Reader Question for the Community:
I went out to shop for jeans yesterday. Four hours later and I left empty handed. What a disappointment. Too low slung, too stretchy, too "cool". To put it bluntly, NOT jeans.
Muffy, could we open this up as a question for the community? Where will people buy their jeans in 2017?
For what body shape, size, height, etc?
ReplyDeleteBought a bunch at L.L.Bean last month. They come in medium tall and tall lengths, are over 90% cotton and come in a true high waist.
ReplyDeletePerfect timing. I am going to order from Land's End. There are different styles and cuts. As with nearly every article of clothing I buy, I will choose the closest approximation of fit, and head to the tailor.
ReplyDeleteThank you Muffy for posting my question! For those asking, I am 5"8 and a lean hourglass.
ReplyDeleteI'm 5' 9". I think you'd have a goof fit with L.L.Bean's "True Shape" jeans.
DeleteThank you Averyl. I'll take a look. I've been thinking of buying a couple more Boat & Tote's so a pair of jeans could make the journey across the Atlantic with them if suitable. Perhaps a timely purchase is on the horizon.
DeleteYou're welcome! I just say my typo. A GOOD fit, not goof. :)
DeleteI also just brought home two new Boat & Totes, this time zippered and with the Insignia monogram which I love.
SAW not say. Today is not my day for typo-free typing, but you can still trust my denim recommendation!
DeleteSome time ago the NYT mocked Barack Obama because he was wearing unflattering jeans. In the same article, Harrison Ford was given high praise for his wrangler 13 MWZ. The writer went on to mention that Ford married Calista Flockhart in a pair of WranglerJeans.
ReplyDeleteI wear wrangler 13 MWZ with an oxford cloth button down, and Aran cabled sweater , duck boots from LL bean and maybe sometimes my Brooks waxed cotton black watch jacket and I don't feel overly rodeo. Jeans like khaki's are just a canvas for a painter. The portrait can be any scene I want to paint.
The original Wranglers are hard to beat. What feels good in a saddle also feels good in my office chair. As good khakis are getting almost impossible to find, I think I will be wearing more jeans.
DeleteLevis. The perfection of classic simplicity.
ReplyDeleteI usually buy my jeans from Madsen's Shop, a logger supply shop in Washington. They aren't very stylish but they do carry women's jeans from Carhartt. The also carry Muck boots. I guess you'd do better looking elsewhere. Bailey's has a lot of stuff for women but I've always liked Madsen's.
ReplyDeleteI am in Texas so, Wrangler 13MWZ.....and yes, I wear them with my boat shoes. ( and with my Justin boots)
ReplyDeleteI don't often wear jeans and haven't invested in years, but I have to agree with Michael Rowe, classic Levis! For men, 501s if you can find them. Not sure what's a good style for woman as they've probably changed. (I love that woman from behind in hers!)
ReplyDeleteI did wonder if I should bite the bullet and try the men's department. I've heard good things about 501's. I've started to borrow from the boys for shirts (and even socks are better quality in men's stores) so a leap of faith into the denim department might be needed. It's such a shame that today's "designers" seem to think that all women want to flaunt their waist and wear everything skin tight. I reference styles from the mid-90's quite a lot and the denim on women back then was flattering. Where have those styles disappeared to!?
DeleteI bought my 5-button 501s in the men's department years ago. They look great on my husband but they're a little wide in the leg for me. Perhaps there are other men's styles that are a bit slimmer fitting for a woman. Also, my daughter has found some old school Levis in the second hand shops that are the perfect wash. I wonder if they still make the style pictured here - they look great!
DeleteFrom L.L. Bean, or Lands' End, of course, just as I have since the late 70s.
ReplyDeleteJames Redhouse
I'm eagerly awaiting all of these replies because I have the same issues with jeans. But I do want those two little cavaliers. Thanks to everyone who responds.
ReplyDeleteLevi or LL Bean. The "True Shape" ones are better than sweats for at home wear. They have some elastic in them, so very comfy for sitting and reading, watching tv or yard work.
ReplyDeleteMust say, this is a surprising topic for Muffy!
I won't be buying jeans this year. I don't wear them. Khakis only.
ReplyDeleteLevis.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a lot of searching for a great cut, therefore, I usually buy one pair every two years.
Bills Khakis almost exclusively. One pair of jeans that are from Bills.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I wear jeans is for gardening and yard work, because you can't beat sturdy twill-weave denim for those activities. By the time your regular chinos and cords get old and worn out enough to wear for serious dirt-grovelling, they're too soft and thinning.
ReplyDeleteI wear LL Bean jeans that have the high waist just because I can't find any others that fit.
ReplyDeleteBills Khakis are hard to beat.
