SKINNY JEANS ARE NOT DEAD... But We're Making Room ...

I truly believe that skinny jeans are here to stay. As MK and I discussed the other night, they're merely a TYPE of jean, not a trend. And the right pair (case in point, the grey Zara jeans I've been wearing for about three years now, 98% because I love them and 2% because of their Xtreme Vanity Sizing -- they're like 8 sizes smaller than I actually am. Win/win!) can truly slim you down if they're not obscenely tight -- though, I will admit, despite the fact that I am short and curvy, my legs -- while far from toothpicks -- are pretty proportional, and I don't have a ton of thigh-age, so that does help with being able to pull them off. And either I'm rolling, completely delusional or a combo of both, but I'm convinced they don't make me look shorter than my 5 feet + 2 inches. Your mileage, of course, may vary.

So, as much as I love skinny jeans, let's diversify, people. A girl does need SOME non-constricting jeans in her Ikea wardrobe. (Erps, that'd be me. Stoopid no-closets Brooklyn brownstones!)

Anyway, I'm more than willing to make room in my wardrobe and heart for some wider-legged jeans, though I draw the line at Kate Moss '70-style jeans so wide that if you sewed up the legs and cut them apart down the middle, there'd still be so much fabric that I'd look like a denim-clad Hassidic mermaid.

Sophisticated trouser-style jeans in a nice dark shade is where it's at.

Which is why I love these Flying Monkey jeans:

($51, Flying Monkey, Lulus)

These are a great winter-spring transitional jean, they look great with a wider heel, and hello, they're like $50 bucks!

Broke & Skinny

You may not be rich, but at least you can LOOK skinny with the aid of skinny jeans, right ladies? I mean, HELLOOOO! Priorities! Live fast and fuck dieting: just suck it in and charge these slimifying pants! Wee!

Pooooor Posh. If only she were A LITTLE thinner, she could totally be my thinspiration. But, until she sheds at least 15 pounds (at LEAST!), she'll have to remain a heifer. I do love her jeans though. They're by Superfine:

($287, Superfine, Brownsfashion.com)

($260, Superfine, Net-a-porter.com)

A nice winter wash!

($108, Citizens Of Humanity, Net-a-porter.com)

LOVE these. They'd look so cute with some black boots and a purple and black flannel.

($235, Sass & Bide, Net-a-porter.com)

Perfection.

($226, Judi Rosen, Shopbop.com)

I know I've said that I'm basically anti colored jeans, but I will defend my hypocrisy by saying the following: these aren't some ridiculous color usually reserved for ice cream or emergency vehicles. Blue is a NATURALLY OCCURRING shade of denim. And these are adorable.

($321, Twenty8Twelve, Asos.com)

No, Sienna Miller really doesn't need the $300 or whatever percentage of each sale she receives. But these are HAWT.

Wax On, Wax Off: More Wax Jeans!

Continuing the ongoing one-way discussion about wax jeans... I've been seeing them everywhere lately, and I predict they're going to be the indie sleeper hit of the season, especially since shines, glosses and polished finishes, especially in dark shades, are so big.

I still haven't found an actual "definition" of wax jeans, but fear not, they don't come with a wick and a gross Glade bathroom odor or smell like Veet or anything. From what I can tell, the wax is just a stiffer, glossy finish or wash applied to denim, usually employed on skinny jeans: I can only imagine that this would make skinny jeans look even skinnier. I can also only imagine that stretch is out of the question with wax.

The waxing can either be subtle (case in point: I realized that my boyfriend has a pair of Diesels that has a very light wax finish -- they almost feel sorta starchy) and non-offensive, like these...

($130, Vanessa Bruno, Net-a-porter.com)

Or they can be hardcore and fucking TERRIBLE when when they go wax to the max, like these:

($220, Gold Sign, Net-a-porter.com)

Wet look = no.

($189, Gold Sign, Activeendeavors.com)

Gold Sign and Stella McCartney seem to have the market cornered on wax jeans. These Gold Sign Misfit jeans just too "Tell me about it, stud." They are kinda hot in theory, and I guess there's a time and a place for them, but that time is probably around 2 a.m. and that place probably involves a ton of cocaine and Pete Doherty's bloody deviated septum.

