The Budget Fashionista

thank you, thank you, thank you..

I am fifty something, want to look good. Your advice about the jeans is very useful. Please continue to provide info for us 50+ who still want to look great.

DKNY has always been very “accomodating” to my hips and thighs, and sometimes CK jeans, too.  Now here is another suggestion I hesitate to make because it can go grotesquely, wrongly astray in the wrong hands… but Gloria Vanderbilt jeans, if you get the low rise, boot cut styles, can make the mature figure look surprisingly modern.  That’s because they’re extremely generously cut in the thigh, and the denim-to-spandex ratio is practically inverted. However, it’s of critical importance that you go nowhere near the high-waisted, peg-legged GVs that take up 90% of the shelf space in most tacky department stores.  You have to dig for the boot cut.  And if you’re going anywhere really fashionable, wear a tunic to cover the logo. But these are really the perimenopausal woman’s best friend, I swear. From the mid-thigh down you’ll look like you belong in the current century.

As a woman approaching 50 I know jean shopping can be hard.  I like Lucky brand “Easy Rider” jeans, and BKE sold at Buckle stores in my area “Easy Street” and “Wendy stretch” for date night jeans.

My mother and I have both tried dozens of pairs of jeans - and I’ve recently written on this subject in our blog - J Jill’s new jeans are BY FAR the most comfortable, best fitting and stylish jeans for older women who haven’t lost their smaller waist to broader hip proportions even if they’ve gotten heavier. Great for pears and hour glass figures. I cannot say enough good things about these jeans. I live in them!

OK, let me clear up two misconceptions with this article.  The first misconception is that women over 40 need plus-size jeans.  I am not as trim as I was at 20, but I’m not overweight, either. Age is not an excuse or a reason to get fat.

The second misconception is that any woman under 40 SHOULD be wearing low-slung or too-tight jeans. Let me tell you what I see, when I go to the mall.  Young women in unflattering, low-cut jeans, with bulges hanging out all over, stretch marks, cellulite… That fashion looks horrible almost every woman.  I doubt more than 3-5% of the population can get away with wearing this type of jean and look good doing so.

So, good idea, bad execution.  Jean manufacturers have never manufactured jeans for women with curvy figures.  Even when I tipped the scales at 100 pounds, I still had a 10-inch waist-to-hip ratio.  By the way, I am not quite yet 40, but feel I can “weigh in” on this issue on behalf of curvy, yet not overweight, women everywhere!

Actually let me clear up a misconception about the misconceptions

1. Only two of the above jean styles listed are “plus size” focused. In no way am I suggesting all women over 40 are plus sized. I know plenty of 40+ women rocking Sevens, Antik, etc.

2. You can be “plus size” and not be “fat"- especially when it comes to jeans. My mom isn’t “fat”, but she’s got back like most african-american and latino women.

3. I agree with you completely about the low-low rise issue- but jeans with a rise slightly lower (like a 1/2 inch) than your natural waist are actually flattering on most women.

French Dressing jeans are the BEST fitting jeans I’ve ever worn - I am one of those women (50 years old) with a small waist and larger hips and thighs and they fit me to a tee!  Stretchy, look great (compliments from men and women ALL THE TIME) and you can wash them and throw them in the dryer and they never shrink!  I’ll admit that $60 - $70 is quite alot to spend on jeans, but they are most definitely worth it!

I’m 51 and constantly on the lookout for a pair of great fitting jeans. I need a 30” waist, prefer a 9.5 to 10” rise, and 31” usually length, depending on my heel heigth. My problem besides the lower rise jeans flooding the market, is I have a flat butt, and skinny legs. Most jeans make my butt look funny. Gravity is a cruel thing. I have in my closet now...’vintage’ Express with a 9.5 rise, ‘vintage’ Calvin Klein bought on eBay with a 10” rise, Ralph Lauren Saturday jeans which have a higher rise. I’ve also found that trouser jeans flatter the butt, if you can find a pair with a higher rise. I’ll pay whatever it takes for a good fit.

The Budget Fashionista is absolutely right. French Dressing Jeans are the best out there for women “of a certain age”. I just celebrated 60 and have tried many brands over the years. You don’t have to be a teenager to enjoy wearing jeans! FDJ just plain fits a more “womanly” figure. And, yes, I do get questions about what brand of jeans I wear. They are worth every penny!

Should a plus size young woman (25) go with a darker wash rather than a lighter wash jean?

WELL I RECENTLY PURCHASED MY MOTHER WHOM IS A GRANDMOTHER A PAIR OF APPLE BOTTOM JEANS IT LOOKS LIKE SHE THINK SHE 18 AGAIN AT THE AGE OF 46 I WAS PROUD OF HOW IT BOOSTED HER SELF ESTEEM I WAS HAPPY FOR HER IF OPRAH CAN WHY CAN’T SHE???

I just recently purchased a pair of French Dressing Jeans (Easy Fit)and at age 48 I believe they are the best pair of jeans I have ever owned.  The compliments regarding them and the inquiries from other women regarding them are countless. I will have to admit it is also the most money I have ever spent on a pair of jeans at $68, but will watch for sales from now on.

Oh Heck...I’m sticking with sweat pants!

It’s all about which jeans fit your body best.
I am a sassy, active 52-year old - tall, slim and hourglass shaped.  I LOVE Levi Strauss Signature Low Rise Bootcut jeans in dark crosshatch denim (Color-Eve).  These jeans fit like someone took my measurements first, then created the perfect jeans!  And only $19.95 a pair.  Since I REALLY do live in jeans (I work at a large college campus AND am a part-time student), I bought several pairs.  With only a touch of spandex (1%), they are superb!

I have what some call a ‘white girl with butt shape’. It’s not flat, but the top portion is slightly. I want a jean that will make my butt sit up nicely. I am 49 and gravity is taking it’s course. What jeans are out there that can make my butt sit up nice and round?

I am helping my mom by going shoping for jeans with her.  Could anyone tell me where to find the French Dressing jeans that many found so flattering.

I am helping my mom by going shoping for jeans with her.  Could anyone tell me where to find the French Dressing jeans that many found so flattering.

I’ve found Ralph Lauren Saturday Jeans to be the best fitting, but cannot seem to find them to buy them.  Does anyone know where you can still get them?

My mother wears Marc Aruel jeans. She is 56 and looks FAB in them. They are a heavy denim jean which every woman with a bit to hide ( we all have something!)should own.

They are a pricy though.

Try Land’s End jeans.  They have a variety of styles.  I have the trouser style, and am going to try the new skinny style.  They are a little higher in the rise, so no “love handles” hangover.  I laughed at the writer’s comments about the Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.  I,too tried some of the bootcut jeans on, but just couldn’t bring myself to buy them because of that little swan and the pocket stitching!

I didn’t see FDJ French Dressing jeans mentioned on the list.  At our small shop, we have women that purchase 3-4 pair each year for years on end.  There are a host of different styles to choose from, each for a different body shape.

They are definitely worth checking out.