ReplyDeleteAll my jeans are LL Bean. They come in tall, regular and petite. I wear tall, slim cut. The color selections are great too. They wash and wear well. During winter months I wear LL Bean silk long johns underneath. This adds warmth on cold NE months.
ReplyDeleteAll cotton straight-cut Levis.
ReplyDeleteLLBean. Can't be beat.
ReplyDeleteActually, never mind the jeans, I want the spaniels!
ReplyDeleteJeans, Muffy? Though they do serve a purpose, I suppose, as pointed out upthread. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of the man wearing jeans with ironed-in creases. I'd like to think that most of the time he is a pleated khakis man.
The surprise of this post has made me smile. Thanks for mixing it up Muffy!
Like Mary Anne, I was surprised that Muffy was featuring this topic. It is interesting that the same names keep cropping up. My husband favours Levi's and I have had success with Lands' End jeans however, their jeans are now on sale and I suspect that they are going to change the styles. Again.
ReplyDeleteLL Bean Double L jeans in light blue. Best jeans hands down. I've been told they are "dad" jeans but I don't care I like the look and they serve their purpose (yard work, winter dog walks, etc)
ReplyDeleteWrangler. However, I prefer khakis/chinos. Much more comfortable. I have four pairs of Wranglers left which rarely get worn. I used to like Lee's as well. If I get an itch for jeans again, I might try LL Beans. BTW, what's the difference between khakis and chinos?
ReplyDelete"BTW, what's the difference between khakis and chinos?"
ReplyDeleteAge & geography ;)
More geography. All men, and most women, wear jeans in the South, no matter the age. Khakis are seen as dress pants here. I taught in khakis an OCBD, and some form of sports coat, my entire career.
DeleteTo join with others--I've been happy with my LL Bean jeans for years. The True Shape straight looks clean and lean--without looking like I'm trying to fit in (fit into something too tight or too young). I also have their new performance jeans and get compliments every time I wear them. I've gotten compliments on both of my pairs and people never believe me they are from LL Bean.
ReplyDeleteWe wear jeans in Jackson Hole and buy them locally. They fulfill a function and the fit us loose. Very comfortable, too.
ReplyDeleteBasic Wrangler 13MWZs. They fit better than any I've ever worn. I "rodeo" them, the way we wear them in the West - heavy starch and sharp creases.
ReplyDeleteI wear khaki 13MWZs and either an OCBD or a Rockmount shirt with a bolo or necktie when I have to really dress up. Blazer is optional.
DeleteI usually wear Levis, sometimes Wranglers.
ReplyDeleteA few months ago, I bought a pair from Carhartt. They are great quality and very reasonably priced. I may be a convert.
Try this, new additions, size up for desired fit;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jagjeans.com/womens
http://women.duluthtrading.com/store/womens/womens-pants/womens-jeans/womens-jeans.aspx
http://www.nydj.com/
Jeans? No thanks.
ReplyDeleteThrift store. I can try on a cartload of different types. Last time out of like 30 pairs I found 6 that fit well. And paid $10 because jeans were on sale that day.
ReplyDeleteLand's End...I am a little "hippy" and these fit well. Residing in the forest areas of the Southwest, I wear jeans daily...most often with ocbd and cable sweater combinations. Sometimes a turtleneck sweater and tweed or barn jacket, and often my thick soled oxfords from the "Bean". Perfect for casual business, lake fishing in the forest and most activities in between!
ReplyDeleteFor ladies looking for a fit similar to the men's 501s, Levi's makes 501s for women. The legs are not as wide as the men's. But read the label, as there are 2 versions. One version is all cotton, the other has 1% stretch.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bitsy. That's good to know. The bottom of the legs in my men's 501s makes me look like an elephant, they're so wide.
DeleteLLBean double L - 100% cotton. I'm always on the hunt for clothes without any stretch and these fit the bill for jeans. cheers!
ReplyDeleteFor me (a woman) I buy from lands end as I can get high waist in a 32" inseam, which fits me perfectly.
ReplyDeleteFor my husband, he is liking vineyard vines for the past two years. Prior to that his came from Ralph Lauren or LL Bean.
UNIQLO
ReplyDeleteKhaki is a color and chinos are a type of trousers.
ReplyDeleteI tend to stick with Levis, but have been pleasantly surprised by cheaper brands before. It's just a matter if they fit and the quality is good enough... and yeah, I'll never buy low cut or skinny jeans ( yuck ).
ReplyDeleteI've been teaming them with turtlenecks and sweaters I recently purchased and for the cool to cold weather we've had lately they're more than warm and comfortable.
Diamond Gusset jeans are made in Tennessee, come in a good variety of cuts, and I find them comfortable and durable, and very economically priced. It's always good to buy made in USA
ReplyDelete