When you shop for jeans, keep in mind that not all jeans are created equally; because the fabric is cut by machine, each pair can vary slightly (or not so slightly) in fit. If you are shopping in the mid-to-low price points (anything Banana Republic and down), you will need to take multiple pairs of the same size jeans into the dressing room with you. I am entirely serious -- grab all the size whatever jeans in the style you think you want, plus a few pairs that are one size up and a few more that are one size down, and haul the whole load into the dressing room. Because not all size 8 or 12 or 16 jeans are made the same way, and there can be substantial discrepancies from one pair to the next.
Are you tired yet? You know, since I just suggested that you will need to try on 68 pairs of jeans to find ONE that fits? Sorry about that.
Length is almost as tricky as overall fit. We tend to worry, in the dressing room, about the waist and hips part of the jeans, and we often wind up not really looking at the length. But you really do need to look, because jeans that fit you through the waist and hips but don't quite meet the top of your shoe will still make you look wider through the mid-section, which undermines whatever good fit you might have there. When you go to look for jeans, either wear or take the shoes that you will ACTUALLY put on WITH the jeans. I so deeply despise shopping for jeans that I will often take two or three pairs of shoes with me, because then, while I'm IN the dressing room with my 74 pairs of jeans, I can try EVERY POSSIBLE COMBINATION of footwear.
Because the only thing I hate more than SHOPPING for jeans is having to RETURN them. Ugh.
What kind of length are we talking about? Let's start with flats: the jeans that you are going to wear with flat shoes should break SLIGHTLY over the front of your foot. I prefer a more dramatic break for my own jeans because I have a long waist and short legs, but that means a longer hemline, which really is difficult to wear without shoes. A pair that is long enough to cover the back of your shoe but not so long as to drag on the ground or trip you up is perfect for every day, as long as you are wearing flats.
With a heel, of course, you want a longer hem, ideally one that will hang to within about a quarter of an inch (or less) of the floor. The idea is NOT for people to see your entire shoe, but only the toe. Jeans that are cut to wear with heels really DO need shoes; there's no going barefoot with this length. Then again, I assume that if you're putting on the jeans that are hemmed for your heels, you are actually GOING somewhere, like work or dinner or out on a date, and will be leaving your shoes on. Right? Right.
If you want to go with a cropped hemline, choose one that is CLEARLY cropped, not just a wee bit too short. Cropped pants should hit one or two inches above the ankle bone, for the most flattering look. Jeans that stop below the ankle bone will leave you looking like you are awaiting a flood; jeans that hit too high on the calf will make you look as though you have had a miraculous late-life growth spurt. Either way, it's not a good look.
What if you find the PERFECT pair of jeans in the wrong length? If the issue is that the leg is too long, you can have them tailored, although I have to admit that I tend to save this for pants that are NOT jeans, because it can be difficult to get jeans hemmed so that they don't LOOK hemmed. If you do find the Perfect Pair and need to have some alterations done, look for a tailor who specializes in denim, and who can recreate the original hem. In the end, it comes down to this: you will need to try on a LOT of jeans, in various styles and inseams, with the right shoes, before you come up with a pair that is the perfect length.
Doesn't that sound like FUN? Yeah maybe not.
Susan Wagner blogs about putting together a great work wardrobe that fits your life at The Working Closet and dishes out fashion advice for the yoga pants generation at Friday Style.
Read the latest from Susan on Work It, Mom!:
Five must-haves for your back-to-work wardrobeWhat you have, what you need, and how to pay for it
[Ed. note: For some more excellent help on finding the right pair of jeans, Jennifer Romolini has some good advice in this post.]
