I'm going to try really hard not to make this painful.

It's about buying jeans.  If I say it really quickly then the pain will pass - like ripping off a plaster.  Maybe no-one will even notice.  Apart from if you're looking for jeans and then I will shove up on the "hell that is usually purchasing jeans" bench and we can brave the ride together. 

It really shouldn't be painful, should it?  And to be fair, I do have lots of jeans over the years that have worked out really well for me.  Hell, one of my fave jeans are from Zara, they were £15 in the dregs of the sale and are marked a size 8.  There is no way on earth I am a Zara size 8 (cripes, I'm a medium if not a large in most of their trousers) which is probably why these beauties were left on the not wanted pile.  Plus they're stupidly long which won't work for most people.  Utter heaven for me though.  Zara trousers always used to be randomly long - which was a mystery seeing as Spanish women aren't known for their height.  I used to buy all my work trousers from there and not have to shorten them at all.   But someone clearly cottoned on and they're now all back to being half mast on a tallie like every other retailer.  Spoilsports. 

Sorry, digressing there, but to be fair, length is one of the reasons why I find it hard to buy jeans.  There's cropped.  And then there's pedal pusher.  Which no-one wants. 

Plus the rise.  I went and tried on a whole load of Seven (7FAMK) jeans the other week and oh my lord.  Cut for a 12 year old girl.  I know I've had three kids and I do have hips but they're not that bad.  I didn't so much have a muffin top as an entire bakery hoofing it's way over my waistband.  And for the princely sum of circa £200, I'm thinking I'll leave it to the kids whose parents have more money than sense. 

My find of the season so far has definitely been the double zip skinny jeans from Mint Velvet.  Excellent medium rise, hiding all the blobby bits most of us have, skinny but not sausage skin skinny, lovely thick fabric with the right amount of stretch.  That doesn't over stretch during the day.

But this time I am yet again after boyfriend jeans.  Don't all groan, this time it is going to be quick and easy, I promise.  I did manage to find one pretty perfect pair earlier this year that I wear a lot.  I wear them at night, I wear them during the day - a dark distressed denim.

I would, however, like another pair.  Yes I know I'm being greedy, but I would love a dirty denim pair.  That bluey black denim that isn't a dark indigo and isn't a true indigo - essentially it's a dirty dark blue.  Looks a bit like rancid denim.  Which clearly sounds vile but honestly I love and am hankering after a pair.  

With all these bonkers sales codes still around for tonight it would seem churlish not to at least order a couple to try.  And obviously send them all back - it's internet shopping for heaven's sake and we all know how successful that can be when you need it to work.  But at least you get to try them on in the comfort of your own home and with the shoes/tops/jackets that you want to wear them with. 

So let the search begin. 

My favourite ones that I've just mentioned are from Gap.  They're not true boyfriend, they're Real Straight jeans rolled up  They were £14.99 in the sale and I love them.  The boyfriend ones do however get rave reviews from lots of people but they are (yawn yawn yawn) too short for me.  Veering definitely towards pedal pusher territory.  (28inside leg not rolled up which is short for even regular jeans.   And of course it's the one pair that Gap don't do in a longer length.  Which is irritating much) 

They do however have 30% off - I believe it may end today - use the code SHOPGAP at checkout.

1969 Sexy Boyfriend worn selvedge Jeans £69.95 (as I've mentioned before, the addition of Sexy in the title is purely down to Gap.  I don't happen to think this is a selling point but clearly someone in their Product Management Dept does.  Probably a man) 

These are slightly cheaper in a normal denim - again the 1969 Sexy Boyfriend jean in a Koko wash £49.95 (full price) 



My absolutely fave "boyf" jeans (ie the only ones that I have that are winter worthy) are the Real Straight ones from Gap.  I bought them in my size and they are on the large side.  Which, to be fair, is the sort of look that I wanted.  I did try sizing down and the fit was horrible on me.  I would definitely purchase another pair if they had the wash that I'm after. 

This is the nearest colour to what I'd like but it's too clean an indigo.  I'm looking for something a little dirtier/greyer/blacker.  On the upside though, they do them in different leg lengths, the denim is a lovely quality and they're not too expensive.  Mine hang slightly looser than they are here, so if you're after that look I'd say order your usual size.  If you like the slimmer look like here, then size down.  They're the ones I wear a lot.  

