Happy Friday Guys!

It’s been a hot minute, but it’s good to be back. We are finally over the dreaded month that is January – thank you lawd! February is going to be a very exciting month and overall good vibes for this year, do you ever just get that feeling?

I am really hoping to continue the challenge of shopping less this year. I find the whole experience of clothes shopping so fun and exciting, it’s called retail therapy for a reason. Lets be honest though, the happiness can be short lived because the realisation of the amount of money spent can send you on a guilt trip. I am also trying to be more sustainable and not buy unnecessary cheap items, so I have to keep that in mind.

Well, I did a big wardrobe clear-out a few weeks ago and passed on my pre-loved clothes to my friends. It felt so good to let go of things I no longer needed and it also gave me a clear indication of what essentials I require. This made me realise that I only had two pairs of jeans, which I happen to wear all the time. Jeans are a wardobe staple because they go with a lot of pieces that you already own, especially if they are in the classic black or navy colours. I rely on mine so much, therefore I want to invest in a new pair.

The idea of shopping for jeans or pants in general, can be very daunting because there are numerous styles and cuts available from many brands. I personally find it difficult to shop for jeans because of my body shape – I have a small waist and big hips. What tends to happen when I try them on is that they fit really well on the legs and hips, but gape at the waist, meaning that I have to wear belts constantly to keep them up. So, I thought I would try on designer and high-street jeans to see if there was a difference on the fit.

Firstly, I popped into Brown Thomas – the place to go for all things luxurious and glam. They have a section dedicated to denim, which is folded really beautifully, size-by-size, not cluttered and that instantly put me at ease. I went straight for the J Brand’s because I heard such great reviews about their jeans.

J Brand LILLIE, Brown Thomas

WOW!!! These were the most snug jeans I had tried on in a long time. The material was soft and stretchy, it didn’t feel too heavy. These were honestly the perfect fit, because there was no gaping, they weren’t too tight and the lengh was spot on. I always go for a straight leg or skinny fit when it comes to the cut. The size I chose was 28inch. This particular style is the J Brand Lillie and I can see why they cost €310.00!

J Brand ALANA, Brown Thomas

When I am shopping for jeans on the high-street I always pick a few sizes to try as you can’t guarantee that a different style will fit the same, so I went for a 30inch when I tried on the Alanna, another J Brand style. These were even softer than the Lillie’s and there was no struggle in putting them on, but I would stick to the 28inch if I was buying them. You can see that there is a lot of gaping on the waist, so this shows that they are true to size.

Yazmin LIFT & SHAPE High Waist Skinny, New Look

I then went to New Look, a high-street favourite for denims and tried on similar styles as I did in Brown Thomas. I chose size 10 for both styles, which is the size I tend to go for with denims. The material was soft with a bit of stretch, something I always look for in jeans and they didn’t have that overwhelming denim smell. It is very clear from the pictures that the size wasn’t right for me, there was a lot of gaping, which was a bit disappointing because I liked how they fit on the legs and hips. I would definetely need a belt or get them taken in by a tailor if I wanted to buy them. Both styles retailed at around €25 each, which is reasonable but you would end up paying more to get them fixed.

LIFT & SHAPE Skinny, New Look (Image: Flash & No Flash)

Verdict: I think it’s better to invest on styles that will suit your body shape really well. I always buy my jeans and pants at ONLY, Vero Moda, Dorothy Perkins and River Island because they have a great price range along with good quality, so I will be sticking to those stores for the time being. I couldn’t justify spending €300 on a pair of jeans straightaway, but I would definitely save up for them as they are an investment – I honestly think they would last a really long time.

Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know your favourite stores to shop for jeans or pop over on my Insta: busi_zulu

Stay Fabulous!
Busi x