Hello! I’m Margaux, the newest indiDenim intern. This is my first blog post and I’m going to get real on why I love stretch denim.
Okay let me first say that although I’m not exactly plus size, my weight does fluctuate 5-10 pounds in either direction depending on the weather/emotions/time of year/stress/and whatever else happens to come up. The first line of defense is my stretch fabric jeans. Plus Size Jeans through indiDenim use stretch denim, but you can also make any other style with stretch denim too. I made a custom fit jean on indiDenim based on my good day measurements and then the stretch denim allows me to still wear them on my bad days.
My second line of smoke and mirrors is wearing a dress over my jeans. I know, I know, this look has a bad reputation but my dress is never below my knees. The point is to look the opposite of dumpy here. I find that it fancies the jeans up a bit (as well as hiding my real or imaginary unsightly areas). From my experience form-fitting or short A-line dresses work best. Any dress resembling a moo moo will make you look like just that. The great thing about stretch jeans is that the stretch denim hugs your body and gives the appearance of slim legs under your dress.
What do you think? Vote in the poll below to let us know what you think about dresses over jeans. Also make your own stretch denim jeans below!
We’ve said it time and time again—inside every closet must be a great pair of jeans that fit. At indiDenim, we know that although jeans are absolutely vital to ensure your fashion survival, they do only account for half your wardrobe equation…
So when it comes to helping you get dressed in the morning, although we love denim more than chocolate cake with strawberries, we remind ourselves to always think about the whole picture—bottom and top.
A few weeks ago, we wrote a blog about how to wear one timeless item—the blazer—with a pair of bootcut jeans to create a great, classic look that will never go out of style. This week, it’s time to talk about how to pair another basic we love—the white blouse—with your beloved custom jeans.
Wearing a white blouse with denim is a versitile look and can easily be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. Don’t be afraid to showcase this style on Fridays at work, a day trip on the weekend, or even when hitting the town for a nice dinner.
Whether you wear it casually or for a dressier event, it’s important to remember that your blouse should always be fitted in the arms and chest (at least until the “boyfriend shirt” makes its fashion debut).
To put a trendy spin on this class look, we recommend tucking your blouse into a pair of wide-leg trouser jeans. Accessorize with a bold necklace a red heel, and you’ll show off how sometimes being in-style requires just knowing what items never go out.
As the weather outside gets frightful, it’s only natural that we ladies start to fear the skirt and embrace the pant. Even with the practical invention of tights, if there are icicles hanging off the windows, we are definitely less inclined to show some leg.
So, of course, to whom do turn in times of need?
Hello, denim!
Now opting for denim at times when you would typically employ dresses or skirts (for evenings out on the weekend or casual work events), means that you need to know how to pair a perfect-fitting sophisticated jean with a perfect-fitting sophisticated top: the blazer.
Like a great pair of jeans, the blazer is an item that is absolutely essential for every woman to have in her closet. With a jacket that’s fitted and cropped and a dark wash pair of jeans, you’ll look stylish, sophisticated and ready to go for any cold weather event.
And this great look is not just for the ladies—men can rock it too. For the guys, pair a classic wash jean with a tailored blazer over a tucked or untucked collared shirt. If untucked, just be careful that the tails don’t hang too low or you’ll look disproportional.
So remember—whether you’re a lady or a gent, when putting together jeans and a blazer, it’s crucial that both pieces fit. An oversized blazer or pair of jeans that don’t fit your measurements will leave you looking sloppy.
And looking like that, you might as well be left out in the cold.
posted by: Adrian on December 21, 2009 at 5:49 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
jeans,
dark jeans
“I said BRR, it’s cold in here. I said there must be some Toros in the atmosphere! I said BRR…”
What better way to welcome Old Man Winter than with a quote from the classic movie, Bring It On? (Not to be confused with the sequel, Bring It On Again).
Although the cold, bitter months are approaching, here at indiDenim, we refuse to condone un-cute outfits. I know, I know, the colder it gets, the more prone you are to wear sweatshirts and body jackets, but the times for a shabby winter wardrobe are over. Together, we must commit to staying fashionable—even when the temperature is 10 degrees below frickin’ freezing.
That is why we dedicate this blog to one of our favorite winter garments: the sweater.
Ah, Sweaters, the essential winter item that can go terribly wrong if worn the wrong way. It may be freezing, but again, there’s no excuse to look like your grandma, or worse yet, a curtain.
But pairing an essential winter top (a sweater), with an essential winter bottom (jeans, duh), must be mastered.
The key to success? Balance.
Realistically, the colder it gets, the more “sweater” you will want to wear, which may practically draw you to styles that are a bit chunkier (think wool knits, turtlenecks, ponchos, etc).
In order to best balance bulkier sweaters, we recommend a slim fitting jean. If you’re wearing a bulky top with a pair of loose jeans, you may end up looking a little more like your elementary school teacher than a festive fashion diva. And nobody wants that!
If you’re going to go for a sweater that is longer in length, this is a perfect opportunity to pair this style with a tight fitting skinny or boot-cut jean. Again, this will maintain that important balance we’ve been talking about.
Whatever sweater you choose, just remember: keeping warm is important, but looking comfortably cute is just as crucial. So bundle up! And never style down…
posted by: deborah on December 16, 2009 at 11:24 am
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
jeans,
slim fit jeans
With all the feasting and fun to be had in the next few weeks, it can be stressful to pick out party clothes and make sure you don’t wear any outfit twice. And considering the economy, this is definitely not the time to buy multiple dresses that you may only wear once.
