There’s no question as to what item of clothing in my closet gets the most amount of wear.  I’d say six out of seven days a week you can find me in a pair of jeans!  Because of how often I wear them, I definitely feel that investing the quality of designer denim is a must and have been doing so for many years now.  I know personally what an investment it is (especially the first pair you purchase!), and how hard the decision can be when there are literally thousands of pairs on the market.  Today I wanted to review my favorite brands and pairs to help educate you on the pros and cons of each as well as their fit, fabric, and price points.  I also included my favorite places to find jeans under $100!

AG ‘The Legging’ Ankle

Pair I’m wearing: Photo One ($225), Photo Two ($225)

Price Point: $160-$240

Sizing: Runs true to size (wearing size 25, hemmed)

I’m going to start with these because they are my tried and true go-to fit.  If someone asks me for a recommendation on denim, this is always my first suggestion.  I’m not exaggerating when I say I have repurchased these in different washes six or seven times over the course of the last three years, and even re-bought my favorite pair twice.  Like all AG jeans, they are handmade in California and run true to size.  They are a low to mid rise and come in tons of wash options and fun hems, including white, black, distressed, step hem, as well as just plain denim.

I’ve worn them in tons of blog posts including this one and this one.

Pros:

• Extremely high quality fabric: There really isn’t a better weight denim on the market in my opinion.  They have the perfect amount of stretch while still making you feel like they’re holding you in.
• Best distressing: In my opinion, AG has mastered the art of distressing and it’s all done by hand!  The placement is perfect and looks so natural.  These are my favorite distressed pair.
• Consistent fit: They run true to size, and I know that when I order my size they will fit every time.  There’s nothing more obnoxious than ordering something from a brand you’ve had before in the same size and having it not fit.

Cons:

• Rips tend to “blow out” over time: I mentioned earlier that I have repurchased my favorite wash of these twice (second photo).  Mind you, I wore them probably 250 times, however the holes in the knees got to the point that they exposed my entire knee which I personally would have been okay with, but the little rip on the thigh eventually opened up and I’m just not down with that.  Haha!
• Price:  AG tends to run pretty expensive in the world of designer denim (but really what brand doesn’t?  haha).  Once you start getting into the distressed washes, they can run upwards of $200.  I attribute this to the fact that each pair is hand-made and hand-distressed, but it still makes biting the bullet tough every time.
• Not a true “ankle”: Take this “con” with a grain of salt because it’s coming from someone who is 5’1″, but I still have to hem them.  I would imagine they’d be a true ankle fit on someone between 5’4″ and 5’8″, however if you want the shorter hem like I do and are more petite, buy them from Nordstrom so you can get them hemmed for free 😉.  And thank goodness that the raw hem is in style right now!  They have a couple options, like this one that I’m wearing in the first photo, that I just cut myself to the right length.

Shop AG ‘The Legging’ Ankle Jeans

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Frame Skinny Jeans

Pair I’m wearing: ‘Le Color’ Rip Skinny Jeans in Black Noir ($199), Le Color Cropped Skinny Jeans in Blanc ($184)

Price Point: $140-$240

Sizing: Runs true to size (wearing size 25, black have been hemmed)

One of my absolute favorite pairs of jeans in my entire closet is this black Frame ripped pair!  I easily get more compliments on these than all my other jeans combined and they are one of my most comfortable.  The black color doesn’t fade at all and for a distressed pair, I feel that they are on the lower-end price wise.  Because of the distressing, they can easily be worn all four seasons!  This white pair is new to me and I have the hardest time finding white denim, but this pair is by far the best I’ve found.  Not see through at all with the perfect amount of stretch, and because of the fact that they are “cropped” I did not have to hem them.

You can see more photos of them in this post and this post.

Pros:

• Holes never get larger: I’ve had this specific black ripped pair for over a year and a half, and the holes are still in tact.  This is extremely important for jeans with holes all over like this pair, because like I mentioned earlier, no one wants a rip opening up on their upper thigh 😉.  I believe it’s the stretch of the fabric that allows for the holes to stretch without ripping at all.
• Extremely soft:  The fabric of these is structured so that it really holds you in, but still stretchy.  Seems like an oxymoron, but it’s true!  I can easily lounge around on the couch all day in these and not be uncomfortable.  And they do not feel like leggings, which I don’t care for in jeans.
• No back pocket design: Probably one of my weird quirks, but I dislike pocket designs so much.  Even if it’s just stitching.  I would much rather have a fully clean pocket than one with embroidery.  Frame jeans always have a plain, well-sized pocket.

Cons:

• Require hemming: Like so many different designer brands, Frame jeans come in extremely long lengths.  If you are a taller girl, I’m sure you really appreciate this!  But a petite girl like me can easily cut of 9 inches.  For this reason, I buy all of my designer denim at Nordstrom because they offer free hemming (even if you purchase online, just bring them into a store).  [Note: This does not apply to the white pair pictured above because I bought it in a “crop” fit and it didn’t require hemming.]

That’s really the only “con” I can come up with on these jeans!

Shop Frame Jeans

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rag & bone/JEAN Skinny Stretch Jean

Pair I’m wearing: Bedford Wash ($198.00)

Price Point: $150-$250

Sizing: Runs true to size (wearing size 25, hemmed)

I purchased these about two months ago, so they are the newest pair of designer denim in my closet as well as my first pair of Rag & Bone jeans.  They are also literally the only pair of non-ripped jeans I own at the moment.  When I was packing to go to the RewardStyle Conferece back in April, I realized that all my jeans were distressed and that I should probably invest in a more “professional” looking pair (i.e. not ripped 😉).

