How to Find the Perfect Jeans
From Style Guides to Personal Shoppers to HighTech Body Scanners
From skinny jeans to baggy jeans, boot-cuts and flares, high-waisted and hipsters; buying a pair of jeans that really suits your body shape is no easy task.
According to a 2005 Which? magazine survey, "the average person spends twice as long shopping around for the right pair of jeans as they do choosing a current account, " says Karen Kay, in the Daily Mail article of 2 June 2006, “How to Find the Perfect Pair of Jeans”.
In its survey Which? found that nearly 40% of respondents spent up to three hours choosing a pair of jeans. This is not particularly surprising, considering the range and variations of styles on offer these days, from cut to color to leg-length and waist type. From hipsters to high-waists, baggy to boot-leg, skinny jeans to straight, designer or high-street, narrow-leg to wide-leg, is it any wonder that buying a pair of jeans, nowadays, is such a huge undertaking?
Says Hollywood celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe,in her book Style A - Zoe (Grand central Publishing 2007) “There is no finger-snap shortcut to finding the perfect pair of jeans. Even with a brand, five different styles can fit in five different ways.”
In short, women are required to spend as much time as it takes to find that elusive fabulous, figure flattering pair of denims. The alternative is a quick fix fashion, in and out of the changing room in a flash, consequently often resulting in a huge pile of ill-fitting women's jeans that languish unused at the bottom of the wardrobe (does this sound familiar?)
It is well worth the effort to take time out hunting for the perfect pair. Whether it be designer or high-street, $400 dollars a pop or $40 dollars, women still want jeans which make them look and feel fabulous.
The Solution to Finding the Perfect Pair of Jeans
However, help may be at hand in the guise of new shopping services. Style guides, personal shoppers, high-tech body scanners or simply, knowledgeable assistants within dedicated jeans stores, who have expert knowledge of their stock. Getting a little help is far more preferable then wondering round the shop aimlessly spending hours trying on random pairs and grappling with different size variations. Whilst you may be a waist 28 in one style, you may need a 30 (horrors!) in another.
Online Style Guides and Stylist Advise
A visit to ilovejeans.com has a clever “jeansfinder” (on the left-handside of heir homepage) which can guide you in finding that perfect pair of jeans. Your “jeans” body shape is determined in a few easy steps and then once you have their recommendations, and you know your body type, you go on to specify your budget and style choice. Some jean brands are available online, others may require you to track down the stockist in a particular store. If you need any further assistance then an "Ask the Stylist" section allows you to read solutions to other frequently asked questions.
Personal Shoppers
These are no longer the domain for the rich and famous. Find out if your favorite store had a personal shopping service. This is a growing trend and as well as upmarket stores like the UK’s Harrods, Harvey Nicholls and Liberty’s, high-street stores such as Marks and Spencer and department store chain, Debenhams and House of Fraser also have their own personal shoppers avaiable.
The Daily Mail’s article features the findings of several test shoppers. Test shopper, Kitty, chose to use the personal shopping service from Liberty’s Department store. According to Kitty, her personal shopper, Maxine De Burnay “appraised her bodytype in a nanosecond” and returned with an armful of jeans. The result, a perfect pair of denims for Kitty and one very happy shopper!
Test Shopper, Lucy, used a personal stylist from Gap. This Gap Style expert was equally successful in coming up with a fabulous pair to flatter her figure, and had predetermined which styles and shapes to recommend from taking into account Lucy’s style preferences and sizing, whilst setting up the appointment.
Body Imaging Service
Finding the right pair of jeans has also become very high-tech! Bodymetrics at Selfridges in London can give you an appraisal in a few seconds by scanning your body electronically by taking hundreds of digital, measuring all the lumps and bumps in the process! The service was launched in 2004 and by using their high-tech imaging pod, provides made to measure jeans based on the contours of your body, style preferences, color choice and design specs. You can even have your initials embroidered on a pocket. Prices start at around £200 ($400).
Specialist Jean Stores
If goes without saying that in a specialist store which sells nothing but jeans, sales staff are likely to have a good idea of the cuts, styles and brands available. By asking for their recommendations, not only will it save you time, but a lot of hassle in the process. Tell them your body type, size, budget and style preference, Leave it to them to make a few recommendations and hopefully that estimated three hours in the fitting room will be reduced to 30 minutes max.
