Tais Elyse Designer. Stylist. Shopper

So this week I did a variety of jean fittings for both men and women - all who had vastly different body types. And all who wanted to emphasize (deemphasize) different parts of their body. This is normal right? When you have a little pooch, maybe you want to have a higher rise; If you have a larger bottom, maybe you want to balance out your proportions. All this can be done with illusions of wash, a great tailor and of course, me to help pick out the right kind of jeans:-). In the fitting room, my clients always hear me saying the 80-20 rule: I can get you 80% of the way, but tailoring will get you the other 20%. Its a process and fortunately I can make it easier for you to get through it:).

Let's talk about a common problem women have in fitting jeans - "the gape". Typically you fit the largest part of your body first and then have alterations take care of the rest. Sometimes, its a frustrating process. There are also some amazing jeans you can buy that fit real women at the waist - PZI, Cookie Johnson, Citizen's Amber and Eva Jean are super!

More slender women has problems with the legs - too wide still? And you are a 0 or 2 or even a double zero? Try J Brand Jeans or Rich and Skinny. Don't go up a size, don't worry - they seem tiny, but they will give you a great fit. And....you only have to hem the legs.

In your Jeans appointment, we talk about rectangle, pears, hourglass and inverted/apple body types and how based on your type, we can find you a great pair of jeans. The pictures below show what we will DEFINITELY stay away from!

The picture above is provided by a cool local company in Berkeley called Zafu. They've created a little test to out the perfect pair of jeans - I'm going to take the test - stay tuned to the results in my next blog posting!

Guys- you also shouldn't settle for just "ok" fit on jeans - go one size up if you have a larger mid-section or bottom - then have them tailored. Trust me - everyone will notice something "different" about you. You don't need to wear larger shirts over the jeans all the time if that's not your style. 

Another issue with a lot of mens jeans, is that their inseam is tooooo short and legs too wideeee! In other words, they flood. LOL. Maybe you didnt feel like taking back the jeans you had after getting them home from the store - maybe you like them short....who knows?! But you only have too choices here - give them to Goodwill or shrink a couple inches:). The tailor can take off fabric, but its hard to put it back on. So if you are not sure, go for the longer inseam initially. 

If you find your jeans are a little WIDE in the leg, try sliming down a different way. Guys get the 'relaxed fit' because they whine, "I just wanna be comfortable.....". Well you can be comfortable AND stylish without FLOODING. Trends nowadays are slim fit. Many have super soft combed cotton for that lux feel. So...go for one size up in a slim fit jean like Scotch Whiskey or G-Star. Slimmer legs means you are going for that leaner line - taller, if you will:-).


But watchout - don't go crazy on me and get those super TIGHT pair of men "skinnies" in the picture below - that's gotta hurt - ouch!

Do Pockets Matter with Jeans? Yep - ok. Let's talk about what they do and don't do.


Pockets for guys are functional - they should be deep to put SMALL items in like iphones and dollar bills. They should NOT be used as an alternative backpack. Don't put keys and phones and broken watches and notes and business cards and ....well - you get my point right? Pockets get worn out quickly and full pockets cause the eye to look to the wrong place on jeans! Please...just don't. 


Pockets for women are definitely not functional. It's all about the butt. Yep- making sure the butt looks good. Let's talk about that.


If you have a small butt and want to make it look fuller, try getting jeans with pockets that are angled upwards or slightly below the butt line of the jean. James Jeans and Rich and Skinny Jeans are good for that. They also have pockets that have lots of emblems and such. Trouser jeans or those with no pocket somehow instantly make the butt look rounder. Fancy that. 


So you know what that means for the girls who have junk in the trunk.....don't wear jeans with NO pocket LOL. Of course unless you'd like to emphasize it:). 


If you have too much in the back and want to de-emphasize it, try buying jeans that have a simple, elegant square with clean top stitching. Your basic levis, lees, Not Your Daughters Jeans and Cookie Johnsons are great. The latter two jeans also have 2% elastic on every style to hug the curves better than the average jean. NOTE: Be careful how much spandex in the jean - any more than 2% has a tendancy to wear out and eventually look like kinda saggy....yick.


Next week, I'll talk about that infamous gap women always have on jeans - you know the one.....where the thighs are snug and hips just fit but that waist always has at least 3 inches of open air.

Ok - so this isn't my usual type of posting. I try to keep it positive and not let my inner fashion critic get the best of me. But yesterday my face got stuck in a look of horror...you know that permanent OMG moment.

I was at the Discarded to Divine event in the city (see below for more details) and off in the distance should I see, sitting with legs folded… cute guy, amazing amaretto and peach shirt, great suit,.....then down to...PASTY ANKLES. Oh ...the horror!  Ok look. There is nothing worst than pasty ankles. 

Well....ASHY ONES are right up there too. Ok – BIG SIDE NOTE HERE [Guys - I realize summer is right around the corner...but don't wait. Most of you HAVE lotion, just don't use it. You probably have at least three “fru fru” gift or travel bottles lying around. You might also think,” I don't have time to put it on”….”people don't look down there anyway”.  Well for all the girls who love guys and guys who love guys...please just bring out the bottle.] 

Well, what can you do about our first issue here? Lotion won't help - you need C-O-L-O-R. Alas...Planet Green (part of the Discovery franchise) has the solution. There is an easy way...and can we all say, "Eco-Friendly", way to do it. In addition to eco-friendly sun blocks, there are also some eco-friendly self-tanning lotions out there. Smart Shield makes some lotions that are self-tanning and filled with vitamins. And there are luckily more eco-friendly tanning salons all over the country these days. They are solar powered many times and filled with green products. Any more excuses…?

More on Discarded to Divine:

RECYCLED FASHIONS. RENEWED LIVES.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco sponsors Discarded to Divine 2010, a reception and auction of one-of-a-kind fashion creations and exquisite home décor created from discarded clothing and materials, benefitting our services to people battling poverty, homelessness and domestic violence.