Name the denim trend, and I’ve probably tried it. From wide-legged to skinny to flares, sequinned or studded, and even a matching pale blue pair with spangly glitter my best friend and I bought to wear for a jazz dance performance. So you know I’m not lying when I say denim’s been ubiquitous part of my wardrobe since I was young. As I matured–the closer towards my belly-button my denim waistband creeped–a positive correlation between my age and said waistband. Part of growing up, or an attempt to avoid the dreaded muffin-top, I honestly don’t have an answer. But as I retired my low-riders and embraced hip-hugging high-waisted varieties, came the resurgence of mom jeans. What are mom jeans you ask? Are you literally asking me to wear my mother’s jeans?
All of my jeans are high waisted because I think they make me look like Farrah Fawcett. – Candice Swanepoel
Mom jeans weren’t designed to look conventionally attractive. They won’t accentuate your ass, cling-wrap your legs, hold your tummy in, or elicit any wolf-whistles. They will however hide your food baby after a heavy meal, not cut your blood circulation off, nor create a breeding ground for ingrown hairs. Simply put, mom jeans are slim boyfriend jeans with a long crotch, best worn high-waisted. Donned by many in the past year or so–including the likes of; Leandra Medine of Man Repeller, Candice Swanepoel, and the inimitable Jenna Lyons–sign enough that mom jeans are trending. If mom jeans were good enough for these sartorial giants (past and present), they must be good enough for a mere mortal like myself.
I needed a little convincing, so I decided to conduct an experiment and buy a pair. The pair in question? These badass Levi’s 501s now on sale from Shopbop (buy now or regret!), the purchase I mentioned in my previous denim article. The waistband hits mid belly-button, giving me a more obvious waist. The dark, faded vintage wash exudes a well-worn feel, and the selvedge denim is thick yet comfortable. It takes awhile to get used to cowboy crotch because of the thicker denim, but these baby’s are currently on high rotation. I personally love styling them cuffed with heels or boots, with a sliver of ankle showing.
Are mom jeans cool? Well, maybe the epitome of being cool is not caring. Is this something everyone can pull off? HELL YEAH! The trick is to find the perfect length for your height, ankle cropped seems to look the best in my opinion. The wash is more of a personal choice, though a faded, medium-blue wash seems to be the crowd favorite. I say go out there, try on a couple pairs of mom jeans and find the one you will own. Need help getting started? I really like these from Bliss and Mischief, 2treasurehunt on Etsy, and Shopbop (considering adding this to my denim collection too!). Consider sizing up for comfort’s sake since this is a high-waisted fit unless you’re looking to be deprived of oxygen or food. I prefer mine fitted around the hips and seat, so I buy my normal size.
Like it or not, mom jeans are back for good. As they say, fashion always comes full circle.
P.S.: How excited are you for the Net-A-Porter x Levi’s collaboration? I know I am!
