Straight Talk

You've heard me gripe about skinny jeans. They work for some people, but they just never work for me or other people who became sausagefied because of them. The tappered legs only emphasizes the hips. However, I wanted a pair of straight-legged jeans that I can wear with some loose tops; it just doesn't look as streamlined with boot-cut jeans.

My want has been in want of satisfaction for several years. I simply couldn't find a pair of straight-legged jeans that fit me like a glove and not be shoddy or expensive. It's always been hard for me to find well-fitting pants, so it was no surprise that I couldn't find anything per my specifications...until a few weeks ago.

My last purchase before the great tightening of the belt (and still tight) was rather accidental. I had to play chauffeur and wait around for the passenger, so I decided to look for 2 specific items--the ever-elusive straight-legged jeans and a shrunken vest. At the time, I had a little bit of spending money courtesy of my Etsy gig, so I decided to treat myself to a little something. I walked into Nordstrom Rack on a whim, since I've never been able to find anything there (too hectic). Lo and behold, I found the Holy Grail within minutes.

I managed to snag a pair of J Brand straight-legged jeans for $28 plus tax (around $31 total)--60% off the Nordstrom Rack price, and way more off from original retail. If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I'm not into the branding craze, but these jeans really are great. They're stretchy, slimming, and make my legs look a lot longer. The straight legs balance out my wider hips, which is why they look so good. The hem is quite long when I'm wearing flats, but they look decently cuffed up, since the cuffs don't flare out badly like bootcut jeans do. They look flared in the pics below, but they're really not. When I wear heels with them (no cuffs, of course), I actually look tall.

It's quite a bit to spend on a pair of jeans (at least for me), but it's money well-spent. I absolutely love them! They look great when I'm wearing a loose top, and perfect for casual days.

One note on sizing--even within the same brand, the sizes vary. I tried on a pair of the same size but in a different style (turns out to be the pegged-legged type), and I couldn't even get them on. This pair, however, is a perfect fit.