Unskinny Bop

Fall may be a couple of months away, but fall fashions are crowding the racks at all the local stores. I have received my September editions of Shop, Etc., Marie Claire, InStyle, and the People Fall Special Edition so I’m already getting excited about the new looks. Besides, I’m so done with summer!

One item stood out as a “must have” piece for the season – skinny jeans. I admit, these gave me quite a scare. I have fairly thin legs (thanks mom) but I’m not a skinny person so I wasn’t sure how these would look on me. Curiosity got the best of me and I headed out to Old Navy today to try some on. I figured I’d start with the inexpensive brands, see how they fit, and work my way up. Knowing how weird the sizing is at Old Navy, I chose one size larger than normal to start. Imagine how excited I was to learn they were way too big! I called for a smaller size and, after waiting for a long time, they arrived. I had to do a bit of bending, but they fit. And looked pretty darned good! An added bonus is that right now they are only $25 on sale. Plus, Old Navy got smart and is offering jeans in short, regular and long styles.

So, here’s the skinny (pun intended) on skinny jeans:

1. Choose a dark wash if you’re not a size 2 or in High School. Bleaching on thighs only highlights problem areas. Plus dark jeans look very chic.
2. Ignore standard sizing. Go up a size or two to get the right fit. Nobody is going to be looking at your tags. And if they do, chances are their jeans are a size or two larger anyway.
3. Wear longer tops with skinny jeans. Cover your butt!
4. Wear looser tops with skinny jeans. Unless you’re a supermodel, you can’t pull off the crop t-shirt/low-rise jeans combo.
5. Flats or high heels work with these. These are also the perfect jeans to tuck into your knee-high boots. Very 1970s.

Like all good fitting jeans, you’ll have to try on a few pair to find the right ones. However, the reward of looking fabulous will make the hunt well worth your time.