So what’s the solution to looking great during the holiday season and getting around the unspoken “don’t repeat” rule?
Answer: A great pair of jeans that fit. And besides, it’s no secret that you can wear the same jeans every day and no one will ask questions…
But I know what you’re thinking. Jeans? At a holiday party? This brings me to confront a very popular myth about these annual shindigs: Truth be told, most are actually not black tie affairs. But although this is the case, I will say that many of these festive occasions do require a bit of effort on your part to “tis the season.”
A few months ago, we posted a blog about jeans for going out and we recommended that if it is a fancy affair, it’s always best to go with a pair of dark denim. Dark wash skinny jeans or bootcut jeans are great options for an evening of jolly cheer. To show your love for holidays, dress up these jeans with shiny accessories, dainty clutches, dressy shoes, or an embellished satin top with sequins—however you accessorize, they are guaranteed to go fabulously with dark jeans.
This holiday season, indiDenim is dedicated to helping you put jeans back into the “dressy” section of your closet. So put your holiday party stereotypes aside and remember that jeans are on the guest list for every party this year.
Have you ever wondered why every time you shop for jeans in the mall, you fit into a different size?
Think about it. Isn’t it a bit curious that although your waistline stays the same, your closet is full of 8s, 6s, or even 4s? With such discrepancy between labels and sizes, shopping becomes a guessing game in which you should rightfully reward yourself with a latte when you correctly answer the question, “What size am I going to be today?”
So if you’re not gaining or losing weight, what’s the deal with the difference in sizes? Cosmopolitan just published this great article tackling this very question on vanity sizing. Let me help break it down:
Basically, women are so consumed with being thin and measure up to a size 0 ideal, that designers manipulate their sizes to make women feel like they are smaller than they may actually be. This is called vanity sizing. As the article describes, this is when “designers add extra inches of fabric to clothing without changing the number on the tag.” Great. It’s not like shopping for jeans isn’t hard enough already.
As a result, our anxiety to fit into smaller sizes and the variation of sizes themselves causes us even more of a headache. This means that without ever being able to identify with just one number, we are forced to pull at least two or three jean sizes into the dressing room with us. This means more time, more effort, and ultimately more frustration.
We at indiDenim understand your stress and know how difficult it can be to deal with the never ending size confusion. With custom jeans, you don’t have to worry about vanity sizing—every jean is custom made to your measurements.
Unless you were hiding in you basement in the late 1990s and early 2000s, we don’t have to tell you twice that when it came to denim, low rise jeans were all the rage.
Per usual, our favorite celebrities embraced the latest and greatest trends, including Christina Aguilera, who, in her Dirty video, flaunted her—and we quote—“tight hip huggers, low fo sho.”
With such inspiration, low rise jeans got so low, and hence so fashionable, that choosing the right pair of undies was also a crucial decision. After all, if you were sitting, your panties were showing, and if your panties were showing, they had to be cute.
So how low did the low rise go? Just to give you an idea, the rise of a “normal” pair of jeans (of course this varies from brand and fit) falls at about 10 inches from your crotch. But eager to rebel from these measurements, designers satisfied our thirst for new trends and sculpted low rise jeans with lower rises—some at 7 inches (gasp). Pushing the low rise envelope even further in years following, many jeans even dipped as low as 3 inches (double gasp).
These hip huggers famously flaunted any woman’s love handles, and in 2001, doctors even came out to say that low-rise jeans could cause meralgia paresthetica, a condition that is characterized by numbness in the thighs…whaaaaattttt?
So how did this all happen? Was our low rise obsession and abundant purchases of pretty underwear worth potential medical risks and guest appearances from our fleshy bottoms?
Of course it was.
Because when it comes to jeans, we are a slave for denim fashions, and we always will be.
So let’s take a step back and reminisce about our low rise jeans with warmth and admiration because if fashion trends serve us correctly, we’ll be seeing those panties again soon…
Isn’t that right, Christina?
posted by: deborah on November 17, 2009 at 1:51 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
low rise jeans,
jeans
Yes, we all wear belts as a practical utility to keep our jeans in place, but wearing the wrong belt and jean for your shape can make you look like one big fashion DON’T (see: Jessica Simpson, below). And at indiDenim, we simply cannot allow that.
So based on your figure, here’s what you need to think about to best accessorize your waistline and literally pull your outfit together and keep your jeans up:
* For taller, lanky women, choose a thick, wider belt to help accentuate your curves.
* For women with a larger mid section, pick a dark colored belt, which will help draw attention away from your tummy.
* For petite and curvy ladies, try something skinny and colorful. You want to show off your skinniest part, without choosing a belt that is too large and in charge.
When it comes to styles, remember that whether you’re going for a look that’s formal or casual, everything goes with jeans. So have fun pairing a great belt with jeans to express whatever style you’re feeling.
This is why we love denim so darn much—matching is easier than putting your socks on. So go crazy and get creative with the materials. Try ribbon, metal, leather, skinny, thick—whatever!
Just do us a favor and make sure it *flatters* your body (sorry, Jessica)...
posted by: deborah on November 9, 2009 at 6:20 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
denim trends,
jeans
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