I just need a brick wall
To bang my head again. I don't why I do this. I should perhaps just give up. But obviously I refuse. I'm going to come out and say it really quickly, like ripping a plaster off.
Jeans.
For the love of the lord, how hard is it to buy a pair of jeans? WHY??? I manage to persuade myself after each harrowing attempt to purchase that I don't need them. I can manage without. But it's like coffee or wine. There is no other substitute *really*.
So I'm going off piste which is always a bad idea. Starting with Gap. Actually I don't know why I'm starting with Gap as I hate their jeans. Which isn't strictly true - they hate me. They just don't work on me. They are always SPRAY on tight. I could fit an extra member of my family into the waistband but through the thighs? Vacuum packed.
However I am not one to take defeat lightly and so I am persisting.
These. How wrong can they be?
Original 1969 Vintage Straight Let Down Hem Jeans £59.95 They may be slightly too light for what I'm looking for (I swear I am turning into the Goldilocks of denim). Code for 25% off is NEXTGAP.
Or something a bit different from Mango. I love the fact that these aren't tapered which is exactly what I'm looking for.. are they slightly too formal for what I'm looking for though?
Suit straight jeans from Mango £35.99
These are perfect. Well - if they were just a SMIDGE darker..
Raw Edge Denim Jeans from & Other Stories £55
And these I did try on in London on Thursday (was in a massive rush and a flap and didn't get a chance to pap them). The problem I had and why I didn't buy them was that I was between a 27 and a 28. The 28 was probably perfect IF it didn't stretch ONE iota. And the 27 would be perfect it they did stretch a bit. Which clearly put me in a complete quandary and so I walked away. I'm going back on Monday to retry.
Cropped Flare Denim from & Other Stories £55
And then I've blown the budget. I don't mind doing this. IF IF IF IF I know that they're going to be amazing. But how can you tell with denim? They should genuinely come with a label that says whether or not the'yre going to stretch after one wear. As some do and some don't. It's not even a question of more expensive ones don't and cheaper ones do. It's total pot luck.
Then there's the high rise element. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge high rise - tuck the muffin in - waistband fan. But there's high rise and there's Simon Cowell.
Grlfrnd (I *might* be able to get past this spelling..) Helena Stepped High Rise Jeans £185
Then the classic Phoebes which were my first choice but as I already have the lighter pair, I thought I should possibly find a different style. I love these with shoes and trainers but not convinced they work so well with boots. Hence my dilemma for a Winter purchase. DUH.
Phoebe low slung boyfriend jeans £235
These would be perfect if they were just ever so slightly looser on the leg. I know for a fact that these wouldn't be straight, they'd be super tight. Ugh.
BUT one can live in hope... anyone tried them?
Le High Straight leg cropped jeans from Frame £262
Or the MIH Lou Cropped Jeans £225
This is a story that I will continue another day. Monday, the 12yr old has a day off school so we're heading to London. Seeing as I'll have to spend half the day in Lush, we can spend half an hour doing some jean research, so I will be reporting back.
Tomorrow, I will be back but I now need to go and get ready as we're off out for dinner at a pop up restaurant near us. This is the one we tried to go to before but it didn't pop up (chef had had a personal crisis).
Great day yesterday - one of those sorts of days that makes you just grateful. Lovely walk in the morning with friends. Don't forget the code DMB40 for 15% off all Seven Boot Lane stock.
Coated jeans - New Look
Parka - South at Littlwoods
Fur Scarf - New Look
Cashmere hat - Black
Himalaya Boots - Seven Boot Lane
And then off for a rather boozy lunch (followed by a dinner party..!).
Cropped Flare Trousers - Jaeger
The Briggate Trench - M&S
Black boots with gold heel - Zara
Red Soho Disco Bag - Gucci
I am sat here listening to the rain hammering down thinking why on earth am I going to bother doing my hair... and still wondering what to wear...
If only I had the pair of perfect jeans...!
The fact that you struggle with this too gives the rest of us hope! I bought some jeans from Closed (have you heard of it? I hadn't til we moved to Germany..running joke every time we go past is, 'Is that shop open?' 'No, it's Closed!' Even my 6 yo groans but I still find it funny) that were expensive, but fitted well. One year later, I have massive holes where I have pulled them on with the belt loops & can I find anything remotely similar? Not a chance. However, the good old Topshop skinnies are still going strong after about 5 years so I'll keep wearing them until you find the perfect jeans - and then I can copy you :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm on the case.... Seriously it shouldn't be this hard, should it?
DeleteI loved your 'debunking the myths' blog.... I for one am not ready to give up denim at the age of 55! And my mother is 83 and looks stylish in hers...just as Mary Berry does... who are these people they 'poll' , thanks for a great blog :)
ReplyDeleteOh so pleased!
DeleteHave loved your blogs for a few years & thankful that you have guided me towards some very successful purchases.
ReplyDeleteIfeel as a 'friend' I have to whisper in your ear- as much as it hurts me - the blue coated jeans remind me of a bendy toy. Sorry, feel free to ignore & carry on the excellent service.
Oh how funny!! They're black actually (not that that would make them any better for you!) and I have to say I love them! They're so super useful for dog walking as they're wipe clean!
