you to get off the beaten path of the tourist spots, but I never feel more inspired to get dressed than when I’m in NYC. I live in Brooklyn and feel silly leaving my apartment without a full fit!
You look great in all these jeans and I love your try-on articles. But can we please talk about whiskering on jeans, those lines that they add to the jeans on your thighs to make them look worn in. WHY?! I hate them so much, and it is impossible to find jeans these days without them. Can we revolt? Do people like them? I feel like they draw unnecessary attention to my thighs and I just want my jeans to be all one color and wear on their own. Ok, that’s all.
I’ve purchased my last 2 pairs of Agolde jeans on Thred Up. There are always a ton of those and ReDone, (my other favorite brand), on there.
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