It’s that time again! I got TONS of feedback from my last dressing room diaries so I am so excited to bring you the next installment all about DENIM. Next to swimwear, denim is one of the trickiest items for people to find. We are all shaped so differently so not every fit, fabrication or style is going to fit everyone. So….I decided to give you a little bit of insight on one of my favorite brands of denim: Madewell.
*When trying on denim, most styles should fit comfortably snug at the waist.
Why do I love Madewell? Multiple reasons which include:
- Price point-normally between $98-$135
- Variety of Rise-anywhere from an 8″-10″ (and if you are wondering what “rise” means, it is the distance from the middle of the crotch seam (right between your legs) to the top of the waistband)
- Fabrication-some stretch but still feels like I am wearing jeans, not leggings
- Jeans for all ages
The brand offers lots of different styles, so I selected a few to “try out” just for you!
9″ High Rise Skinny
I tried these in my regular size of 28. I have a short to average length torso, so this rise is perfect for me and fit right AT my belly button. All of the Madewell jeans have a pocket technology that helps to “really” hold everything in. I love the wash of the denim, lighter with some distressing at the knee (but not a hole). And I LOVE a chewed hem because it shows off the skinniest part of your leg with ANY shoe. Con’s: I would prefer it it the whiskering at the hip area wasn’t so profound but it doesn’t bother me enough to not recommend them.
10″ High Rise Tulip Hem Skinny
I tried these in a size smaller (27) because the rise is higher. When the rise is higher, the waistband is going to hit you at a different spot. Normally that will be in the smallest part of your torso. Things I love: The lighter color for Spring/Summer. It offers more variety to my wardrobe. No distressing (which some of you might like) but the color is still casual. The tulip frayed hem at the bottom is amazing! It cuts up on the sides which is super slimming to the leg. These jeans have some stretch but again, still feel like jeans! This rise is great for someone with a long torso. Con’s: For a shorter girl like me, the 10″ rise (while sounds amazing) is a just a weeeee bit too high for me.
9 1/2″ Rise Cali Demi-Boot
These are a bit of a wild card style, even for me. I tried them in my regular size (28). They fit straight through the hip and knee and then flare at the ankle. If you are looking to add some variety in STYLE not WASH to your denim wardrobe, these might be for you! The fabrication is thicker like a real denim, but still has some 4-way stretch which felt great. They are supposed to have a “9 1/2 rise, but they felt more like “8 1/2 to me which would hit me right below the belly button. The raw hem was a fun detail and if I were to try them, I would be styling them with something with a heel….probably.
8″ Rise Slim Boyfriend Jean
I know what you are thinking, why would I wear an low rise jean when I can wear a high rise that holds everything in?? The boyfriend style is a super relaxed look jean. These jeans are not supposed to be worn super fitted so the lower rise didn’t bother me at all. I was actually surprised at how much I liked these. They had a thick raw denim feel but some slight stretch. The hem is raw, but they hit at a weird spot on me (short leg problems) so I did a messy roll at the bottom. Con’s: These are fairly cropped one me (I’m 5’3″) so they are going to be REALLLLLLY cropped on someone taller. But, if you you are taller, they do have an alternate slim boyfriend style with a 10″ rise….just a heads up, these run BIG.
Perfect Summer Jean
Oh man guys, I really wanted these to be perfect. They are that “cool girl, light blue wash with that old school california feel” jean. But, my 30 something year old body is just not used to 100% cotton jeans like it used to be…like when they were around…. probably about 20 years ago. They are about a 9 1/2″ rise which was ok but the fit was a little off. I tried my regular size first and it was a HUGE eye opener because they were like, really tight. The sales people assured me that they are meant to fit super tight and then relax after a couple of wears but, I felt like I really needed to size up. So I did, and I loved everything about them, except that now the waist was too big. Womp Womp. So if I were going to buy these the waist would have to be taken in. Heads up if you are a girl that has that problem (little in the middle but bigger in the bottom or hip area) do not underestimate the power of alterations. If you do love these and want to try them, know that 100% cotton will stretch out and not bounce back like your regular jeans until you wash them.
Other Styles I love (and already own)
The Roadtripper-Basically like the Traveling pants jean, they fit almost everyone.
The 9″ Button High Waist Ankle Skinny– Just my all time fave, fit, color, details…EVERYTHING.
So if this dressing room diaries tells you anything, it is that you cannot pay attention to size! Even when you are trying on from one brand, there can be all sorts of different variables that come in to play to change the way something fits.
Secret Stylist Tips:
- Did you know that Nordstrom sells certain Madewell styles? So if you are wanting to try them and get your Nordstrom Notes from them, check them out here.
- If you do shop at the Madewell store, you can bring in a pair of old jeans to donate and they will give you $20 off your jean purchase.
- Madewell and Jcrew are part of the same company and Jcrew just started doing this promo as well!
- Don’t forget to do all of your denim tests before committing to buying your jeans. Sit, squat, jump up and down…you know the drill.
Shop all of the above styles here! Happy Shopping!