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Original poster

what do you think of these jeans - frumpy or fab?

39 replies

shelley72 · 23/03/2011 08:02

so, i am rubbish at buying jeans. since DD was born last year i have bought at least 2 pairs for my changing size neither of which fit properly (gape at back is big problem i have).

in desperation i enlisted the help of a personal shopper in JL and was sold these Not Your Daughter's Jeans as ?an investment buy?. Now I have to admit that they did seem to fit everywhere and gave me a nice shape, made my legs look long and thin - at least in the changing room (or maybe it was the hideous tops that were chosen for me that made the jeans look extra good Grin).

I am however VERY put off by the name (I mean why would I want to wear jeans that belonged to my 10 month old daughter anyway) which suggests to me that should I keep them I am going to look frumpy, not fab Hmm.

so oh stylish ones, what do you suggest? i dont mind paying a bit for a decent pair of jeans, but they have to fit! and make me look lovely! i am 5ft7, size 12 but curvy (go in at waist but big bum). also (i think) have a bit of mummy tummy which i hate. oh and i am 38 if that helps too - maybe i should go for elasticated per una and be done with it?!

suggestions please!!!!

OP posts:
Reality · 23/03/2011 08:04

This reply has been deleted

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Reality · 23/03/2011 08:06

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PollyDecker · 23/03/2011 08:07

I dont like them. Actually, that's not strictly true but they don't look 140 quid jeans. They look £20 jeans from M&S.

bigTillyMint · 23/03/2011 08:11

Try Gap curvyWink

I think those ones do look a bit frumpy, and not £140!

Original poster
shelley72 · 23/03/2011 08:11

yes i think thats what i think too - ok but def not worth the price. i meant to ask for suggestions of alternatives i could try??? am not ready to shop in M&S yet!

OP posts:
dexter73 · 23/03/2011 08:13

I've seen them (they sell them in our local boutique called 'Marjories'!!) and they are the most frumpy jeans I have ever seen. Try some high waisted jeans which will help with the muffin top. I am pretty much the same shape as you and I find Gap Curvy jeans a good fit.

VivaLeBeaver · 23/03/2011 08:15

I was in John Lewis at the weekend and couldn't bring myself to try them on. They looked crap on the hanger. Sorry.

Librashavinganotherbiscuit · 23/03/2011 08:18

Too much elastane they will lose shape VERY quickly. Have a look at Citizens of Humanity or 7 for all Mankind if you have that sort of dosh to spend. J Brand are also suppose to be very flattering to those post children!

If you want some advice you could try asking the Style and Beauty guys here as between them they have probably road-tested most jeans in that price range and are always willing to give advice and have an excuse to look at clothes porn.

otchayaniye · 23/03/2011 08:47

I second the elastane content meaning you'll have to wash them back to shape after each wear. Bagging at the knees and arse, especially.

I do think a higher waisted jean is really flattering on 10s and up or post children. James Jeans or Paige do a higher waist skinny. At Citizwen have far less elastane so give your arse and thighs a nicer shape.

I have heard good things about Levis Curve. Gap jeans I found awful but they are cheap. My husband likes them (he gets through a pair every 5-6 months)

I had a veto on jeans for years. Just never wore them (partly I didn't like them apart from for motorcycling partly I lived in the tropics and jeans are nasty to wear) but funnily enough now I am pregnant I've come back to them. Still one of the hardest items to buy. I reckon on a 30 percent success rate.

ellangirl · 23/03/2011 09:00

My MIL swears by them, and they do hold their shape well apparently, but then, she's 66...

whoneedssleepanyway · 23/03/2011 09:26

Shelley, I think they are a bit old for you, my MIL wears them and she is 62...

For that budget you could get a really fab pair of jeans.

My favourite brand at the moment is J Brand - the denim is so soft and they are really flattering on, I have a skinny pair which I love.

Other good brands are 7 and Citizens of Humanity.

I have made some expensive mistakes with Jeans in the past so do make sure you are really certain. Also if they are even slightly generous when you try they are too big, I have made so many mistakes where I have bought them wore them a few times and they give and are then too big.

Other option is to buy about 3 pairs of cheaper jeans, to be honest with you both Topshop and Oasis do very good jeans for about a third of that price....

Be careful with the type of denim you go for, I bought a v expensive pair of "worn" look CofH jeans and went through the knee within weeks (on knees a lot with two young DDs....) so unless you like sporting the big hole in the knee look not good.

