Fall |

Unicorn Pants

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Well hi! It appears my Weekly Rundown is conspicuously missing from this weekend. My apologies. I have so many good things to share, but just ran out of time to put the post together. Never fear, there is always this weekend.

Anyway. Jeans have been on my mind. Ever since my end-of-skinny declaration and all your comments, I keep trying to think through the-future-of-jeans situation. I’m a “solver,” and I often have a hard time letting a topic rest until I’ve come to a point of resolution. I’m trying to come up with a go-to pair of jeans in my closet. The kind that you can pull on without much thought for a soccer game or for a day of cozy sweater-wearing, and pretty much anything else you want to do.

I have a lot of great denim in my life, old Levis, cropped flares, relaxed fits, dark wash skinnies, distressed skinnies, and part of my motivation for finding that ‘go-to’ pair is to have fewer pairs of style-specific jeans, in favor of a more universal pair. But I am starting to wonder if that is an impossible request and those ‘go-to’ jeans are just a unicorn. I thought the 501’s (pictured below) could be my go-to’s, but I just can’t seem to make myself love them. Maybe I just need to give them more time. Or, maybe they’re too tight in the waist. I really like the shape of cropped, straight leg denim (like these by Frame), but a 27″ inseam is just too drafty for me on most fall and winter days.

What are your ‘go-to’ pairs of jeans?

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[ Dylan Fedora, Yellow 108 | Sutton Blouse (S/M), c/o Only Child | Levi’s | Heel Boot, c/o Everlane | alpaca sweater, Zady, sold out ]

In other denim-related talk — do you remember how, when non-tapered jeans were getting popular, everyone starting cutting slits up the sides of their jeans, to widen the bottoms? I have seen a few jeans like that around (in stores/blogs). I wonder if that’s going to become a thing again.

In non-denim related news, did you see that Everlane released their 2016 cashmere crewneck sweater for a lower price than last year? They’re taking their radical transparency to the extreme. Pretty savvy move, it creates a bigger demand and makes them look good.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

xo,
Andrea

20 thoughts on “Unicorn Pants

  1. You may not love these jeans, but this outfit is a winner! I bought this sweater on sale and ordered an M which is way too big for me, so I’ll probably eBay it. How do you handle mistakes like this? I want to shop form companies like Zady more often but their return or exchange policies make it difficult and costly.

    1. Thanks Alex!

      It is a bummer that this sweater was final sale. Because it was on sale I think. I also got the M and it is quite large on me too, but I’m just wearing it like an oversized cardigan. It’s so warm! I almost never buy final sale items though, for this reason! If I get stuck though, I usually have the best luck re-selling on Poshmark.

  2. My skinny jeans are still my go-to pair, but I could easily see myself in a pair of high rise, cropped, straight leg like the ones you linked to on Frame. I wish vintage 501’s looked good on me, but my body shape doesn’t work to give me the silhouette I want. If they fit in one place they are baggy in another. I love the whole look on you above – perfection!

    1. I think vintage jeans are truly tough!! These are new 501’s, and they are all cotton with no stretch, that can make fit a bit challenging at times too!

      Thanks for your kind words Rebecca! :)

  3. My throw on any time pair of jeans really changes with the weather. In winter my charcoal skinnies are just the best because I find the tight fit the warmest, they are super stretchy and work under my bulky sweaters, plus they happily tuck into boots keeping them out of the sleet and snow. In fall and spring I tend to prefer my bootcut levis and skinny black ankle jeans since they are a bit cooler (does anyone besides me find that ankle draft up non-skinny jeans to hugely influence my temperature?).

    My charcoal skinnies are probably the all around pants heros in my closet since I get cold easily, plus I wear them and roll them a fair amount as soon as the weather dips below 75 degrees. I love the color, the stretch is awesome, and I like them with my cold and warm weather shoes. They are definitely an example of spending a bit more on something you really love paying off (paige jeans-the most I’ve ever spent on a pair of jeans before). And as much I like to think of myself as the kind of person who could be a purist with 100% cotton jeans, that little bit of stretch is just more comfortable and handles small weight fluctuations better.

    1. Yes! The draft factor is huge! I’ve been trying to wear taller shoes to help keep the gaping parts warm. But when it’s full on winter, I am sure most of my ankle-grazing pants will be out of rotation!

