Jeans are in my DNA

I live in jeans they are the backbone of my wardrobe, I find them easy to style in order that they are appropriate for any situation. I do wear other items but if I can find a way I'll be rocking denim, given half a chance, because it means I'm comfortable but not sloppy. I have found on my travels that jeans like bras are starting to have a bad reputation for being difficult to shop for. They do have their own language, words such as wash, fit, waist, stretch % and rise, not to mention they now tend to be merchandised as you see here, which can be daunting to the uninitiated.

Wash = Colour

Fade = Areas the dye is less strong in order to focus the eye

Fit = the way the jeans are supposed to look ie loose, relaxed, tight

Style = Flare, Bootcut, Slim bootcut, Straight, Skinny, Fashion

Rise = Depth of the crutch

Waist = In inches 28 is a size 10 approx

Stretch% = between 0 and 3% to still be jeans

Hell it can be daunting to me and I know what I'm looking at and for.  The first thing I would say is head for a retailer known for denim, if you want your jeans to fit you properly you need 2 things:- a manufacturer, who knows how to make them and a Sales Advisor(SA) who knows how to sell them.

1. Be prepared, before you go shopping think about what you want from your jeans, are they for going out or lounging around or do you want a multi purpose pair that can be dressed up or down.  Realise that it is not going to be a quick process, you are going to have to try a few pairs at least, unless you are very lucky or shopping with me.
2. Don't look at the jeans, instead you see that girl/boy standing next to the jeans who just said hi, talk to them, they spend all day looking at peoples arses in jeans and they know the difference between the good and the great.  Agreeably this can be hit and miss, but if you don't like the SA, you can walk away and you have wasted no time.
3. Be prepared to have your mind changed, if you go in asking for a bootcut but the SA listens to your needs and suggests a straight or flare at least try them on, you may be surprised and in fairness you've got your clothes off anyway so what's the difference?  If you ask for a light wash and they show you a dark wash in a different style that they don't have in a light wash try it on.  Jeans can be ordered.
4. Come out of the fitting room and ask for a consensus, I think I may have mentioned before that fitting rooms aren't your friend - the lighting is terrible, they tend to be small and lonely.  So open the door and see what other people think.  The SA can give you realistic advise about the size, style and whether the fit is appropriate.  If they make a suggestion, listen to their advice.  Even those who work on commission, which in the UK is far less than you think, want you to get the perfect jeans as then you'll keep them and return to buy again.  It's in no one's interest for you to end up with rubbish clothes.
5. Alteration isn't a dirty word, so the jeans fit perfectly, best ever but they are too long.  I shouldn't have to tell you this but I know I do, get them shortened then they are the perfect length too and they won't get raggedy and ruined.  If the waist gapes but they are perfect everywhere else, this can be altered as well, although it might be worth asking if the brand does a curvy fit - most do now.  Although be warned as a general rule of thumb these will be either the best or worst jeans you have ever put on, they rarely fall into the middle ground.
6.  When it comes to the fit of stretch jeans, which 90% of jeans are now.  The rule is the tighter the better, sorry.  If you can run your thumb around the inside of the waist band they are the right size even if you fear for the button.  I promise that within half an hour they'll fit like a glove and never get to the baggy bum stage - which is the ultimate thing to avoid.

You don't have to be this size to look like this!

There is no excuse for the Mum jean, no one looks good in them or feels hot in them.  So don't let it happen to you and don't pay for something that doesn't fit you.  I can't state enough that the Sales Advisors are there to advise you, its in the title and everything.  Give them a chance, you might be really pleasantly surprised!

I could go on about stretch quotients and pocket positioning, I could bore you to tears about the way certain jean brands place their seams and detailing and the reasons for same.  I feel I could write a fairly substantial thesis on the way the different dyes will effect the way the jeans stretch over time.  But the truth is I know all you care about is how they look on you and that my friend is a case by case basis!  

Happy hunting, for the perfect jeans for you!