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I used to hate jeans. If I wasn't struggling with fit, it was an issue of them feeling too rigid or too stretchy; too suffocating or too baggy in the knees (a real issue I oddly run into a lot!); basically, just too frustrating! It wasn't until the past year or so that I had a breakthrough. What caused it? I'm not entirely sure (a terrible answer, I know). Although, I do, in part, attribute my change of heart to the fact that high-rise waists and straight-leg fits have become as ubiquitous, if not more, than skinny jeans; a silhouette that I can happily say I love and find to be quite flattering for my shape. It's basically the only style of jean I wear and, at this point, I've turned into a bit of a collector, stockpiling various washes and lengths to have at the ready when the denim mood strikes.
So, why this ode to the high-rise straight-leg jean, you wonder? Because I've come across a new (and very affordable!) pair that I'm utterly obsessed with: the POPSUGAR High Rise Straight Jeans ($25, originally $50). Yes, you read that right. They're currently on sale for $25!
Despite having several very similar pairs of jeans, I'm the type of person who gets in denim "moods", if you will, and wears a single style on repeat for days or weeks at a time. Weird? Sorry, not sorry. But I certainly can't be alone with this, right?! Anyway, these new-for-January jeans from the POPSUGAR collection at Kohl's strike the perfect balance between straight and slim; they comfortably hug my hips and cinch-in at my waist with slim-but-not-overly-clingy straight legs that eliminate my aforementioned knee-gapping problem and at the same give my calves just enough breathing room. The dream! They have just enough stretch to them that they're soft to the touch but with the structure to provide a nice shape throughout my lower body. And to wit, they come in a perfect vintage-inspired wash that's versatile to wear with both casual and elevated pieces with a great four-button closure that's an interesting-but-not-overly-distracting detail to set them apart. Is this starting to feel like an intimate love letter to these jeans? Again, sorry, not sorry. They're that good!
Since I'm clearly smitten with these straight-leg jeans, I had to share some of my favourite outfit combos as of late (all work well in cold weather but will seamlessly transition to Spring!). From a cardigan-worn-as-a-top situation (actually, two!) to a fresh take on the ole blazer-and-jeans combo, ahead check out four of my easy-to-replicate jeans outfits, all of which you can shop head to toe.