1969 real straight jeans in mid denim £44.95




Moving onto slightly more expensive but the cost per wear for me on these is amazing.  As it is with most jeans if you think about it.  I have mine for years, wear them all year round both day and night to dress up and down.  Considering the prices from JCrew in the UK, these are positively bargainous.  I still can't believe I haven't been to the actual store.  Truth be told I do fear I may come out with only one kidney.  And a lot of new JCrew stuff. 

Vintage Straight Jean in Ontario Wash from JCrew £128



Vintage Straight Jean in Abbott Wash  £168  Too light for this time of year but I love the shape.  WIll be sales hawking for the Spring perchance. 



ASOS has got into the act as well with the discount madness and now has 20% off everything for 24 hours (not entirely sure when this ends which isn't entirely helpful, apologies - think it may be 8am tomorrow)  Code is 20EXTRA

Maison Scotch boyfriend jeans with rips £125  Love these - the colour is much more what I'm after but the model is only 5ft7 and so these will be knee length on me.  Really not too bad a price with 25% off. 




These aren't particularly on brief but I have become very partial to a wide turn up.  Really like the look of them.  These are slightly lighter than I wanted and I didn't particularly want too distressed but I'm happy to give them a go - especially with 20% off.  Plus it bumps the order up to free next day delivery which is a result and if you're returning one pair, you may as well return several. 

ASOS Brady Slim Boyfriend jeans in vintage wash  £38 (before discount)



Another pair which I LOVE are the MiH Phoebe Jeans - £220 full price but 20% off with the code from ASOS

I have ordered these earlier in the season and sent them back as they were just too expensive to be ever so slightly too short.  As I mentioned, I really love the wider turn up - which I appreciate is likely to provoke controversy.  The feel of this denim is just gorgeous and to be honest, although they are expensive, if they were a perfect fit (they are a perfect colour - they're slightly lighter than they are here, the ones I had anyway) 




Karen Millen Boyfriend Jeans £99 before discount I think these are the same as ones I tried on earlier in the year and for me they are ever so slightly too skinny.  I know, I know this is the trap I fell into before but I do think I would like them slightly looser.  Absolutely adore the colour though.  Gorgeous.  I may well order just to scratch the itch as they are on the longer side of most.  Model here is 5ft 10. 



Whilst we're on the subject of ASOS, the Saxby were the boyfriend jeans that loads of people raved about in the summer.  They've now been consigned to the bargain basement but at this price, it would be positively remiss of me not to order to try (again - I did in the summer but I was wallowing in denim hell and couldn't see the wood for the trees.  Death by Denim.  I should revisit) 

ASOS Saxby Boyfriend Jeans in Vintage Rip and Repair now £17.50 


And in light wash Vintage Rip and Repair only £15.50 (I do recall ordering both and not being able to tell the difference At All between the two!) 



Straightleg jeans from Boden now £34.30  These definitely aren't the colour that I'm personally after and I've never tried them but every time I've mentioned boyfriend style jeans, people always recommend so I should include them. 




And another recommendation for the Mango jeans which again I didn't found worked for me but I know a couple of people who they look completely perfect on. 

Mango Dark Wash Boyfriend Jeans  £31.49




And finishing with a real ringer.   I haven't always held supermarket jeans in the highest regard.  Which is wrong considering I'm not actually a jeans snob at all - I have pairs from Primark and H&M - I certainly am not a high end denim purchaser.  But I've always had a mental block when it comes to supermarket jeans. 

So when I stumbled across a pair of boyfriend jeans in Tesco the other day that were the ideal shade, the exact right amount of distressing and the perfect looking shape, I was gutted to find out that they weren't in my size.  And they even did them in different leg lengths.  Obviously I can't find them online (this is the supermarket jean fairy delivering her dose of karma to me) but I think that they may have been these, although I recall they were only £14 or £16.  These do look pretty good although perhaps slightly too fitted for my liking. 

F&F Limited Edition Mid Wash Boyfriend jeans. £20 


It may also have been these which again, they don't have in my size but I'm definitely going to see if I can find them instore.  It doesn't seem that F&F do any long length jeans online.

F&F Tapered Boyfriend jeans £16


So there we have my selection so far.  I will be reporting back but jeans are such a personal fit option - it's very much luck of the draw with regards to fit for your shape and what sort of style you're looking for.  Anyone else also on a jeans hunt?  Skinny or boyfriend?

Finishing with my outfit from today.  Family over for coffee, meeting with the builder, quick trip to the supermarket and homework with the kids.  Don't know where on earth the day has gone!  For the record, it was very sunny here earlier on when I went out.  I wasn't doing a Roy Orbison impression despite the photo telling a different story.