For as long as I can remember, shopping for new jeans has always been the biggest struggle. For someone who loves shopping, I absolutely despise jean shopping. I am 5 feet four inches tall, and I weigh around one-hundred and ten pounds. I considered myself to be more on the petite side when it comes to sizes, but I also have decently long legs for my size. All of this makes shopping for pants a nightmare. It also does not help that I am on a limited college budget, and a nice pair of pants can be expensive.
So where do girls like me shop for the perfect pair of affordable jeans?
I was recently on the hunt for some new denim and decided to hit up the same stores I have always shopped at, only to realize that nothing has changed, and the struggle was still very real. My first instinct was to check American Eagle. My last pants purchase was here, and even though I did not end up loving the jeans, I thought I would give it a second chance. American Eagle makes a great quality denim, but even the smallest size still ends up being not the perfect fit for me. On top of that, fifty dollars per pair is quite pricey, even when they have their buy one, get one fifty percent off deal.
Photo courtesy of American Eagle
In search of a cheaper option, I found myself at Forever 21. My problem there was the size and quality of the clothes. I have a small waist but long legs, so when I jumped down to a size 24 to fit my waist, the legs got too short for me. Even though they were only around twenty dollars a pair, it was not worth the poor quality and uncomfortable fit.
After ranting to a friend about my struggle, she suggested I check out Hollister, a place I have not shopped at since high school and maybe even middle school. When I walked into the dimly lit store, I immediately got a whiff of the strong Hollister perfume and was already not into it. I pushed towards the shelves full of jeans. They did have a large selection of sizes and shades, but I honestly could not get myself to try any on. I walked out and moved on.
My last shot was Pacsun. It has been a favorite of mine for a while now. During previous attempts to jean shop here, I noticed that their selection was more trendy than basic. The pants always had a ton of rips, they were extremely distressed, or had some crazy design to them.
Photo courtesy of Pacsun
I need very versatile jeans that I can wear with a t-shirt to class, or dress up and look professional for work. I was very pleased to find exactly what I was looking for in Pacsun today. They had some unique selections, but also some simple choices. I grabbed a couple sizes to bring to the fitting room, and I found that a size 23 was perfect for me. The high waist fit like a glove, and the skinny jean came down to just the right spot on my ankle. Not too loose and not too tight. I also could not argue with a buy one, get one free deal.
Photo courtesy of Pacsun
I like to compare finding the right pair of jeans to finding a husband. There is a perfect pair for all of us. Sometimes we must go through a couple pairs before we find the right one, but it is out there somewhere. There are so many options available to us, and we are all different shapes and sizes. As a petite woman with longer legs, I would not hesitate to recommend Pacsun. For a curvier woman, American Eagle might work better.
It is all about trial and error. No matter what your body type is, jean shopping can be stressful for everyone. Do not give up, because the perfect pair of jeans is out there waiting for you.