Shapewear Jeans: 7 Brands That Bring Out Your Best Assets
Have you noticed how obsessed we are with curves nowadays. Between waist trainers, butt lifters, pushup bras and of course, Spanx, it seems we're constantly seeking ways to enhance our figures without going under the knife. Seriously, women haven't been this sucked in and tucked in since the days of the corset!
Jeans have always been known for their body sculpting abilities. That timeless five-pocket construction has given me many a lift and tuck over the years. So what do you get when you combine the body sculpting construction of jeans with the tuck and suck technology of shapewear?
Brands like NYDJ, Marc Allison and DL1961 are just a few who have set out to answer that very question. Each of them incorporate their own version of shapewear technology into the construction of their jeans and a few boast specific claims regarding certain areas of the body.
I tested out a bunch of brands over the course of many months. Even getting my cousin Devina who was visiting from the UK to try a few pairs.. I went out in them, ran errands in them, worked in them, basically, treated them as if they were just another pair of jeans on rotation in my closet.
Over time I noticed that I began favoring some brands while others were slowly forgotten. Devina, on the other hand, favored brands that I didn't. Neither one of us obtained the bodacious bottom and coke can waist of Khloe Kardashian (as if), but overall we were pleased with the results.
Scroll down to find out which brands we think are the most dedicated to bringing out your best assets.
1) NYDJ
Of all the jeans I tested, I found myself gravitating toward these the most. They are comfortable beyond belief! The high waist sits just a smidge below the natural waistline making the transition back and forth between mid to low-rise jeans less noticeable. What you do notice is how streamlined your figure becomes from waist to ankle at 360 degrees. You literally become a seamless line. In addition, the high waist made my legs look a mile long! As far as my bum goes, it didn't lift and separate, but it did seem just a tad more perky to me.
2) NYDJ
Devina and I both tried these jeans. NYDJ runs about a size larger than normal so they were a little too loose on me to feel the benefit. I loved the houndstooth detail though. As for Devina, these were her favorites. She felt NYDJ's cross panel construction and the high waist minimized her muffin top and lifted her bum. The cross panel is stitched on the inside front of the jean and is designed to flatten the tummy. It can't perform miracles but for the most part it does what it says.
3) DL1961 PREMIUM DENIM
DL1961 doesn't exactly promote themselves as a shapewear brand like the other brands on my list, but their Smart Denim series works in a similar manner. The Florence skinny which boasts Instasculpt technology supposedly reshapes your butt, tummy and legs giving you a whole new body. Just kidding. I haven't tried a pair of those yet, but the DL1961 tomboy jeans are one of my favorite pairs. Tomboy jeans are baggy by design so creating an hourglass figure is not the intent. What is important is not to have a baggy butt which these jeans do well. The yoke on the jeans is higher than most boyfriend/tomboy jeans which probably lifts the seat of the jeans. The effect is just a hint of a bubble butt which is exactly what you want with this style. Hat's off to DL1961 for getting the baggy jean right.
4) MARC ALLISON JEANS
I was skeptical about Marc Allison jeans when I first tried them. It's not unusual for newby brands to make claims that don't live up to the hype and Marc Allison claims to be the best fitting jean in the world. Pretty bold right? Fit is relative because women come in all shapes and sizes. For my shape and size, however, it was a pretty fair statement. The fit takes into consideration that even thin women can have curves -something that is overlooked more often than not by other brands. I found there to be absolutely no gapping at the waist. I always have to wear a belt so it was nice having a little freedom there. And last but not least, my butt looked Ah-May Zing!!! Dare I say, just like the picture.
5) LEVI'S
Levi's introduced their Curve ID line of jeans several years ago. It was developed to address women's differing shapes regardless of size -primarily focusing on the hip to waist ratio. From their research, Levi's narrowed it down to three main Curve ID shapes, Slight, Demi and Bold for hips ranging from androgynous to full. Levi's has a Curve ID Fit Finder online to assist customers in finding the proper fit, but if you walk into any Levi's store you can have an associate find your fit with a special measuring tape. I'm a size 4 and was found to be somewhere between a Demi and a Bold Curve. I tried both on and went with the Bold. Just like the Marc Allison jeans, there was no waist gap and the jeans fit as promised. Because of the skinny waist and full hip, I found I had to do a bit of jumping and wiggling to get in them and the denim wasn't as soft as the Marc Allison jeans. However at $54 you're getting way more than what you pay for.
6) LUCY MARIE DENIM
I have to be honest. I didn't give Lucy Marie jeans the chance they deserved. The denim was of a good quality and the indigo dye was nice and inky how I like it. But these weren't just a pair I was able to throw on. There was a tag in the pocket with some wash and wear instructions to get a better fit, but with my busy days I just could never remember to throw a clean pair of jeans in the wash. I did try them on pre-instructions and they were a tad bit roomier in the rear than I expected and as with most of the brands on this list, I probably needed to go down a size. I passed them on to a friend however, who wears them regularly.
7) SPANX JEANS
I don't own a pair of Spanx Jeans. I actually don't own any Spanx, but I have many friends that swear by the inner garments and when they first heard of Spanx jeans they matched my skepticism with equal amounts of enthusiasm. So for their sakes I included Spanx Jeans on the list. The Slim-X technology seems sound and I have little doubt the extra panel of denim at the top of the jean works as great as a corset. Come to think of it, if denim brands can take the liberty of poaching from the shapewear industry, than it's only fair to give the top shapewear brand a fair shake and who better to know how to perfect problem areas than the top selling shapewear company.
Tried any of these brands? We'd like to hear your feedback.