      Your charcoal skinnies sound really cute! I tried on a pair by AG over the weekend, and really liked them! I agree, 100% cotton has such nice structure, but it definitely not as comfortable!

  4. I definitely remember cutting slits in our jeans! The first (and only) time I took scissors to the hem of my jeans, my dad nearly killed me! Haha. Really love this look – those boots totally make the outfit!

    1. Ha! I’m glad someone remembers it! My memory is foggy, but it seemed like it was everywhere. I remember in the 7th grade, finally getting my first pair of flare jeans and feeling so in love.

  5. Those 501’s look great on you — mine are SO tight on the waist, I don’t love wearing em as much as I want to. My fave pair of jeans are the Madewell straight leg. Just high rise enough, just stretchy enough, good for work or play. I am yet to try so many other brands though.

    1. Yes! Mine are so tight too. I am not sure who is going to budge first, me or the jeans!

      Those Madewell jeans sound cute!! If only I shopped there. I’ve bought two pairs second hand, but haven’t had the best luck with them. Wah!

  6. Hi-rise skinny jeans are my go to on any day and most occasions. I love mine from Madewell because they don’t stretch out.

    Have you ever taken the Strengths Finder test? I took it and one of my top five strengths was Restorative. It sounds a lot like your need to find solutions to your problems. I’m the same way. My mind rarely rests until the problem is solved.

    1. No, I haven’t taken that test, but I’m totally intrigued now! Sounds like we are similar! My mom has to coach me to just listen sometimes, and stop trying to offer advice to fix things! I bet you are the same way!

  7. I have the hardest time with Levi’s. I think the fabric on a lot of their denim is too thin to be flattering. I have great luck with American Eagle mid and high rise jeans, but I know they’re not ethical by any stretch of the imagination, so I buy them sparingly, wash them sparingly, and hold onto them forever.

    1. Yes, I definitely agree that the fabric is think on their 700 series line. The 501 line is thick, 100% cotton, so it’s very structured, but the structure can be kind of unique and not very universally flattering. Thanks for the tip on American Eagle!

  8. I just splurged on a pair of Imogene & Willie Catherine jeans tonight (super high waist, trouser legs) and am so eager to FREE. THE. CROTCH. Seriously, I can’t wait to rip my skinny jeans off every night when I get home. And anything less than high rise (and even some high rise) just ISN’T since having three babies. I haven’t fully decided if I am keeping these Catherines (because hello, too cool for school), but I hope I do…because I do feel cool in them. And comfortable.

  9. I’m sad I missed this post when it was fresh! I totally feel the need to switch from my beloved skinny jeans, but the other styles out there (apart from high waisted flares) just make me feel silly. My day to day life is not hip and glamorous or even cool- DFW hasn’t come close to making the switch from skinnies to more trendy wide legged cropped jeans yet, so I would stick out like a sore thumb and have my sense of style questioned left and right. Rather than make myself uncomfortable, I just invested in two high waisted skinnies from Madewell, blue and black. I figured I’d still get years of wear out of them, even if DFW gets hip enough to move into wide, cropped pants. I won’t hold my breath though. Plus you’ll never convince me that high waisted anything is tired- its too flattering! Anyway- good luck in your search! Don’t convince yourself you have to say goodbye to skinnies because everyone else is!

    Kate

    1. Oh Kate, this is such great feedback! You end it with such great advice, and I’m keeping that in mind. It’s so easy to get swept up, but trying hard to stay focused on my personal style. My day to day life is definitely not hip and glamorous either (think: grocery stores and school playgrounds) yet, the allure of cool clothing is so strong! I’m trying to find a way to meld it all so I can sort of have my cake and eat it too.

      So funny to hear that about DFW! For being such a big area, I thought there would be more fashion-forward folks. Your two pairs of pants sound perfect! I bet you will get lots of use out of them this fall and winter.

  10. The first pair of jeans I loved was a pair of 501’s. That was in high school and now I want them back. I found a pair at Crossroad’s the other day, but I think they were just too snug to feel cute or comfy. I’m going to keep looking. In the meantime, I’ll be over here coveting yours. ;)

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