Garnick’s unbreakable rule: Get rid of anything that doesn’t fit. I can attest that it’s very freeing living without that perfect pair of Helmut Lang skinnies from 1998 that had become a guilty pile of nostalgia at the back of my closet.
The first thing Garnick does when she holds a fitting (like the recent group-fitting party she held at beloved jeans shop Over the Rainbow in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood) is to tell women to forget about the number. “We get fixated on being a certain size, especially for jeans, as the waist size is so literal,” she says. “But remember, there is vanity sizing” – where brands deliberately size down for just such an emotional reaction – “and a size 30 in one brand can be a size 33 in another. There’s often no rhyme or reason.” Plus, the rise height – where jeans hit you on your torso – changes that measurement.
How many pairs of jeans do you need? Fewer than you think, she says. Each style should have a different function: straight leg, wide leg, cropped, boot cut – find your perfect pair in each style. Plus, you don’t need duplicates. “You don’t need one in every wash, either,” she adds.
Garnick suggests that darker washes are coming back and that these crisp, dark, trouser-style jeans are great for work, especially with men’s-style shirting and blazers. Wide-legged jeans remain a persistent trend. This look can be tricky to pull off for shorter women – it’s hard to balance out the silhouette if you’re gifted in the bust department – but the look can work with careful shopping.
“Instead of a baggy wide-leg jean (which can be very hard to wear) opt for a trouser-style jean like Annina from Citizens of Humanity – particularly in this deep indigo wash for a very current look. If you’re looking for this wash at a friendlier price point, Massimo Dutti has a stellar straight-leg pair of jeans that looks as rich and flat as the high-priced brands, ringing in at just under $100.
If a straight-leg feels too severe, go for a leg-lengthening palazzo style or a subtle bootcut to add some shaping to your look. Fashion folk always flock to Frame, and this season’s pick from Garnick is Le Slim Palazzo Modernist, which is long of leg, with cute patch front pockets. It has a little bit of stretch, but not too much. Prepare for sticker shock the first time you buy this $400 pair of jeans – but if you go for a classic and classy cut like this, your cost-per-wear will be terrific. I reach for mine on most days.
Also on the sleeker side, Garnick loves the new bootcut jeans from Canadian suiting stars Smythe. Like Frame, these are pricey. “My favourite jeans right now are Smythe’s Owl jean. These are an investment, but 200 percent worth it. They’re a higher rise, but even if you’re a short torso-ed gal like me, they feel so great and elongate legs like no other jean I have tried recently.”
Barrel jeans are another cut that can be hard to wear, unless you have enough height to pull off their exaggerated silhouette. “Barrel jeans have their loyal fans,” says Garnick. “But if you haven’t yet bought a pair, be advised that you no longer need to spend big bank on this style. I advise my clients to try this cut of jeans at Gap or Zara.”
What really matters, says Garnick, is how you feel in your jeans. You shouldn’t have to be hiking them up all day. Nor should they make you feel compressed. “Put them on and sit and stand and bend: they should move with you. You need to feel relaxed in the natural posture of the jean,” she says. Stiff denim is a challenging issue for women’s bodies as we tend to accumulate weight around the middle in mid-life. But too much stretch can be sloppy. “I’m fine with stretch, so long as it is not a jegging, or a sweatpant masquerading as a jegging,” says Garnick.
Every style can work on every body type, she adds, with thoughtful styling. “But every trend is not your friend. Leave some styles for the teens.” Ahem, yup, low-rise jeans are coming back. “Stick with the shape that works best on your body – if you have a great waist, make sure your look is cinched. If you have long legs, lean into that. Highlight your best bits.” If you want to participate in a trend, try a fresh wash, such as this year’s darker denim. “Navy or deep indigo is so fresh and polished.” You can never feel too polished.
“Go and meet the jeans in person,” Garnick advises. Shopping for jeans is a process – a deliberate mission – not to be undertaken lightly. Take a friend, one who will be honest. Try on different tops. The current shorter shirts (fitted, not cropped, but cut to hit at the hips) can look cropped if you don’t get a high-enough rise.
And finally, get things altered. Get them hemmed! “Unless you’re a Scandinavian Instagram model,” she says, “you don’t want your jeans puddling on the ground.” Think about which shoes or boots you will be wearing, and bring them to shop. A good guide is to hem an inch (2.5 cm) to an inch-and-a half (3.8 cm) below the ankle bone.
A goal for your denim wardrobe would be five perfect pairs of jeans that you wear to different functions: the grocery-shopping jean, the night-out-on-the-town jean, the work-trouser jean. Spend the time, buy with intent and enjoy having space in your closet to put them, no longer haunted by those size-27 relics from back when you were an entirely different person.
Get fresh new jeans for who you are now.
Always asking questions,
—Leanne Delap
