My love for denim runs deep. I'm the type of weirdo—I mean, person—who doesn't take off her jeans and throw on sweats immediately upon returning home and who actually chooses to wear jeans to hang out around the apartment (a first-class offense according to some, but perfectly normal according to me).
Even after a recent closet clean-out, I still own over a dozen pairs of jeans, and if there's one thing I've learned from denim shopping over the years, it's that not all pairs are created equal. More importantly, not all pairs fit everybody equally. Popular L.A. brand PAIGE is setting out to change that with its newly launched Flaunt collection, and I simply couldn't keep the news to myself. The line is all about perfecting the waist-to-hip ratio for women blessed with hourglass figures, so naturally, I tapped two of my favorite fashion insiders to try them out and report back. Below, Rahel Brhane and Vanessa Romo put the jeans to the test while styling them with their favorite fall pieces.
Like many women, Brhane used to get so frustrated while shopping for denim. "Traditional 100%-cotton jeans would always give me a ridiculous gap in the waist area, and I thought that jeans were just not meant for me," she says. "I often had to settle for jeggings as the closest thing to actual jeans. Thankfully, brands like PAIGE have started to take feedback from their customers and make jeans for different types of bodies." She no longer fears what was once a daunting task. When shopping for denim now, Brhane says it's all about the fit. "Since I was blessed with fuller hips and thighs but a smaller waist, I need to ensure that jeans hug my hourglass figure without giving me the infamous gap in the waist area. My go-tos are high-waisted or ultra-high-rise styles."
When styling this look featuring the light-wash Femme jeans (my personal favorite from the collection, ICYWW), Brhane wanted to create the perfect everyday look. "I always find myself leaving my house in the morning and not coming back until it's late, so when styling the jeans, I wanted to create the perfect fall look for running errands around the city and meeting for dinner right after," she tells me. "I paired the jeans with a black sweater with beautiful flared cuffs, a leather jacket, and chunky boots. When it comes to styling high-rise jeans, my tip is always to tuck the top into the jeans. By doing so, your shape gets enhanced, and you can see how well the jeans fit. Did I nail it, or did I nail it?" I think I speak for everyone when I say that Brhane did, in fact, nail this look.
Romo has faced similar denim challenges. I mean, haven't we all? "It's difficult to find a pair that fits well in all areas, especially the waist and hips," she explains. "Sometimes the waist is perfect, but the hips are so baggy. I've also found it nearly impossible to find well-fitted jeans that don't give me a camel toe. It's rough out here." Her denim preferences—beyond avoiding a camel toe, of course—vary depending on the outfit she's styling. "I usually gravitate toward high-waisted styles because they help define my waistline, but for the leg of the pants, I look for something different, whether it's a wide leg, straight leg, or boot cut," she says.
I personally don't break out my black jeans until about mid-September, so I'm excited to get some styling info from Romo, especially as I, too, have been gravitating toward skinny styles lately. "I love how soft and stretchy the jeans are. They move with my body so comfortably," she says. "This outfit is all black and white to create a classic vibe, and I think it's perfect for an everyday setting. It could even be worn in the office with the top buttoned up and tucked in."
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