How to find your 'cute jeans'

I am 5’11. I’m a very tall girl, and rather slim too. Buying a good pair of jeans is extremely difficult for me, because either they’re too short at my ankles or they won’t fit around my waist. Especially considering the style of jeans I like to wear: high-waisted, long, and a baggier fit. I couldn’t make the search for the perfect pair of jeans more difficult for myself. Alas, the system still exists in which we are made to think our bodies should be moulded to fit certain sizing guides. But, in reality we should be making the shift into having clothes made to fit our bodies, rather than the other way round. This is why I didn’t give up on my search, but it was a tricky one I must say.

Another complication in my hunt was my strong disliking for the fast fashion industry. Any clothing company that mass-produces and neglects their employees, I try to avoid buying from them as much as possible. But, this isn’t a criticism of those who do engage with the system, because so do I - it’s nearly unavoidable and inevitable. In a capitalist society, what are individuals expected to do when faced with corporations with such monumental power? Especially when our next best option is often shopping second-hand and clothes with traditional sizing charts that really don’t fit most human bodies. The cycle is tough, I won’t be the first to admit.

To make matters worse, when you do get that eclipsical moment of finding the right pair of jeans, you’re faced with another decision and complication: what do you pick, saving money on low quality, or spending more for a higher quality? Both are reasonably justified, and a lot of factors will play into these decisions. How much you like the jeans, how much you actually need them, how long they’re going to last, how long you’ll need them for. Are they a trendier piece, or are they more of a staple in your wardrobe? At some point, everything just gets so completely overwhelming that you end up completely slumped, out of ideas, and with no effort to combat your denim-related problems.

The never ending search continues for most, but I have my solution. I found it a year or so ago, and I own four pairs. I love them. I prefer spending money on quality, because I like staple jeans in my wardrobe (and I’m boring and have no sense of actual style.) So I’d rather have a pair of jeans that will last me a lifetime. The only thing I can actually fully commit to is my pair of Levis. Specifically, 501s, because they’re my style choice and I can customise the waist and length to fit my body shape. And, as I’m a student, the large discount makes it all worth it.