Finding a perfect pair of jeans is honestly more difficult than finding the right guy! In your teens and 20’s, that perfect dude had to be cool, hip and completely with it. That certainly was the same for all your denims then. In your 30’s, you’re searching for durability, compatibility and trendiness, but on point with your plus one. Well, well! Your jeans will kind of reflect that too. Then, surreptitiously creep in the 40’s and 50’s, where it’s all about the comfort, the fit and the stretch in all your relationships and your denims are pretty much in agreement there.

No matter what your age reason or pursuit in finding that perfect jeans, it’s an insatiable endeavour filled with trepidation. Most of us have gone through those hours of changing room trauma to buy that new pair of jeans. There is really no other piece of clothing that induces so much stress when it comes to tracing down the ones that fit the fashion remit of the day, flatter your form… oh and that most important part somehow – make your stumpy legs look a lot longer and a whole lot slimmer than warranted!

So, the next time your purchase those Stella McCartney or that pair from True Religion, you know what you were paying the big bucks for. There is no garment, living or breathing, unabashedly displayed on those racks, more at the mercy of fashion, than a pair of cool jeans. And nothing defines chic, chav or cheap more than the jeans you wear.

Jeans were originally created by Levi Strauss for the gold prospectors of the American Mid-West and not everyone wants to spend a stiff amount on a garment many people consider ‘workmanlike’, or ‘tres decontracte’, (casual) as the French say. But consider the fact that the moment you flirt with the right fit and fall in love with that image in that changing room mirror, it’s gonna be a relationship that will endure years… one that will stand the test of time through thick and thin. Of course, within bounds and limits, cause even a good pair of jeans will not put up with those extra inches and an ever-increasing waistline. The jeans may ditch you and leave you broken-hearted, much in the same way that callous boy did!

Nowadays jeans are always a good idea no matter what. A woman lives in her denims – she wears her jeans through just about everything – from first dates to casual Fridays, hanging out with friends, at brunches and lunches, PTA meets and work outings… whether you’re slumming out, camping or dressed up in those heels and a cool pair of denims, dancing the night away. The right denims make you feel kind of comfortable, confident and sexy, all at the same time. They have your back literally and they make you feel good about it. For women, it’s all about accentuating those curves and hiding those flaws.

There seems to be an independent universe of jeans existing all around us. With so many denim styles out there – skinny, wide-leg, girlfriend, boyfriend, moms and everything in between! The magic of this relationship is all about balance and proportion. It should be able to make you look leaner and longer effortlessly. To find the best fit and that perfect blue, all you need is to understand some simple basic rules of composition and visual perception. Once you’ve mastered how to dress for your body type and the exact size that fits you, your hunt for that perfect pair finally ends!

For most of my life, I can tell you, I was pretty darn relationship-challenged, with almost all those denims I had purchased over the years. Indeed, I do still struggle to keep it a happy relationship here. But as they say, experience is the best teacher. While I frittered away many an hour contemplating the appeal of that latest cut and skinny fit, it’s only recently that the fact dawned on my thick head and even thicker thighs, that just because that billboard with that supermodel oozed pure Jean’s appeal with promises of carefree days in the sun, that white shirt tied high on the waist of that toned and tanned torso, it did really little for my legs squeezed into a similar pair… vaguely resembling juicy plump sausages, tightly packed and to speak nothing of that muffin top visible for all to see. I promptly drown my disappointment over a treat of what else – a blueberry ‘Muffin’ and a large cappuccino in the next-door Starbucks, the rejection pressed hard and heavy for hours that afternoon!

Yes, for all those in their early years of tweenhood and basically all you skinny jeans purists out there –congratulations and I wish you the best in the years to come. Wear them while you can. As you mature and age, the realisation creeps in of taking stock of your personal denim roster. Yes, once in a while, I may confidently swagger in a new cut or style, which by some manic miracle, almost looks good. But most of us in our midlife state of sanity and being, would hands down prefer to stick to our age-tested vintage Levi’s that somehow work on every body-type.

Over the years, I’m not sure any more if I believe in the fashion myth that is the perfect jean, since I’ve found that our ideas around what’s perfect for us, change as we evolve our style and preference over time. It could be your body, your lifestyle or just a matter of choice. I’ve almost learned to let go of the super skinnies or the cigarette cuts that once dominated my closet. Maybe the Mom jeans or the boyfriend jeans now take precedence but the feeling of strolling casually in a feel good pair of denim with a white Tee and those Converse shoes is unparalleled at any age. Denim has truly become a way of life and a symbol of understated style.

I like the sort of nothingness and the completeness of the jeans. As I always say, “My Jeans are the kind of blues I love!”