It’s crazy to think that the photo above was taken a year ago, in New York, when I was only 8 weeks pregnant. I remember heading into the fall season and thinking that my beloved “front tucked” style would be a thing of the past for the next 9 months… of course, a very small price to pay for the end result. And while I wore many of my jeans well into my pregnancy (thanks to the help of a bellaband) I didn’t make any new denim purchases last season. So, when it came time to shop around + try on different pairs of jeans for this fall/winter season I was a tad excited. Over the last several weeks, I’ve tested out multiple pairs, pulled out a few old favorites, and decided to round them up for you today.
Almost every pair, with the exception of one, is under $100 and fits amazingly well. I’ve broken down why each pair is my favorite below….
EVERLANE CHEEKY BOOTCUT JEAN
This pair has the perfect amount of slight stretch…. hugs in all the right places… and has a very flattering high waist fit. Sometimes I high waisted styles have a small gap around the waist, but this pair sits perfectly without anything spilling over. I purchased these in the regular length + ended up cutting them myself to a 21″ inseam (DIY tutorial here) which provided the perfect cropped look. You can see these jeans styled another way here.
(TOP)
LEVI’S 724 STRAIGHT CROP JEANS
I bought this pair last year right before I found out I was pregnant. They have excellent stretch to them + I, of course, was drawn to the distressed hemline. Moderate distressing in the thigh area as well. I sized up one, as I typically do with Levi’s.
EVERLANE KICK CROP JEAN
One of the first pairs of jeans I purchased after I had Camille. These are not as giving as some of the other pairs I own, so I sized up two sizes. Several months postpartum and they still fit very well. The high waist is similar to that of the Cheeky Bootcut Jean in that it sits nicely on the waist with no spillage. Again, I cut the hemline, but I can’t remember the inseam length for these since I did it so long ago. Another way to style them here.
LEVI’S CROPPED 501
I bought these jeans for our getaway last weekend and was sold the minute I tried them on… so much so that I immediately took my fabric scissors to their hemline (another 21″ DIY job). My favorite part has to be the distressing, but also that the leg is more of a “girlfriend” fit… not super baggy, but looser than some of the other pairs featured here. I sized up one size. Can’t wait to wear them more throughout the season….
(TOP)
TOPSHOP RIPPED MOTO MOM JEANS
These are one of the higher waisted pair of high waisted jeans I own… so they’re great if you like a shorter shirt (as opposed to a longer length). I went up two sizes in these, as I find TOPSHOP sizing to be a little on the small side. The length was surprisingly ok, which was nice because I really liked the distressing down at the ankles.
FREE PEOPLE RELAXED SKINNY JEAN
If high waisted isn’t your thing, then this is a wonderful alternative. They’re a “higher” mid-rise (hit right below the bellybutton) with all my favorite distressing details… perfect length, meaning I was able to keep the original, frayed, hemline. I initially purchased these two sizes up and they fit… so I ripped the tag off. Yet after a wear or two they stretched out significantly, so much so that I couldn’t wear them without a belt…. so I repurchased them in one size up and they fit much better. I’ll likely get the waistline taken in on the bigger pair and they’ll have more of a “boyfriend” fit to them.
(BODYSUIT)
MADEWELL HIGH RISE JEAN
Ok, so I’ve had this pair of jeans for almost 6 years ago. They’re amazing. Obviously so well made + the high rise fit is perfect. I loved them so much that I purchased the maternity style when I was pregnant. When I bought them they didn’t come in varying lengths (they now come in petite + tall as well) so I had to cut the hemline, so what you see is six years worth of distressing. I can’t recommend this pair enough if you’re looking for a skinny, distressed, black jean.
(TOP | SHOES)
