It’s almost impossible to think about denim in this heat. But I have. I simply cannot wait until fall to snatch up a pair of the new wide-leg version that runways have flaunted and retailers have been promising. Especially after the skinny jean. As if we needed any more challenges when it comes to denim shopping. If you still love your skinnys, fine. Trends tend to have a two-year cycle, and regardless – if that’s what looks good on your illegaly long or incredibly thin gams, then by all means wear them out. But if, like approximately 99 percent of the female population, you simply shouldn’t be wearing narrow, tapered anything – then don’t. Follow me instead.
July is a transition month for fashion. Fall merchandise starts hitting the stores, and while most of us ignore it until September (focusing, rather on the endless summer sale racks), some of us go looking for trouser-like denim. I found it dark and stretchy from Seven at Macy’s, and a few pairs of too-blue Habituals at Saks Off 5th. I considered, for the first time, a pair of Banana Republic’s new contoured wide-leg jean – which I didn’t find wide at all (though I dropped two sizes), and crossed off my list altogether when the store manager informed me they would stretch out an entire size and NOT return to their original upon washing. This is why the cost of premium denim is worth every penny. I found a huge and beautiful selection of it at Bluebird Boutique, where owners Allison and Sacha made a point of bringing in flattering straight and wide cuts in wonderful dark washes. I had no trouble loading up on a half-dozen pairs worth trying on. Most were by Citizens of Humanity, but its the break-the-bank pairs from Habitual that I’m now dreaming about. When I decide on one, I’ll remember to wear them how the girls at Covered (whose Hudson’s are flying off the shelf) instructed me: with a lean top and hot heels. How will you wear yours?
