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6 Easy Fixes to Jeans Problems That Every Woman Has
Denim: Can't live without it, can't magically transform it into sweatpants.
Jeans are perhaps the perfect article of clothing. They're versatile, comfortable (for the most part), and look good on everyone — except when they don't. As all-purpose and useful as jeans are, there are moments when they're so annoying, like when you bend over and unwittingly expose your crack to the entire world. You can take steps to avoid some of the issues every woman has with her jeans. Just follow the advice below.
Higher Waist + Matching Shirt = No More Muffin Top
Given a low-rise waist and an ill-fitting waistband, literally anyone can get the unfortunate bulge known as muffin top. Instead, go for jeans with a higher waist to smooth things out in your mid-section, and add a matching top for a streamlined look. Boom.
Hem Jeans at the Ankle Crease
It's sooo easy to leave the store with new skinnies all hopped up on my-ass-looks-amazing vibes and not notice the inseam length is completely off. A big wad atop your ankle widens your leg and looks sloppy. Have a tailor hem your favorite pair so it hits right at the ankle crease, or pick out new jeans meant for your height; maurices, for example, lets you sort jeans by length.
High-Rise + Thick, Stretchy Fabrics = No More Whale's Tail
When you're buying new jeans, skip anything low-rise and look for thick fabrics with plenty of stretch if you want to keep the world from seeing your ass crack. Also, do plenty of test sitting and squatting and lunging in the fitting room to check for butt cleavage. If your favorite jeans started gaping after a few years, take them to a tailor and ask to take in the jeans in the middle, back, and on both sides, hiding the adjustments under belt loops. (More expensive than just darting it in on the back, but worth it.)
Wash Your Jeans Inside Out
It's sad when your indigo jeans come out of the washer all faded and blah, right? To keep your jeans inky and perfectly blue, turn them inside out and hand-wash (or wash on the delicate cycle) with a detergent made for darks, then air-dry.
Jeggings are comfy, but getting a worn spot at your thigh is a risk you run with any super-thin denim. Opt for thicker fabrics and consider sewing denim patches in for reinforcement (or pay a tailor to do it if you're not much of a seamstress). Too late for all that? Google "denim repair" for a local or mail-in jean-fixer, such as denimtherapy.com.
Iron Your Fly to Keep It Looking Fly
It's happened to the best of us: Shoddily constructed crotches can flap open, leading your friend to urgently whisper that your zipper's down when it is so not down. If the fabric over the zipper won't stay in place, try ironing it and hitting it with spray starch. If the zipper itself is busted, hit up — you guessed it — your friendly neighborhood tailor.
Clockwise from top left: Dunk Sky Hi Mesh, NIKE (Available at Blue & Cream), $150; Western Denim Shirt, SAINT LAURENT (Available at Matches Fashion), $690; Bandele, DIANE VON FURSTENBERG (Available at Zappos), $325; Denim Flex Supersoft Jegging, MAURICES (Available at maurices), $34 ; Cotton and Model-Blend Jersey Tank, SPLENDID (Available at Net-a-Porter), $45; Leather and Suede Sandalettes, H&M (Available at H&M), $49.99; Similar jeans, MAURICES (Available at maurices); Classic Newbury Leather Bootie, RAG & BONE (Available at Bergdorf Goodman), $235; Grinson Cotton-Voile Blazer, THEORY (Available at The Outnet), $162.50; Bubble Knitted Turtleneck Sweater, TIBI (Available at Net-a-Porter), $395; Leather Belt, H&M (Available at H&M), $12.99; Denim Flex Jegging, MAURICES (Available at maurices), $34
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