Looking Your Best

Get That Mood Indigo

By Carrie Smoot

Wearing jeans with aplomb and finding the correct personal fit take practice and patience. Try on these ideas.

The Denim Bar in Arlington, VA, and Bethesda, MD (www.denimbaronline.com), serves complimentary wine and beer to customers of legal drinking age, but that’s not what keeps regulars coming back. It’s personal attention from employees while shopping for premium designer jeans, choosing from up to 70 brands. Women’s fashions are plentiful, including Mike & Chris, Ella Moss, Splendid, Helmut Lang and Designer’s Remix Collection. Senior buyer Jeff Scott says the store attracts men and women between the ages of 20 and 70 who want to look good and feel great. Many customers, he says, are celebrating milestone birthdays and are reluctantly embracing skinny jeans.

“Trendy is the last thing you want to be,” he says. “A clean, fresh look is important, as well as being who you are. We’re getting more jeans in all colors. Boyfriend cut jeans may last a season or two, but not forever. You don’t need Swarovsky crystals on your backside. Ninety percent of women choose jeans because they like the brand, style or embellishments, and then they try to make them fit their bodies. Jeans that fit well have no gaps at all, so have an open mind about your personal fit. Try to get in the tightest pair you can, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. The fabric will eventually relax. If a style doesn’t look right, we’ll tell you,” he says.

“Jeans have become a standard fashion statement. They reflect individual style. On casual Fridays, you can still wear jeans and dress up the outfit in many ways,” says Claire Jason, vice president and creative director of Atlanta-based PZI Jeans (www.pzijeans.com). “A whole ocean of trends, styles and washes complement and flatter your body type,” she says. Buy PZI Jeans at Macy’s in Arlington, VA, and Washington, D.C., and Maryland boutiques Michii Milan, Step It Up and Carmel’s Fashions.

“No jeans brand was for a woman up to age 55 with a curvy shape—contoured waist and wider hips, thighs and rear,” Jason says. “We did the research and designed high- and low-rise jeans, size 4 to 16, with a little extra fabric in the thighs and rear. You don’t have to squeeze into our jeans,” says Jason. PZI’s holiday jeans have Lurex metallic thread sewn into the fabric for added sparkle.

The company’s new skinny jeans are popular, selling 1,200 pairs in the debut week. What advice does Jason have for looking good in jeans? “Don’t be afraid to try a size up or down from what you usually wear,” she says. “The point is comfort. Look at the front, sides and back. Pockets should be in the correct position. Bend, sit down and squat to make sure there’s no muffin top or underwear showing. PZI Jeans may be just what women are looking for if they are frustrated with shopping for jeans,” Jason says.

Local denim fashion expert Mauro Farinelli, a founder of The Denim Bar, has just opened two new local boutiques called Farinelli’s. Both stores feature A-list pure and raw denim for men and women, including Paige Premium Denim, 1921 and Rag & Bone. Shirts, dresses, other clothing and jewelry are also available. The Clarendon store opened in late October, and the Reston boutique opens this month. Visit http://farinellis.blogspot.com and www.shopfarinellis.com for more information.

“Men and women are equally fit-conscious,” Farinelli says. “People see the way they dress as a reflection of themselves, and my customers are very educated about the products.” He’s reaching out to college hipsters, soccer moms and dads and older professionals who want to look good but aren’t competing with the younger crowd.

Farinelli looks forward to launching his own label, Farinelli, in spring 2009. This denim collection features a woven button-down, T-shirt, denim jacket and jeans, using the best fabrics and trim. They will be manufactured in the United States, Italy and Japan.

Denim is Kami Gray’s clothing staple. The Portland, OR, wardrobe stylist wears them for all occasions. She avoids the stonewashed, faded look and pairs designed with lots of rips and tears or ornate designs and sparkly embellishments. “Darker jeans are sleek and elegant when paired with a fitted blouse, a tailored blazer and a silk scarf. The individual pieces don’t need to be expensive to look sophisticated and pulled together. “I prefer a boot-cut style of jeans worn with boots or heels that are hemmed so that they almost touch the ground, creating a long and lean, flattering silhouette.”

Gray’s book, The Denim Diet: 16 Simple Habits to Get You into Your Dream Pair of Jeans (www.thedenimdiet.com), is in bookstores March 1, 2009, and is for preorder at www.Amazon.com Gray’s advice on healthy eating, slimming down and exercising is practical, no-nonsense and simple. She says it’s worked for her for over 20 years. Gray says she doesn’t rely on the bathroom scale to let her know when to rein in her diet. Her jeans and the dreaded muffin top bear that news. Fashion and love of denim help maintain her motivation to remain at her ideal, healthy weight.

