Hey Boyfriend!

I've been following some amusing discussions about boyfriend jeans at the moment. I know they're the latest fad in the jeans arena but to be honest, they have actually been around like forever. Whilst browsing through endless pictures of celebrities running around in their boyfriend jeans, I was quite surprised to find that some of the pictures were from 2008 and not 2012/13. But gosh - don't they look and feel so current?

 

Picture Credit : Coolspotters.com                       Picture Credit : Denimblog.co

Reese Witherspoon                                           Gwyneth Paltrow

I wore my boyfriend jeans all last summer and the best part of autumn. You couldn't prise them off me except when they needed to go in the wash. However, there are a few people out there who are not so keen. People who are not so sure because to them, boyfriend jeans are not that flattering. They're not smart, they add bulk unnecessarily and in some cases you end up with saggy bot. For the time being, they're going to sit on the fence in their skinnys whilst they get their head round them (yes I'm talking about you Avril :o)). But hang about, it shouldn't really be thought of as a boyfriend vs skinny jeans war - it's not. It's just another style option. I have skinnys and I have boyfriend jeans. Different jeans for different occasions for different moods and for different purposes.

So what constitutes a pair of boyfriend jeans then? To me they're just a looser fit jean which you turn up at the bottom. Like the jeans you quite often find me in .......

New Look Straight Leg Jeans Rolled Up                        New Look Straight Look Jeans Rolled Up

 

    New Look Slim Boyfriend Jeans                                 Falmer Heritage Skinny Jeans Rolled Up

The surprising thing about the jeans above is that only one pair is actually labelled "boyfriend" jeans. The other two pairs comprise of a straight leg pair and a loose'ish pair of skinnys which have been turned up. All give the same look roughly. If you go with this notion, you've probably already got a pair in your wardrobe and you really don't need to tear your hair out like so many people seem to be doing currently trying to find the perfect pair. Have a rummage in the wardrobe, dust down that old pair of jeans (not bootlegs) and turn them up a few times to suit. Instant boyfriend jeans in 10 seconds. Ta dah! That's all I do. It will save you time, money and your sanity. 

However, it's not all cut and dry because it does depend on how you want your boyfriend jeans to look. 

The ones I wear are what I call the MOR version. Middle of the Road. They fit in between the Very Distressed and the Not Very Distressed (At All) boyfriend jeans. Obviously.


Very Distressed

There is the extreme option which look a bit like the ones in this magazine :

Practically falling apart and falling off you. We can't all work that look and not all of us want to work that look. This look is for the serious fashionistas - not really for the regular Joe or Sue out there. This look has the biggest potential for saggy bott but that's okay if that's the look you're going for. You can tell this is not my favourite and it is also not becoming a woman of my age. If it was, I would find more nice things to say about it. I can imagine it's also quite draughty. But it makes for excellent visual imagery on the very fashion led blogs.

Middle Of the Road

This is where most of my boyfriend jeans fit. In the MOR category. These are probably the easiest pairs to find in the shops. Usually a mid-blue hue, lightly distressed and with just a few rips. I favour these because I am Mrs MOR when it comes to dressing. I like fashion and if I take up on a trend - I tend to do a slightly sanitised version of it. This is because I have this horrible fear of people talking about me behind my back and thinking "what on earth ....?". I'm not an attention seeker. Honestly I'm not.

My "boyfriend" jeans.

I personally don't mind a little bit of slouchiness and a bit of distressing on my jeans and this can vary from a few distressed patches to full rips across the knees. The ones with the rips across the knees are my New Look slim boyfriend jeans. When I bought them, they didn't actually have any rips across they knees - they just had some distressed patches near the knees but everytime I bent down, the distressed patches ripped a little until eventually they went straight across the knee. Whoops. However, I can now channel Gwyneth and Reese with this pair. 

Splendid Grey Tee

New Look Slim Boyfriend Jeans

Purple Jack Wills Cotton Cashmere Cardi

I was going to ebay the cardi but have given it a second chance after seeing Gwynny in hers - I think it may come in to its own this summer. Is this what they mean by shopping your own wardrobe?

Not Very Distressed (At All)

These are more for those people who actually like to look like they made an effort (yes you - Avril). I would regard these type of boyfriend jeans as the dipping your toe in the water type of boyfriend jeans - not too obvious yet have that little nod to keeping in with the fashion brigade. No rips, snugger fit up top, less slouchy, a bit smarter all round. 

 

Photo Credit : Boden Photo                          Credit : TheFashionPatrol.com

Avril - you can do these looks! You can take or leave the hat though.

Actually, my latest pair of boyfriend jeans fits into this category perfectly. These are the Premium boyfriend jeans from the Gap Outlet and are a darker shade than my existing ones and shock horror with no rips or distressing. I purposely chose some with no distressing to give some of my outfits a "cleaner" feel. I sized down in these to give a neater fit around the top half which I found more flattering than the size up. Please excuse the butt shots but I was trying to illustrate the not so baggy bot look and how the waistband fits.

This is sooo embarrassing but I'm doing it for you!

I also picked these over some much lighter ones which I thought would be great for the summer because I already have light ones sitting in my wardrobe and the whiskering around the crotch on the lighter pair was a bit too fake which is one of my bugbears. Do watch out for details like how the whiskering is done as it can really cheapen the look of a pair of jeans.

Well that's it really - I've nothing to add about boyfriend jeans which hasn't already been said. But if you want me to recap :

• Look in your wardrobe and see if you have some jeans which you can turn up to give you the look.
• If not - go to the shops and try lots on. Every shop is different. One shop's boyfriend jeans is another shop's skinnys.
• Size down if the style is just a little too baggy. It might just make the difference. Fab for the ego too!
• It doesn't have to have boyfriend on the label to be a boyfriend jean.

And last but not least ....

• If you don't like them - don't wear them. Stick to what works for you and what you feel comfortable in (this is your get out clause Avril).

So to all those who are about to embark on their search for boyfriend jeans - good luck. If and when you find them - you will wonder how you ever managed without.

To all those who are not keen - that's fine. Everyone has their own comfort zone. I like them because I can bend my knees comfortably in them and they don't show my shape off too much. I'm not good with bodycon which is why you don't see me in skinnys a lot.

To those who already have them - cool. You can be in my gang.

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Last Note 

I'm a lazy moo about finding nice alternatives and providing suggestions for people to shop but there is a nice lady callled Kat over at Does My Bum Look 40 In This who has done some excellent research in  to the boyfriend jeans .....

Read her two posts where she researches her jeans to investigate and the results.