IRO Jeans Naverick destroyed jeans | Mine were less than $100 on sale at NM, size 30
Karen Kane top | several years old, gift from Karen kane to review
Emerson Fry Slides | gift from Emerson Fry to review
Everlane Petra Tote
So, I might have figured out the secret to finding jeans: get them to fit my legs/calves and tailor the rest. I know, not a revolutionary idea, and I’ve done it before; fitting my hips and getting the waist taken in, but I don’t LIKE to do it, and sometimes just choose not to, getting frustrated that nothing fits and giving up altogether. (I pretty much had given up, sending all the jeans I got from Shopbop back…starting from square one.)
But I was wandering around Neiman Marcus a couple days ago and ran across these IRO jeans on serious markdown (70% off!!) in exactly the dark-but-distressed wash I’d been looking for. I was already trying on other things (for research…) and decided to add these to the pile in both size 28 and size 30 (they didn’t have a 29).
The 28 fit nicely, but were just a teeny bit snug in my thighs (NOT my calves!) and were seriously low in the back when I sat down. The size 30 (seen here) fit my legs pretty perfectly, are the right length, but WAY too big in the waist. I brought them home and played around with them for a while in my closet, wearing them around the house for long enough to see how they would stretch out, and finally decided to keep them, after waiting the requisite 24 hours, of course.
My question now is how to tailor them. I’ve got them nice and stretched out now, and I feel like I should take them in stretched and get the waist/sides taken in INSTEAD of washing them and taking them in freshly laundered. If I do it then, they’ll be tight and there won’t be anything to take in! If I take them in now, my tailor can get them where I want them to be all stretched out.
To anyone who has more experience tailoring jeans than I do, what do you think? I won’t wash them much anyway (I don’t launder my jeans often at all, and even when I do, I don’t dry them), and I want them to fit exactly like you see here, except smaller in the waist so I don’t have to keep pulling them up.
So, please help: should I wash them and take them in fitting like I JUST bought them? Or take them in now, stretched out?
Thank you for your input 🙂
I don’t know! But, I am so happy you’ve found a strategy to buy jeans without angst. It’s not you it’s them:). Also, I think that distressing looks great on you. Because your style is so minimalist, it’s like embellishment, to just the right degree.
Thanks Lisa. I’d been wanting a pair of distressed jeans for a while. So happy to have finally found them!
Long time reader, first comment. Most tailors won’t work on unwashed/undrycleaned clothing. Aside from cleanliness issues (it’s kind of gross to have to handle someone’s worn clothing) it’s also an issue of pressing dirt and body oils into the fabric in the course of tailoring.
It’s really hard to see how the jeans fit your calves bc of the way that you pose your legs. I’ve noticed that this is your default pose, but it makes it really difficult to get a sense of a lot of the garments that you are discussing bc of the crossing of your legs. Just thought I’d mention it, bc it’s sometimes frustrating to not be able to see how the garment actually hangs on a real person.
thank you! point(s) taken 🙂
I’d wash them and then take them in if you still need to. Unfortunately jeans are going to stretch and shrink a little with each washing and wearing. It’s the nature of the fabric. The most shrinkage is on the first wash though. If you take them in now and then wash you may not be able to do them up to get them stretched back out.
I normally take my jeans in for length (usually jeans are way to long for me) and I wash / dry my jeans to make sure there is no shrinkage after hemming. I”m not sure what I’d do for the waist. If jeans are big in the waist, I usually don’t buy them.
Monica.
MonicaP´s last blog post ..Mold and Hold – Absolution Jeggings by Democracy
thanks robin, that makes sense…
I’m not sure about washing/not washing, but I just wanted to say you’ve been looking amazingly lovely and confident in your photos lately. I love the pieces you’ve been picking, too — these jeans included. They’re so chic yet understated, and they look stunning on you! I picked up some Frame Le Garcon black jeans on your rec last week, and can’t wait to wear them once I’m not pregnant! They’re my reward 🙂
Julia´s last blog post ..38 weeks. They told me I was measuring small but the ultrasound…
Buy the jeans that fit best and then spray, spritz the calves and stretch them!
I am a petite plus sized lady, so I have a whole lot of experience with going to the tailor! What I would do personally is launder the jeans in whatever way will be normal for you, and then wear them around the house until they stretch to where you are happy. Then bring them in to the tailor. I get a much better overall fit that way, and my tailor much prefers things being pre washed. Just another idea for you!
what??? *does not compute* 🙂
thank you so much for your input! i will do that – i’ll wash them, and wear them a bit around the house and then take them in. that sounds “right”…
so excited for you julia!! not just for the jeans LOL
and thank you, i appreciate your saying that. it’s nice to hear as i’m turning another year older!!
Great score on the jeans! One vote for Becca’s advise…if that’s what her tailor suggests, id go with it!