how skinny/high can you go?

10 inch ankle

by j brand

[photo c/o shopbop.com]

skyscraper jean by cheap monday

[photo c/o cheapmonday.com]

Finding the perfect skinny jean is quite the challenge.

Many times the leg of the jean will be too loose from the calf to the ankle, while the low cut waist is tight creating the very unattractive love handle effect, along with ass crack exposure. If you are lucky enough to have 0 fat around your hips, you'll be able to enjoy J Brand's ultra skinny ankle jean without any discomfort or embarrassment. For those of us who have a less than "perfect" body, I recommend a high waist stretch jean. Not necessarily one as high as the Cheap Monday pair pictured above, but if the jean sits a little above the natural waistline you will get a much slimmer and firmer silhouette than from low cut jeans, especially around the tummy.

Stretch is not always necessary, but it will allow you to compromise the waist size for the hug around the legs. With little time, the waistline of the jeans will stretch to the perfect fit. If you worry the leg of the jean will stretch too much, it would be wise to consider buying a size smaller than your usual size, especially when it comes to Cheap Monday and Levi's.

I personally enjoy the high waist corset jeans by California based Milkyway Jean Co available for $37 at Mystique Boutique in Soho. They are cheap, and cheaply made, which means they will fall apart. But before they do, they are quite possibly the best fitting jeans I've ever worn. The xssml sizing implies a lot of stretch, so if you're a 7/8 get a small.

Happy shopping.