There are a bunch more photos of this pair in this post!

Pros:

• Good amount of stretch:  These are the stretchiest pair of jeans I own, and the fact that I love them as much as I do is really incredible.  I always tend to favor more of a stiff denim as I feel it maintains it’s shape and holds you in better, but this pair does both.  They aren’t stretchy to the point of feeling like a legging, but definitely have enough give in them to sit indian style as I’m currently doing wearing them while writing this post!
• Don’t stretch out:  I feel like it’s rare to find a stretchy pair of jeans that doesn’t stretch out, but these are them!  They retain their snug fit no matter how many times I wear them between washes are a tight all the way to the ankle.  There’s no “bagging out” to be had with these.
• Slimming:  This may be attributed to the dark denim color I have them in, but I feel most confident in this pair of jeans!  They hug just right and are such a flattering fit.  But just a tip for any pair of denim: typically the darker the wash, the more slimming they appear!

Cons:

• Tend to slide down after multiple wears:  I usually wear my jeans about 4-5 times between washes (but who’s counting?!), and after the first wear I find I am hiking them up a few times a day.  This increases the more times I wear them.  It personally doesn’t really bother me until wear four or five, but isn’t a problem I have with my other pairs of denim.
• No useable front pockets:  There really is no use for front pockets in women’s denim anyways (I think I can fit a whole four quarters in most of mine), but this pair has the stitching of pockets without the actual pocket.  There is no way you could tell they were missing if you weren’t wearing them, but I’ve gone to put my hands in them quite a few times just to realize there’s nothing there.

Shop rag & bone/JEANS

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Madewell Jeans

Pair I’m wearing: 9″ High Rise Skinny Crop Jeans in Bruce Wash ($128) [more sizes HERE]

Price Point: $98-$135

Sizing: Runs true to size, but sometimes runs large (wearing size 25, hemmed)

My newest favorite brand of denim is Madewell!  If you’re looking to try out designer denim, but aren’t ready for the $200 price tag, these are the perfect middle ground.  There is no comparison in quality between a pair of Madewell jeans at $120 and another $80-90 pair from Nordstrom…well worth the little extra money.  And they last for so long!

I wear these constantly and have worn them on the blog HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Pros:

• Price: As far as designer denim goes, Madewell is hands down the best quality for the best price.  They easily compete with the quality of the other big brands (if not better), and their pricing is about $80 less per pair.
• Denim quality: Like I said, the quality of Madewell denim is the best I’ve personally found.  They have varying fabrics, so you can get everything from super stretchy to more of a traditional stiff denim.  The pair I’m wearing above is more of a stiff denim, which I prefer.
• Consistent fit: They run true to size, and I know that when I order my size they will fit every time.  There’s nothing more obnoxious than ordering something from a brand you’ve had before in the same size and having it not fit.

Cons:

• Sell out quick:  More often than not, the pairs of Madewell jeans I want to buy are on backorder.  I totally get why people love them so much, but it can really be obnoxious when I find one I really want.  If you find one you love in your size, order it 😉.  Just a tip: Many pairs are sold on both Nordstrom’s website as well as the Madewell site, so a lot of times if it’s unavailable on one, it can be found on the other.
• Higher rise: I don’t personally think this is a con, but Madewell has very limited options that are not high rise.  If you like a higher rise, they will be your new favorites, but if not the AG jeans or the rag & bone may be a better fit for you.  They typically come in 8″, 9″, and 10″ options.  On me, the 9″ which are what the above pictures are of, hit right below my belly button.  There are some pairs I’ve tried that I would consider a higher mid-rise, but if you’re a low rise girl, you may not care for them.
• Pocket size: This isn’t the case with all of the pairs I’ve tried, but with a few the back pockets have been really large.  It can almost make your backside look bigger, which isn’t a look I’m going for…haha!

Shop Madewell Jeans

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Best denim under $100:

From experience I know that once you buy one pair of designer jeans, you’ll be hooked for life.  But, if  you’re not ready to pull the trigger on a designer pair of jeans quite yet, here are my favorite places to find great quality jeans at a lower price:

Express

Personally I don’t think anyone can match the quality of Express jeans in the under $100 price point.  I love that they have multiple length offerings (short, medium, and long) and that their fit is very true to size.  If anything, I find it run a bit big, but who’s complaining about that?  They run sales on their jeans all the time, and right now are offering a “Buy one, get one for $29.90” promotion making each pair just about $50.  My favorites they have right now are this ripped pair I wore on Instagram HERE and this distressed white wash.

Shop all Express denim HERE.

Topshop

I have so many friends that swear by Topshop denim, and it is all they wear.  They have plenty of stretch and many pairs come in two length options.  It is your go-to for new and trendy jeans like this embroidered pair, and is known for some pairs that are super “out there” like this pair with window in the knees.  But they have tons of classic washes as well! I have found them to run one waist size small, and the rise to be very high (bellybutton height).  I don’t care for how they fit on my petite frame, but I had to include them because I know so many people who are obsessed with them!

Shop all Topshop Denim HERE.

Nordstrom Rack

If you’re wanting to try out designer brands without necessarily having to spend as much, Nordstrom Rack has some great options!  Brands like Hudson, Current/Elliott, Paige and so many more are always available on their site.  Just a heads up though: while some of these pairs did come directly from Nordstrom stores, I have noticed that some may have been made for the Rack and the quality is not the same.  Even still, it is a great way to try designer denim and find brands you love!

Shop all Nordstrom Rack Jeans HERE.

Shop Denim Under $100

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