($88, Asos.com)
These actually don't look too bad.


(Apprx $100 USD, TopShop)
These aren't too terrible.



($140, Jennifer Ann Gilpin, Aerluxe.com)

WHAT THE FUCK? I went to state school. People just do NOT do these kinds of things.

That is all.

Stella McCartney 's Vs. Wet Seal's Waxed Skinny Jeans

Fresh off yesterday's epic What To Wear With Booties post, check out this pair of Stella McCartney "waxed" skinny jeans:

($415, Net-a-porter.com)

The cut is absolutely beautiful. Is waxed the new black, or it just wack?


Again, per yesterday's post, check out Wet Seal's WAY cheaper pair:

($36, Wet Seal)

Said it before, and I'll say it again: price is right! Especially as compared to Stella's $415 pair!

Fall Trends: What To Wear With Booties & The Like

Okay. The other day, FashionBinge reader JP remarked:

"Those shoes... with what would you wear those? Skirt? Dress? Pants? Jeans? Please enlighten the unfashionable."

The shoes to which she was referring are these Salvador Sapenas from Asos.com:

Now, first, JP, there's no possible WAY you could be unfashionable because YOU READ FASHIONBINGE! But, I understand that naked feeling that comes with loving a shoe but having NO idea what to wear with it and just ruing your fucking abs for not being tight enough to allow you to wear JUST the shoes alone.

So... my take on what to wear with booties (and bootie-alikes, because the aforeblogged aren't technically booties, but whatever...)

1.) Skinny jeans or slim, fitted cigarette-style pants.

2.) A black skirt between mini- and pencil-length with thick black tights: NOT pantyhose, please, God, no. Not pantyhose. Unless you are well over 5'9". Nothing makes one look shorter than "stumpifying" oneself by wearing a dark mini, exposing lotsa flesh via pantyhose and then sealing the deal with some ankle-swallowing booties. GAH!

3.) Slightly baggy pants, i.e: menswear trousers that we're seeing a lotta. PLEASE don't mistake wide-legged pants (which so often suck) for BAGGY menswear trousers.


For instance...

OBNOXIOUSLY WIDE-LEGGED:

Lovely on Katie, maybe not on you...

UNDERSTANDABLY WIDE-LEGGED:

($285, Diane von Furstenberg, Nordstrom)

There's some flare here, but you're not swimming. I definitely wouldn't go any wider than these with a bootie.

($59, Gap)

As boring as the Gap can be, this is what I'm talking about. Roomy, but not so wide that you can sneak someone into the movies with you.

($325, Diane von Furstenberg, Nordstrom)

Now, DVF's "Gavin" pants are theoretically great, but are they bootie-friendly? No. See, I threw that in there just to see if you were paying attention...

($178, Diane von Furstenberg, Dianiboutique.com)

JUST the right amount of slouch! LOVE these! And the cummerbund is perfect for the tucking in of a button-down, or hiding a Bordeaux belly.

($135, J.Crew)

First of all, NOOOOOOO to the navy shade shown here (the black isn't bad though) and DOUBLE no to the cuff. I'm just posting these to point out that the overall shape is nice. The fact that these are available in red makes me wanna stick my head under my pillow and cry all season.


Okay... next... skirts....

($555, Herve Leger, Intermix)

Granted, this skirt is gorgeous, the only way Herve Leger should justify charging this much is if he held the patent on pencil skirt, which I'm fairly certain he does not. Regardless, this is a beautiful staple for every season, especially Menswear Mania of Fall 2007, and it ain't hard to find a lookalike for a tenth of the price. Anyway, the bootie is parFAIT with such a skirt, y'all, though you can't deny the hawtness of a stiletto or a solid-colored pump with a 2"+ heel, dig?

($264, Robert Rodriguez, eLuxury)

Just a few inches higher, and this skirt would be practically perfs.

($78, Gap)

Dudes, high-waisted black skirt + BLACK tights, and your legs are SOOOOOOO long it's practically wrong!

($15, American Apparel, Yque.com)

Okay, the fact that this is described as cotton and "spandex" and "skorts" IS slightly scary, but the cut's the thing here -- yes, this piece is super short, but you automatically de-sluttify when you pair your booties with covered-up black tights. It sorta says "Yes, I can be slutty... but not right now. No... never that. Not now at least. But I'll call you."



