I feel like we can all collectively agree with what I’m about to say: finding denim in this post-skinny jeans era has been a struggle. For more than a decade, my skinny jeans went with everything and styling them really was a no-brainer. I felt good, comfortable, and for the most part, skinny jeans across the board fit well. So when the trend went to wide leg or straight leg or whatever we’ve found in the middle back in 2022-ish, it took a while for a) the industry to find the right fits and b) for my brain to accept this new trend. Both A + B have happened by now, but finding the right fit is HARD. There are so many different silhouettes and shapes and fits now, it can be exhausting to find the right one for my body. In a way only having one popular shape (the skinny jean) was quite helpful, but now we could choose from a myriad of shapes from barrel to wide leg to straight to bootcut or flare. I feel like the past three years has been a trial and error of me figuring out how to fit these styles to my body as well as being patient with the different fits and sizings at every single retailer.
I’ve been looking for this VERY specific denim — high waist, slight wide leg but more straight fit with no flare and full length. I see it on others and I love it, but for me I try straight leg and because of a curvier hip, they don’t fall straight or the leg is too wide, etc. So for a few years now, let’s say 2, I’ve been on the hunt for a jean just like the ones I’m wearing here. Let me introduce to the jeans!
Meet The Dean Easy Straight Jean
When I saw these Dean Easy Straight Leg Jeans on Madewell’s site I KNEW they were what I was looking for. And boy are the — they fit EXACTLY how I wanted. Even with a curvier hip and rounder waist. The fit is perfectly rectangle which is exactly what I was looking for. I know that sounds weird but this is the shape of denim I’ve been wanting. Now I sized up to the 30 on the these and they fit me perfectly. I sized up for room in the waist and hip and it’s a perfect fit. (For the record, I found that I had to size up on almost everything from Madewell the last time I was in.)
They’re slightly relaxed in fit but still tailored. I don’t love a raw hem but on these it’s fine, I’ll accept it because they’re full length and it doesn’t bother me. The good news is that this pair in this wash is on sale for under $100 with the 30% off! You can find them here. I’d suggest a size up if you have a rounder waist, or you are in between sizes.
Side note: While I was in Madewell I gave the Pencil Jeans a try on (HARD PASS — they took skinny jeans and made the fit awful, not sure why because they have the original recipe?!) and I tried on the Ballon Jeans, which fit like elaborated barrel jeans. I didn’t love the length on those, they needed to hit ankle for me. The Dean jeans were the ones I knew I’d get the most out of.
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PS: been getting so much wear out of this blazer! The oversized blazer trend never left us and in fact is going to be pretty big this fall. You can find this one here.
