Skinnies Season List

It's that time of year again. Where summer has begun to fade in lieu of moody temperatures and crispy, olive green leaves. For many of us, school is starting if not already in session, and while we look forward to Fall colors and a new season of fashion, some of us consider a necessary back-to-school item with dread.

Denim.

I'm a part of that (small? large?) group of people who loathes shopping for new jeans. And, without fail, as the new semester rolls around I find myself needing a new pair -- seeing as I've worn my previous favorite pair to tatters. I've spent more than a hundred dollars on a pair of jeans (because they are THAT important to me), but now I find myself in a perplexing, and now noticeably consistent, situation: I have little money to spend as a college student, but I have maintained my picky taste.

Perhaps I should have explained exactly how I'm picky. First and foremost, I limit myself exclusively to bootcut or skinnies. I also prefer dark washes (slimming) with little to no hi lighting/fading in the thigh area (to maintain a monochromatic consistency that for me is, again, slimming) and I prefer the rise to be medium or high. Hip-digging jeans are not what I would call comfortable.

Denim can be hard for a curvy girl. Really hard. I'm about as average in terms of body style as average can get -- five foot four, one-hundred and twenty-five pounds, hourglass figure. Legs shorter (always, always shorter) than I want them to be. Alas. So, despite my average tendencies, I have a devil of a time trying to find an affordable, wearable pair of jeans.

So, in honor of school starting for me next week, I introduce a list of skinnies that are both affordable and wearable. Curvy girl edition.

photo from Target

1. Budget and Location friendly:  Mossimo Women's Denim Jegging  for $18.00 USD

Target offers my needs (dark, slimming, comfortable, mid-rise) through their Mossimo jeggings (I know, I know, but these have buttons and I promise, even my boyfriend doesn't realize they are jeggings) and more. It is difficult, very difficult, to find skinnies on the cheap that don't force a girl to get a brazilian wax in order to wear them conscious-free. These are not what I would call 'high-rise', but a more neutral 'mid-rise' that I am sure is much more approachable for women.

photo from Old Navy

2. Also Budget and Location friendly:  The Sweetheart Skinny Jeans for $29.50 USD (on sale for as low as $19.50 now!)

I own a pair in a lighter wash; though the legs are a bit wider than most skinnies that I am used to, these jeans are comfortable and practical. They are great for when you want to cuff them, which I what I usually do with a pair of oxfords (like such). These jeans are the kind you can throw on and know exactly what to expect. A kind of security that is hard to find in my closet.

photo from Urban Outfitters

3. My favorite denim to date, by far: BDG Cigarette High-Rise Jean for $58.00 USD (on sale for $39 now!)

I cannot praise BDG jeans enough. They are simply the best in terms of design, comfort, color and price for what I am looking for. I can put on a pair of BDG jeans and know that I will not have to worry about the annoying habit of pulling up my jeans (don't you hate when girls do that?!) every five minutes, and that I will look good in them, regardless if I am out running errands, or eating an entire cake and drinking a gallon of milk in one sitting. They stretch, but stay slimming; comfortable, relatively durable, come in a variety of colors, and considering how expensive jeans can get, relatively reasonable. And I don't have the mom jeans' trend problem, either! These things are simply magical.

I bought a pair today, actually. Made the hour drive to the nearest UO to buy a pair. They come in many colors, lengths (26-34 inch inseam) and rises (mid and high, and I think low). They ALSO are on sale for $39, so buy some on the cheap while you can!

photo from dkny.com

4.  Well designed and reasonable (for designer-ish brand denim): DKNY's Skinny Jean for $59.00

I'm sorry for the lame introduction title; I am very much out of the loop when it comes to fashion brand hierarchy, and while I recognize DKNY isn't exactly Chanel or Prada, they aren't Forever21, either.

Moving on, my mother bought me a pair of mid-rise skinny jeans in a gorgeous textured gray denim (not an acid wash, I assure you) this past spring that I fell in love with. The pair never bunched at the bottom, and so I was able to wear flats and heels alike without feeling the need to consistently stroke my ankles and smooth out the canvas material. They are well designed, certainly, and the mid-rise is enough to hide any muffin top possibilities. The gray color was what I fell in love with.


5. Tips for buying jeans (whether they be skinnies, flares, bootcut, or boyfriend):

1. Dark washes are always slimming, always in style, and can be more easily dressed up.

2. 'Mid-rise' can have many interpretations. In a junior girls' clothing store, or a store that targets teenagers to young 20-somethings (like Charlotte Russe, for example), jeans will tend to have a lower rise. Stores with a more mature audience (Ann Taylor Loft, New York & Company, The Limited) tend to have higher-rised 'mid-rise' jeans to better suit older, curvier women.

----- Note: this rule is by no means official. Just something I have noticed in the many years of searching for the perfect jeans.

3. Always try on jeans. You never know exactly how they will look!