The Working Closet
with Susan Wagner
The Working Closet is your source for the best of what's hip and fresh in fashion and beauty. Susan Wagner keeps you up-to-date on trends and offers tips and tricks for making everything in your closet truly work for you.
You can also catch Susan over at Friday Playdate.
I bought a pair of boyfriend jeans this week; I was totally won over by the soft, comfortable fit. I’m typically a skinny jeans girl, and while I still love my skinny jeans (easy to dress up and dress down!) I needed something super casual, for football games and afternoons at the park with my kids.
Gap boyfriend destructed jeans, $59.50
Boyfriend jeans are a classic college girl look — so how do you wear them if your last day on a college campus was 20 years ago?
Fit matters. Boyfriend jeans are meant to be loose, but they still need to fit. If you can pull them off without undoing the button, they’re too big — make sure that they fit properly through the waist, and that they’re not too baggy in the thighs.
Structure helps. Pair your baggy boyfriend jeans with a fitted tee or woven shirt. An oversized tee or sweater is too much with these jeans, especially if you’re over 35.
Be girly. Pair your boyfriend jeans with feminine pieces — a floral appliqued tee or a ruffled blouse.
Add a belt. A wide belt will give your waist definition and help balance the looser silhouette of the jeans.
Keep cuffs messy. The cuff on your jeans shouldn’t be crisp, it should be more of a roll. Don’t try too hard to make this perfect.
Finally, remember that boyfriend jeans are a casual look — there’s no way to make this work-appropriate. This is for kicking around on the weekend, not for going to the office.
No sure you want to pay $60 (or more) for pre-weathered jeans? Buy some real boy jeans instead! Or just swipe a pair from that special guy in your life. I sprung for the Gap jeans, because I’m 5′6″ and my husband is 6′5″, so there’s no borrowing anything from his closet. Ever. Sadly. But I’m thinking I would like a second pair that’s not weathered; I’ll be checking out Old Navy’s men’s jeans for that.
Would you wear boyfriend jeans? Or is this trend just too young and slouchy for you?
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I love the look, but unfortunately, my bottom half is too curvy for them. Too tight in the thigh, too big in the waist. Sigh.
Robin Sparks | September 25th, 2009 at 9:10 am
I used to *always* buy guys jeans back in the day. I have the GAP “Sexy Boot” but after reading both you and Sarah rave about the boyfriend jeans, I do believe that I need a pair.
Angella | September 25th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I own the Gap version and love, love, love them. I have a small waist so they don’t fit well there at all - but the next size down wasn’t “baggy” - which defeated the concept. So, I added a belt and voila’! They’re great and I think a very cute Spring/Summer/Fall option!
Jamie | September 25th, 2009 at 9:33 am
Boyfriend jeans? I just figured out “Mom Jeans” yesterday, thanks to hulu.com. I’m going to need a lot more information about “boyfriend jeans” before I have any idea what you’re talking about. All I know is my husband rolls his eyes and shakes his head when I pull on the Levi’s button-fly 501’s I get from the men’s department. I need a sherpa to guide me through women’s fashion — let me know if you think you’re up to the task.
Kristi | September 25th, 2009 at 9:40 am
I have a pair and I absolutely LOVE them. I love pairing them with a bright tank and a girly sandal (very similar to what’s shown above), but I’ve also worn a fitted tee and my Converse when I need to go super casual. LOVE.
Kristen | September 25th, 2009 at 11:50 am
I have a pair of Old Navy Boyfriend jeans. I love them, so comfy. They are perfect for running around with my 5 & 3 year olds.
Heather | September 25th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Wow, a trend I was actually ahead of. A few years back I took to wearing my husband’s jeans, which were loose on me so they looked kind of like the fit you picture, and too short for me (he’s taller, but I’m longer in the leg) so I rolled them just like this. And, you know, they were literally boyfriend jeans.
However, due to a combination of things - childbirth and weight gain on my part, and the South Beach diet on his part - his jeans are no longer loose on me. Waaaahhh!
rb | September 25th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Funny that someone mentioned the Levi’s button-fly 501’s. They used to have those for women (when I was a teen, 100 years ago), and I loved them. They were really the only women’s jeans that ever fit me well. Why did they stop making them? (Probably because no other woman is shaped like me - solid waist & no thighs.)
I wouldn’t spend $60 for a casual clothing item, and it’s been a long time since I shopped in the men’s department, but I have found a couple pairs of “relaxed fit” women’s jeans over the years, which I pretty much live in. They are far from sexy, but that’s not what I’m trying for.
SKL | September 25th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I love the idea of boyfriend jeans — it’s reminiscent of my college days when grunge was in. I like your ideas of pairing boyfriend jeans with a more fitted top, but … what shoes? It seems that the modern version of rolled up jeans is worn with high heels. Alternatively, you look like a clam digger. I love the look with heels, but I can’t wear it to my son’s football games.
What shoes will you be wearing?
Lisa | September 28th, 2009 at 5:28 am
they are really cute. I love them. I have actually taken my low rise jeans and started cuffing them like that and it looks cute as well. Jeans is one thing that I will spend bucks on. Everytime I purchase a $20 pair I wear them once and then hate them. When I spend a good amount of money on a pair, I will wear them for 7 or 8 years, which in the long run, ends up making them cost less than that $20 pair.
Oceans Mom | September 29th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Love the jeans. I confess I spent more than I should on a pair, but I have worn them so much that I have really gotten my money’s worth. My favorite combo is a fitted cardigan and flat jeans.
Tikki | October 4th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
to answer the “what shoes” question - I wear mine with my arsenal of ballet flats
Jamie | October 8th, 2009 at 10:02 am
I tried these on in the store, no luck. My body still refuses to fit in to many of the styles available.
I tried on my husband’s jeans. They were awesome. He was not amused. I was. I’ve been told to go to the men’s section and get my own.
Amelia Sprout | October 13th, 2009 at 6:23 pm