Being a child of the 90’s meant most of my adolescence was spent in lycra, shellsuits or some sort of printed leggings. I was always too willowy for jeans growing up. My mum would drag me into Topshop and Miss Selfridge while my older sisters shopped all the latest styles and I could only look forward to the hand-me-downs in a couple of years! When my arse finally filled our enough to get into denim it was all about bootcut jeans, matching jackets and the odd Playboy motif here and there (oh yes!). Luckily skinny jeans arrived (thank you Kate Moss) and I’ve never looked back. A decade later, I’m embracing different styles and colours but rarely stray from the old faithfulls.
Finding the perfect pair of jeans is no mean feat. In fact, it’s the shopping task feared by many and is successful for few. Different styles, cuts and sizes vary from shop to shop and we often end up wearing one pair to death. Sound familiar? Thought so. One woman who has jean shopping down to a T is the denim queen, Donna Ida. Fed up with never finding the right pair, Donna founded her own company and has made a (very) successful career out of stocking amazing jean brands and pairing customers up with their ideal fit. If you want a great starting point, Donna’s tutorials on your body shape can be found HERE.
In the meantime, I’ve done a bit of online shopping for you guys and found some of the best pairs of jeans for the new 2018 trends (I skipped the crazy ones!). Are you ready?…
CROPPED FLARE JEANS
When these first became a trend I didn’t thing they’d catch on. I spent my style forming years constantly pulling down my jeans to ensure the dreaded Jack-up didn’t occur. But low and behold they’re still here and strangely, they’re growing on me. With fashion bloggers such as Megan Ellaby and Lucy Williams leading the way in the cropped jeans stakes, it shows that teamed with a well-placed ankle boot and a teddy bear coat, you’re well on your way.
MOM JEANS
If there was one thing I hated my mum wearing on the school run it was jeans and a beige trench coat. But it turns out these are two of the most coveted items in my wardrobe and they’ve seriously earned their style stripes. It takes a meticulous eye and a strong will to avoid starchy foods when rocking a mom jean because getting that top button up after a bowl of fettuccini is no mean feat, believe me! I can’t say I’m a total convert, but teamed with a quirky loafer or a well stacked heeled boot, they do look Insta-worthy.
COLOURED JEANS
There are two camps in the world of coloured denim – the tentative shopper who won’t stray from the classic blue or an occasional white and the all-out extrovert who has a wardrobe stacked with red, green and pink hued slacks. I fall into the former but with spring just around the corner, I’m thinking of opting for a more unforgiving shade, squats permitting.
UTILITY JEANS
It might be the trend of 2018 but how practical are utility jeans on anyone other than Gigi Hadid? Turns out, not very but full points for trying. If bells, whistles and the occasional strap isn’t your vibe, there are more subtler options from Zara and Topshop. With a dash of khaki and a hint of a metal loop, you can declare yourself on-trend without the out-there extras.
LOW SLUNG JEANS
Bum slinging jeans with a sagging crotch and a hint of Clavin Kleins on show doesn’t exactly scream fashionista unless your Marky Mark, but relaxed jeans are back. OK, we’re not exactly expecting to see the reformation of New Kids On The Block but hipster waistbands will be a permanent fixture for spring/summer and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. After only just embracing a high leg, I feel pretty good about leaving denim styles of the noughties right where I left them – in a clothes bank in Tescos carpark.
SKINNY JEANS
Ah the old faithfulls. Skinny jeans hold so many monumental moments and memories for me – from breaking in my first Levi’s to whipping out a bare ankle on the first warm day of the year. But finding the right pair depends on three things – the cut, the colour and the stretch. The perfect pair of skinny jeans have to hug your bum, caress your hips and thighs, skim your calves and retain a 1cm gap at the ankle so you can walk, am I right? And yet they remain the holy grail of jeans. But these are some of the best brands who know their shit when it comes to good skinnies.