Happy shopping.

lackaDaisy · 23/03/2011 09:43

That's strange...I was in John Lewis yesterday buying jeans with the help of a personal shopper (have a 4 month old dd) and she was trying to sell me Your Daughter's Jeans...I mean really hyping it up! Personally I hated them. They actually looked like I was trying to pass off a teenager's H+M jeans off as my own Hmm

Do try Levi's Curve ID. The personal shopper measured me for the Curve ID and I tried different styles in them and OH MY GOD they are magnificent! They're about £75 to 95 each so not as pricy as the ones you have but not cheap either. They are nice and stretchy and fit me EVERYWHERE! I only need to buy another pair when I've lost the baby weight now

wendihouse22 · 23/03/2011 09:47

No. Not at that price. They look like something out of one of those catalogues you get in the Sunday papers...... Have they got an elasticated waistband?

polyhymnia · 23/03/2011 10:00

Realise I may be losing any miniscule claims to style I ever had (if any) but have to say I do have some NYDJ jeans, which I got online for under £100. I buy them not because of my age but mys size.

Totally understand why ghastly name puts people off, and also obviously individual styles may not apeal to everyone, any more than with any other type of jean - though there is a much wider choice than is offered in JL, including some skinny styles.

But, in fairness, I find them really good basics. They fit on the waist without giving me a muffin top effect and the fabric is good quality - not at all H and M-like, and it doesn't bag and need washing after every wear. They also wear and wash well. Quality wise, they have spoiled me for, eg, M and S Autograph and my DH - who likes close-fitting, not baggy/frumpy jeans on me - agrees.

Having said all that, if I were a Size 12, I'm sure I'd be into J Brand, 7,etc!

polyhymnia · 23/03/2011 10:01

Ps Certainly don't have elasticated waistband, in which I wouldn't be seen dead, or look as (I imagine) the sad offerings in the Sunday papers do!

wendihouse22 · 23/03/2011 10:49

Sorry.... didn't mean to be offensive!

That particular pair just looked "slacks" like.

polyhymnia · 23/03/2011 11:03

No offence taken - only felt I had to defend NYDJ out of honesty because the ones I've bought have proved good and not frumpy. Hate 'slacks'! Do think JL have chosen their most boring styles for some reason.

Original poster
shelley72 · 23/03/2011 14:57

thanks for all the replies. have been out for a walk round the shops this morning and decided to take them back (assuming i am allowed to?). lackadaisy tell me more about levi curve - how did she not choose these for me? was she trying to tell me that i looked OLD ?! do you need to order true to size or size up/down?

i could maybe get them AND something else Hmm

OP posts:
Desperateforthinnerthighs · 23/03/2011 16:20

Mmm, I am a jean freak (have about 50 pairs) and I dont personally like them...they looks quite frumpy and nothing special for the price. Blimey - if you wanna expensive pair that look fab then True Religion is the way to go - I love love love them but they are expensive!

cornflower123 · 23/03/2011 16:28

I'd also advise to take them back. John Lewis mis-sold me a pair of these too last year. Personal shoppers must get a big commission on them!They don't fit me well - too big round the thighs, and the high waist is just too high. I feel frumpy in them, and tend to wear them on 'fat' days in winter only. Can't yet bear to get rid of them yet at that price, but I suspect their days are numbered!

FebreezeYourJeans · 23/03/2011 16:36

I've just given my pair to Oxfam. I think of them as my PND jeans. What was I thinking? Frumpy, mummsy, postnatal jeans.

alemci · 23/03/2011 16:39

I think my mum ordered a pair. She is 70 and really liked them. I thought they were very expensive but they do look nice.

I hate buying jeans as i am long waisted. I tried several pairs at JL and the fashion ones such as levis were very uncomfortable. I opted for a pair of Gery Weber ones which were probably not that fashionable but looked good and fitted well without me wanting to pull down the crotch. they were £80 which is alot.

lackaDaisy · 23/03/2011 20:35

shelley she got me a selection of jeans...Levis CurveID, 7FAM (too pricy), Diesel and the famous Your Daughter's Jeans. Out of them I fell in love with the CurveID. I would have bought it for hundreds, but it was only £75...bonus!

She measured me with a special tape...it had red marks on it at certain measurements. She measured my waist, upper hip and widest part of my bottom, and then checked against some chart she had. The jeans she brought me were so amazing, I would have bought it on the spot. Instead I had to try on seven more pairs on her insistence while she pushed and pushed for the YDJ style Hmm.

withagoat · 23/03/2011 20:49

my mate tried them
she said " they might not be my daughters jeans but they are certainly my grandmas" and got Ralph lauren ones

Original poster
shelley72 · 24/03/2011 07:48

Grin withagoat. am off out this morning (again) to take them back and hopefully get measured up for some levis. the search continues ...

OP posts:
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