In addition, I inherited a short torso/high waist from my mom's side of the family. It's fairly common in the Philippines, but the combination of short waist and short height makes it difficult to shop for clothes here in the US. Fortunately, the advent of low-rise jeans and the always-classic empire-waist dresses and tops have made it possible for those of us Asian women to dress fashionably despite being, ahem, vertically challenged.
I buy my jeans either at the Gap or at Old Navy, mainly because they make it so freakin' easy to pick them out. Unlike before, where I had to literally try on nearly every pair of jeans I liked just to see how they fell on my body, whether or not they bunched up at the waist, how long they were, etc., these two stores make trying on jeans sooooo easy-peasy. They classify them by rise, length (tall, regular and "ankle," i.e., short) and silhouette (skinny, straight, bootcut, flare, etc.), not to
mention size. I know that, unless I've gained or lost a few pounds, I'm a size 4 ankle, and that I look best in a bootcut or slight flare with a just-below-the-waist or mid-rise. That makes it easier for me to narrow down my options when I'm faced with either store's massive, warehouse-like collection of denim. I'm free to choose wash, color and detail, which is the fun part of shopping for jeans.If you're like me, with somewhat curvy hips and narrow legs, your best bet are bootcut jeans, as the slight flare at the leg will balance out the curves. In addition, the mid-rise or just-below-the-waist lengthens the torso without sacrificing leg length. (Not much, anyway, and you can make up for it by getting jeans that cover the top of your shoes -- this will lengthen your look -- and wearing heels.) And no more bunching! Very slender women can really rock in straight leg or skinny jeans. And don't let anyone tell you that skinny jeans aren't in season anymore. Check out this Manila-based fashionista and her brilliant ensemble. Tell me she's not wearing the hell out of that outfit!
Anyway, the another great thing about shopping at either store? The prices!!! I can get cool jeans for less than $50 (depending on the store), sometimes way less if there's a sale. Yeah, I totally get that Citizens of Humanity and 7 for All Mankind have awesome jeans, but they have the attendant prices to boot. No, I will not pay $200 for denim, even if they were worn by Audrey Hepburn herself (unless they can make me look like her, in which case I'm bringing my Platinum MasterCard!).
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2 comments:
i used to work at the Gap once upon a time!
random, i know, but the jeans are a great bargain.
good post
I don't know why I didn't go work for the Gap rather than Taco Bell when I was in college. They paid the same, but I bet retail would have been, uhm, cleaner work.
I don't think I'll ever shop anywhere else other than the Gap or Old Navy for jeans. They're just too great a bargain, and I put my denim through too much for me to spend a ton of dollars on them!
Where do you get your jeans? Just curious. I'm always fascinated by people's shopping habits.
Marjorie
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