Visit Kohl’s department store to find dressy denim made by Lee Jeans (www.lee.com) of Merriam, KS. Trend manager Rachelle Moley is excited about the No Gap Jessica Trouser jeans, perfect for any gathering. They are loose through the hips, thighs and legs, creating a dressy, tailored fit. The special No Gap waistband prevents gapping and provides a comfortable fit. This season’s must-have color is a saturated indigo, and the newest color is indigo with a hint of black. Each style has small accents and stitching, along with a poly-shine denim sheen.

“All jean companies are adding some shine to denim by using polyester denim and metallic stitching these days,” Moley says. “Trouser jeans are extremely popular and an alternative to dress pants. Wear a jewel-tone top and gold jewelry with them, and it’s a great formal look, very clean and slimming. We hope to carry them at Sears and JCPenney.”

The Silhouettes catalogue and Web site (www.silhouettes.com) features the Blue Couture jeans brand for plus-size women, in 12W to 18W and beyond. “Denim is everywhere now, and darker denim looks better on woman with a curvy figure. We updated our washes and silhouettes for the line,” says Fran Kauchner, vice president of merchandising. “We added elastic and fabric panels to waistbands for a comfortable fit. By spring 2009, we will offer skinny jeans for those who want to try them. For other customers, denim leggings are the answer. When looking for the perfect fit, stay true to your size. If you wear a size 18, buy an 18.”

“Jeans have come so far—they are an alternative to pants,” says Nancy Nadler LeWinter, editorial director of OneStopPlus.com, which brings together several different plus-size brands at shoppers’ fingertips. Sizes range from 12W to 44W. “The secret to looking great at any size is to play up what you like about your body and to balance your clothing. If you’ve chosen skinny jeans, wear a longer, colorful beaded tunic. A short jacket with a tank top or a feminine top with black jeans for the evening makes a nice combination. Flared jeans look nice with any top and shoes. Some pairs have tummy-control options, as well as angled pockets.” LeWinter is a fan of colorful stretchy denim jeans in burgundy, grape, cherry and other colors. Spring will offer orange and turquoise.

“We all know how difficult it is to shop for jeans, spending hours in fitting rooms and trying to be satisfied later with an almost-perfect pair of jeans. The average woman has at least eight pairs of jeans in her closet for different occasions. Women between the ages of 35 and 50 have the greatest trouble buying them, and they get really excited when they learn about us. They say, ‘Wow! I get to design my own jeans!’” says Edie Jacquez, director of product development at www.indiDenim.com, a year-old online premium denim company in San Francisco, CA. Jacquez has 24 years of fit experience, and designing jeans is her passion.

indiDenim’s customers are throughout the United States and Canada. Jacquez says customer requests prompted indiDenim to develop some of their offerings, such as women’s trouser jeans and additional embroidery options for some other styles. At indiDenim, women create and order perfect-fit jeans, selecting colors, fabrics, styles, stitching and embellishments, including pocket design. Styles include the Noe, Presidio Trouser and the SoMa. Each pair is created specifically for each customer at manufacturing plants in Mexico. In four weeks, the perfect jeans arrive by mail. “We kept our fit questions fairly straightforward, but if anyone has trouble, they can call or email us. If it turns out not to be the fit you had in mind, use the reorder tool on the site,” says Jacquez.

Habitual denim (www.habitual.com) is one of the longest running designer denim brands. In Washington, D.C., find these jeans at Muleh on 14th Street and Wink and Neiman Marcus Cusp on M Street. Brand manager Renee Jaco offers some history. “Habitual chose the Maltese Cross back pocket design for the qualities it represents—courage, honor, truth and bravery, and for its rich history,” she says. “Its origins trace back to ancient Greece. Warrior monks in Malta and Celtic knights used it, [as do] [firefighters] today. Habitual celebrates all it stands for.”

Jaco says women want vintage washes. Boyfriend fit, skinny jeans and super-skinny (cinch) jeans are popular styles. Expect black and white, kelly green, arctic navy and storm grey in spring 2009. “We changed our signature Habitual ‘H’ to gold and silver on certain styles, adding a festive twist,” she says.

Happy denim shopping!

Carrie Smoot is a Northern Virginia freelance writer.