SKINNIES!
You can never been too skinny, right? Hellloooo... we're called Fashion BINGE, so we oughta know... seriously though... I'm curvy and have found I can pull off skinny jeans -- all about the comfy low-rise... And with a tunic, you can totes hide your unfavorite "prob areas," even though they're probably not really much of a problem at all. Anyway, let's look at some top skinny pants to wear with booties, kay? The rule of thumb is... the darker and longer the better...

($325, Ralph Lauren Black Label)

Love the scrunch and the monochromage here. Makes the booty super sexy and the star of the show, y'all. Don't love the price, but you KNOWS I found the good shit for you...

($59, DKNY, Macys)

Deliciously dark!



($69, Dereon, Macys)

Tina Knowles has given us PLENTY of reasons to NOT take her seriously as a designer, but these skinny jeans are fantastic. The contrast stitching on the seams: very smart.

($29, Forever 21)

I can't even get into how awkward these feet and sandals are making me feel, but I do love these jeans.

($36, Wet Seal)

I'd have to see this so-called "coating" in person, but from here, these look nice, especially for that price.


Finally...

($387, Luella, Net-a-porter.com)

I think much more than a body, you gotta have balls to wear leather pants. No... wait... yeah... mainly, you just have to have huge balls to wear leather pants. While I usually have a strong pair, I don't know if leather pants-wearing is in my wheelhouse, but if I had to wear a pair, I'd make 'em these. And see??? GREY BOOTIES!

Byeskies!

Totes Tuesday Cuters

K. Lotsa fun cutes pix for Tuesday, in ascending order of affordability. Lotsa Betsey Johnson, for some reason.


DRESSES
($19.99, Mossimo, Target.com)
Cute, and not OVERLY Denise Huxtable-boho.


($40, Drifter, TheArtofShop.net)
The photo is piss poor, but the dress is sorta cool.



($48, Nice Face, FredFlare.com)
Beyond cute, and another good poly-seasonal piece!


($187, Betsey Johnson)
OMG! Yellow puffy clouds = 2 cute 4 wrds!



($189, Betsey Johnson, Overstock.com)
OMGOMGOMG. I HEART this bow dress.



($216, T Bags, Polkadotsandmoonbeams.com)
Love the Pucci-esque colors and the Deco-esque design!


($282, Voom, Polkadotsandmoonbeams.com)
Torn between thinking this is cute because it's not too-too ethnicy, and wondering if it looks too much like a cheap futon cover.


($296, Alice & Trixie, Polkadotsandmoonbeams.com)
Probs my faves of the Polkadotsandmoonbeams dresses. Love the colors and silky appppeeeealll! Weeee!


($330, Betsey Johnson, Zappos)
Es muy elegante, no?



TOPS
($19, Hottopic.com)
This would be especially cute minus the studded belt and zebra hair.


($26, Drifter, TheArtofShop.net)
I'm not a HUGE graphic print fan (at least on Tees), but this is cute -- and cheap -- enough!


($32, Soundgirl, 80spurple.com)
The fact that the deer on this Soundgirl top are very tiny make the whole thing not too, well... dear.



($35, American Vintage, Theartofshop.net)
I'm a huge fan of this Paris brand, which I've found is hard to find in Los States. I like this top, though it sorta screams "Will bleed all over fucking everything in the wash" to me.


($40, Soundgirl, Amazon)
More cuteness from my beloved Soundgirl.


($115, Spring & Clifton, Azaleasnyc.com)
There hasn't yet been an instrument invented that could measure the amount of my love for this top.


OTHER STUFF
($24, Loyal Army, FredFlare.com)
Cuter than a day-old lil kitten crawling out of an upended olde-fashioned milk jug! And I love that it says "All Skate" and "Couples Skate" on it! Tee!


($35, Betsey Johnson)
Also muy elegante.


($44, Betsey Johnson, Amazon)
Loves the leops.


($95, People's Liberation, Theartofshop.net)
I would very much like to own these and wear them with the Spring & Clifton shirt, which I would also very much like to own.


($395, Michael Kors)
Despite my general disdain for black patent AND for large silver hardware, I actually really like these for reasons I still can't quite pinpoint.


... And... scene.