Growing up, I never wore jeans. I tried to get on board with them, but every time I pulled them on in the changing rooms, I would soon rip them off, admonishing them as unflattering and uncomfortable. As I entered my late teens and ‘Mom’ shapes became popular, I slowly started to understand which styles suited me. Edging away from the skin-tight pairs of indie sleaze, and toward the looser cut of Levi’s 501s, I finally began to appreciate denim’s appeal.
Since then, my line of work has opened me up to a whole new world of denim; I’ve tried on more than 100 pairs of jeans – in the name of research – over the past two years alone. You could say I’ve become somewhat of an expert in the field. From premium brands boasting £500+ price-tags to pairs that you can find for the same cost as your morning coffee, I’ve learned how to differentiate when it comes to denim.
Wearing my Uniqlo EZY Wide Straight jeans
In many cases, premium pairs are well worth the investment. I swear by my Ayla jeans from Citizens of Humanity: the denim is top quality and the cut is designed with female figures in mind, leaving room for movement while sculpting in all the right places. Likewise, I adore Agolde’s Luna Pieced barrel-leg style. While they too are priced at the higher end of the spectrum, the subtle curve falls elegantly around the legs and the high waist smoothly shapes the hips. I recommend both of these to anyone in the market for a premium pair.
However, when it comes to affordable styles, it’s Uniqlo that consistently comes out on top for me. The one pair that I recommend time and time again are the wide straight jeans: a relaxed, straight-leg style that comes in at just £35. While some straight jeans can lean more on the skinny side, this pair leaves ample room for your upper legs to move freely, falling in a straight line down from the knee. The soft cotton makes them comfortable enough to lounge in, while the smart silhouette makes them office-appropriate. Another detail worth a mention is the semi-high waistband, which is the perfect height for T-shirts – not too high and not too low on the waist.
After waxing lyrical about these jeans to anyone who’d listen, they’ve now also become a wardrobe staple for a handful of my most stylish friends. One pal has sized down for a more sculpting effect, while another has sized up for a lower-slung, relaxed silhouette. Personally, I prefer to stick to my true size, which fits like a glove and has remained a consistent failsafe for the past three years.
You too can have your denim dreams come true. See below for the exact same pair I swear by.
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