DeleteMost of my jeans are Gap girlfriend/boyfriend with a few pairs of skinnies from M&S thrown in. Oh and the wide leg crop from Me & Em which I love. Today though I ordered these with 20% off so fingers crossed:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marksandspencer.com/selvedge-high-waist-girlfriend-jeans/p/p22481143?image=SD_01_T57_8318R_QP_X_EC_90&color=DARKINDIGO&prevPage=srp
Also I am on a boot roll this week. I treated myself to a pair of Himalaya boots in brown from Seven Boot Lane (after a couple of sports outings with my kids where my feet were freezing) so thank you for the discount code. They arrived and are so soft and snuggly. Rugby matches sorted.
And *drum roll* I finally bought the Toga Pulla ankle boots, well I ordered them from Harvey Nichols the other day as they had a massive 25% off. It would be a shame not to, as they say. I went for black suede. If I love them as much as I hope then I will give them to DH so he can put them under the tree for me!
Enjoy your night out.
Now, I need to sit on my hands when I read your blog from now till next year. Cannot. Buy. More.
Now I'd be interested to see what you think of those jeans as they weren't loose enough for me and I didn't want them tapered at the bottom.. so do let me know (I am being SUPER fussy though..).
DeleteFAB purchases elsewhere though. You go girl!
I'm okay for jeans at the moment, so at least today I don't need to sit on my hands (lol)!
ReplyDeleteI had about a ten year period when I didn't wear jeans, due to not being able to find any that a) weren't too long, and b) actually fit every where else. I've since found Esprit are good for me, both their straight leg and their slim leg (which are a not too tight skinny on me), the only bug bear is their shortest length is 30, so they do need turning up ever so slightly. Not sure what I think about the stepped hem (I can guess what my husband would say!) I think they may be something I'll embrace when everyone else is finished with them!!
It's quite hard to get hold of Esprit over here now.. but I will have a look, thank you!!
DeleteOh and I LOVE the step hems but I appreciate they may be a step too far for some!
DeleteHave you tried online, p&p is reasonable, and returns are free here. So if in doubt I order several as it's easy to return!
DeleteI will have a look thank you xx
DeleteFunnily enough my denim needs are ok (for now anyway) ) having purchased the Paige black cropped flare pair that you featured on your blog a while back. I guess you didn't like them in the end? I thought they looked fab on you (which was what prompted me to take the plunge).
ReplyDeleteThe Colette's? I went back to Selfridges to try them on again but they were just an inch too short for me. And at that price, I needed them to be perfect... I think they are amazing jeans though - fab fab purchase.
DeleteEek. To be honest, I think it's worth holding out to see what the likes of the higher end retailers do if you're after something specific.... But there are now so many other options with offers regularly that I don't think you need to hedge all your bets. Having said that - it would be rude not to have a look....!
ReplyDeleteI'm not jeans hunting til the spring. I am sick of all my skinnies but in the winter nothing else seems to do. I'm not brave like you so not baring my ankles outdoors until at least March (it was -6 here when I got dressed this morning)! But I thought I'd comment just to say wow your legs look amazing :-)
ReplyDeleteOh you lovely thank you! MINUS SIX??!! OMG where are you? I am an ankle bearer all year... Although I have to say, one of the reasons i'm looking for a looser pair is that I do want to wear them with ankle boots. Which isn't proving easy. AKA impossible...!
DeleteModerately north Scotland :D I'm thinking of taking clothes shopping inspiration from Canadians :O xx
DeleteOh gosh. Hoping it doesn't get too much colder than that....!
DeleteLove that black outfit from &Other Stories! I was going to buy some dark wash skinnies for winter (I might still...) but I found some Ralph Lauren navy skinny chinos in TKMAXX for £35, which I think can double up as smarter trousers. I'm definitely better at buying jeans if I actually go and try them on, if I order online they tend to fit really badly!
ReplyDeleteI can pretty much tell straight away when I pick up a pair of trousers or jeans whether or not they'll work. But onine pics? NO idea!!!!
DeleteHave you looked at the M&S ones? There's a pair like the Mango ones above: "autograph selvedge high waist girlfriend jeans" £59. Although M&S sometimes cut quite generously around the hips and bum so not for everyone (me).
ReplyDeleteyes! Someone above has ordered them, I tried them on previously and they were too tapered on the leg for me and yes, as you say, rather generous around the bum area which didn't work for me (pancake arse..!)
DeleteKat, have you tried Citizens of Humanity "Ada" jeans? Online images make them appear v slim fit but in reality they are looser through the leg. Being straight cut, you get a subtle flare when you turn them up - especially if you cut the hems for a raw edge finish . Picked mine up in TKMaxx for £50.
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't - will have a look in TK MAxx, thank you - great suggestion!
DeleteI really enjoy reading your blog as you always have good ideas and this one was especially well timed as I am very much in need of some raw edged dark washed jeans to go with my new silver boots! However nothing like that exist in my little mountain town here in Arizona and the nearest city is a 2 1/2 hour drive away! Oh how I miss a high street! So maybe I will just need to suck it and deal with another round of returns to find my perfect pair. At least I have options now, so thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh WOW. How long have you lived there?? Bet the other advantages are huge though - fabulous outdoor quality of life??!
DeleteI'm having problems too. I want jeans that look a bit different from the skinny but not too baggy because then my footwear (which looks good with skinny) looks wrong with a looser fit! Perhaps we are going wrong by trying to find the ONE pair of jeans to fit ALL outfits?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very good point. I am always on the search for one pair of jeans that do everything. When the reality is that they don't exist and we need a couple of pairs!
Delete