Calling all my ladies with a little junk in the trunk! With fall approaching before we know it, we will be making the switch from dresses and shorts to jeans. I don’t know about y’all, but shopping for jeans is one of my least favorite things to do. It is hard finding good denim that will fit me correctly. I tend to have a smaller waist and a bigger booty and thicker legs, and to top it all off I am petite, so finding the perfect pair of denim is quite the quest for me.
To help anyone else who struggles with finding great denim, I have taken it upon myself to try on all of the jeans – different brands, styles, fits, everything. I was on a mission to find the greatest pair of denim that fits my waist, hugs my hips, makes the booty look good, and are a good length. I am also over the stage of painting on my jeans and having them so tight I can’t move.
I have compiled the best of the best that I have found during my research in hopes you too can find your perfect pair of jeans for this fall season. For reference I am a size 28 and between a 4 and 6.
You can shop any of these looks and jeans by clicking the pictures and links below or by downloading the LIKETOKNOWIT app and follow @brittanybakkum!
Levi
The holy grail of all denim and one of the most iconic denim brand in the whole world can you guess? To be honest, I have not owned a pair of Levi’s until a couple days ago. I am now a Levi fan. First of all the quality of the denim was outstanding. I wanted to find a good pair of vintage style jeans for this fall, and Levi was the winner. I ended up with the 501 Skinny Jean in the Day Dreamer wash. They are actually on sale for under $70 so now is the time to get yourself a pair.
You should have seen me in the dressing room. I brought in no joke 10 pairs of denim. In all different sizes, lengths, and washes. I am a true 28, and in Levi I ended up being a 28W X 28L. It was really funny to see me in the 32 length jeans because the end of the pants went past my toes. Once I decided on my size, I started the search for the perfect pair of vintage fit denim. The 501 Skinny did the trick for me. They are high waisted, have a button fly (which is so flattering), slightly cropped so I can wear with sneakers or booties, and the booty looks good. It checked everything off of my jean checklist.
Now I did not walk out of Levi with a pair in hand. I noticed that they were having an online sale. So after I decided on which ones I liked, I went online and ordered them for much cheaper!
Madewell
OH MY GOODNESS I DID IT! I don’t think I have ever put on a more perfect-fitting pair of jeans in my life. I did a little happy dance in these in the dressing room of Madewell. I have heard people RAVE about Madewell jeans, and until I put these on, I didn’t know what all the hype was about. The moment I stepped my first leg into this pair of denim, I knew it was going to be good. The 9 inch high waisted skinny are officially now my new favorite jeans. They hit right above my belly button, the material is so soft and comfy, and the length is perfect (it hits right below my ankle). I am wearing a 28 in these and they are true to size. Online Madewell offers petite sizes, but in-store I have on the normal length. If I want a more cropped look I will order the petite online.
I was always so hesitant of Madewell denim because they are kind of pricey, but I know jeans are an investment and I fell so in love with this pair, I will be saving up to grab a couple more in different washes and colors.
Express
Express has been my go-to for denim since high school. Expressndenim is good quality and doesn’t break the bank. The jeans I have on in the picture were my go-to skinnies last season. They are the Legging High Rise in size 4 short. I like getting a size 4 in these because I like my skinnies to feel snug. The material is soft, and there is just enough stretch so you don’t feel like you can’t move.
Express had a great selection of denim from different washes, styles and embellishments. I am not the biggest denim embellishment person because I don’t like the feeling of everyone being drawn to my booty because of all the sparkle on my bum. But a subtle embellishment is more for me! However, these skinnies are plain on the pockets so I can wear anything with them.
Abercrombie and Fitch
I don’t know about y’all, but I feel like every and any blogger talks about the Abercrombie Mom Jeans. I have been hesitant to try a pair on because the last time I stepped into an Abercrombie and Fitch was probably in middle school and I was looking for the tightest, skinniest, and most low-rise jeans I could find. Needless to say things have changed for the better. Fast forward 10 years and I am in the same store looking for mom jeans.
I gravitated for the black wash in these because I loved the look of them when I saw people on Instagram wear them. I ended up having to size up to a 29 in order for them fit my bum and thighs. I think these are a a great pair of jeans, but since I had to size up to fit the booty, it made them baggy everywhere else. I did not love how baggy they were around my knees, but still thought they were extremely flattering.
Right now Abercrombie has 50% off of most styles of jeans making the mom jean under $45!
Zara
Now I don’t have a picture in Zara’s dressing room because the lighting was so horrific I couldn’t even edit it to look semi-decent. Zara is a more budget-friendly option for buying denim. They usually range between $20-$50. Out of all the jeans I tried on, the high waisted black skinny with a raw hem were my favorite. I ended up wearing a size 40 which is a US 8 so definitely size up. They were extremely high waisted, an inch above my belly button. They do not offer short or long sizes, but the length worked with my short legs. There was so much stretch in this pair I felt like I could do a yoga class.
I also tried on their vintage mom jean and wasn’t impressed. They are extremely stiff and the hem didn’t hit me right. They were too long on me. But if you are a couple inches taller than 5’3″ then you should be good on the length!
Old Navy
For another more budget friendly brand I decided to try out the denim selection at Old Navy. I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for. Personally, I do not mind spending a little more on denim because I wear it 7 months out of the year. However, Old Navy surprised me with their quality of jeans.
I brought one of every kind of jean they sell into the dressing room with me. I landed on loving the Pop Icon skinny in the medium wash. I wear a size 6 Short in Old Navy jeans. I could have gotten away with the 4, but I liked the more relaxed fit of the 6. The Pop Icon are mid-rise, they hit me right below the belly button and hit right above my ankle which is the perfect length for me. I like the rip detailing, but that they are not ripped all the way down. I was impressed with the quality of these jeans. At a whopping $30, I had to bring these home with me! They were originally $44, but were 40% off.
I also liked the boyfriend jeans that I tried on. They were a mid-rise relaxed fit. However, all over the store they were advertising their Rock Star Super Skinny jeans. I pulled a couple pairs in my size because the signs were everywhere so I figured they would be a good pair of denim. However, I was disappointed. They were super thin, did not feel like denim material and were so skin tight you could see every bump and detail of my legs. I quickly took them off and was not impressed.
There you have it, my top denim picks for the upcoming fall season. All of the jeans I tried on fit how I like my jeans to fit- my smaller waist, my bigger bum and muscular legs, and then the right length for my small height. Every body is beautiful, and not every body can fit into a size 2 jean like a lot of advertisements. That is why I wanted to try to find jeans that will be flattering on everyone. Let me know your go to denim brand!
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