Big Jeans
Giant. Important. Maternity-friendly. (But not all at once.)
The plan this week was to show you a bunch of new styles to start the year off right, with an emphasis on low rises because, well, they’re back. First thing I did: Purchase an abundance of full-priced pairs from my favorite retailers. Exciting. Believe me when I tell you that I never saw coming what happened next.
They didn’t fit. And not just, like, wrong-for-my-body didn’t fit. Huge. AGoldE’s Clara Baggy Low-Rise was so big I could pull it on and off without having to unzip it. Citizens of Humanity’s Ayla Splice 100% organic cotton straight leg swallowed me whole. Same with the Devi Low-Rise Tapered jean, which could, I thought, be my kind of low rise – low, but grown up (not too tight in the butt, or too wide and JNCO-y). Mother’s The Down Low Spinner Heel fit my waist, but was so long – a 34” inseam on a size 25, what! – it was hard to see its potential. Even the Italian designer jeans were swimmy. I ordered everything in a size 25, which, for as long as I’ve been writing this letter and longer, has been my go-to in these brands and most others.
For the record: I haven’t lost weight. The jeans I’ve been wearing for months fit me like they always have. In fact, all of my current clothes fit me like they always have.
I’m not interested in writing about bad jeans in this letter (I’ve tried on plenty and my motto is: Move on). The jeans I bought are good jeans, and I’ve already exchanged some of the above styles for a size 24. But a 24? I haven’t been a size 24 since my early thirties, when I was at my lowest point in love and life and not taking very good care of myself.
Stroke of strange luck or an industry shift towards vanity sizing? Maybe everyone – designers, included – needs time to get the new low rises right. Jeans, in my opinion, are not something you wear “oversized.” A sweatshirt? Fine. But not jeans. So, more on these styles soon. In the meantime, my longtime favorites are always at the Jean Bar, J.Crew has big stuff this month, and here’s how I dealt with maternity denim.
J.CREW: Limited Edition Point Sur Denim Trucker Jacket
All of the jeans coming out of J.Crew right now deserve a look, but this jacket that Creative Director Olympia Gayot posted made me stop and search.
Interestingly, J.Crew is using “lower-rise” to describe styles like this one, as if to gently wean customers off the high-rises they’ve come to love. (Again, I think we’ve all just started adjusting to the shift; J. Crew’s “lower-rise” is 10”, which is not that low for those of us who remember Frankie B.’s 4” button-flys). For brands that deliver newness every month or more, January is typically a big one for jeans. We just spent all of our money on the holidays, here’s a practical and worthy purchase, is the general message. J.Crew’s reads loud and clear.
PARAVEL: Aviator100 Denim Suitcase
Yesterday, the sustainable luggage company Paravel introduced suitcases trimmed with the denim scraps from New York City’s garment district. The limited edition Denim Aviator100, which comes in two sizes, is made almost entirely of post-consumer materials: The polycarbonate case, the negative nylon interior lining, the aircraft-grade aluminum handle, and the denim trim – all recycled. I packed 12 pairs of size 25 jeans in the carry-on, comfortably. Now, where should I go?
p.s. the JOJ Chat is currently dedicated to sustainability. Upcyclers, reworkers, vintage sellers – start a Thread. Sell your jeans. Promote your friends. I love it all.
Ask Me Anything (about denim) is a service I offer to paid subscribers because I love helping people find jeans and put a lot of thought into my recommendations. Maternity solutions and questions about what I wore when I was pregnant get requested a lot (and fit the theme of this letter), so here’s what I say: First, congrats to those of you who are expecting. If you’re feeling dissatisfied with your skinny, stretchy-stretch options, you are not alone. Bodies making babies will change. Our style and denim preferences most often do not.
For both of my pregnancies, I bought cheap (under $100) vintage jeans in much larger waist sizes, then used these denim adjusters as I grew. (My usual waist size in vintage Levi's is a 29... I went for 31s and 32s). This worked until about the third trimester. After that, I lived in a pair of OshKosh overalls that my friend Kelly wore when she was pregnant, secured on both sides with rubber bands, or – at the very end – unbuttoned and covered up by this jacket (above). If you buy overalls, make sure they have side buttons (some fashion-y ones do not). Go big. Think men’s. If I was pregnant today, I might buy these and hand them down to you all until infinity to help justify the price. Certainly, these would do the job just as well.
That’s it for today. If you’ve just subscribed, Welcome! Trying on jeans to save you the trouble of buying ones online that don’t fit is fun for me. I hope I can be helpful. As always, thank you all for reading.
Jane
More to read… Vintage! Vintage! Vintage!
Redline Jeans: Some say selvage, and I like selvedge. Potato, potahto.
Vintage Jeans, Part I: How to shop for it online.
Vintage Jeans, Part II: What to ask and where to start when buying online.
I need that 34” inseam with a 25” waist! Send that pair to me!!!
Paravel suitcase - so cool and unique!