A secret weapon in any woman’s closet, a perfect pair of jeans faithfully embodies comfort and sensuality all at once. Dressed down with a tee shirt and flats or with a silk blouse and heels for a night out, if there’s one thing a girl can rely on it’s her jeans. Jeans come in all shapes and sizes, but I believe the one style in particular that earns a spot as a true wardrobe hero is the high rise straight fit jean. It’s simple, flattering, and timeless. If you have saved searches for the likes of Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (guilty, guilty, guilty) or follow modern street style stars on social media (seriously guilty) there’s little to no doubt vintage Levi’s frequent your feeds. More often than not after a few clicks you discover the vintage threads- most likely the label’s illustrious 501 style- were snatched up from Ebay, ReDone, Reformation, or Urban Outfitters. The 501 is a universally flattering and versatile style that the best of the best style icons all seem to have in common.
The unfortunate thing about vintage Levi’s is the trickiness with sizing. Vintage denim is sized very differently than modern denim, and if you have a body type that more often than not requires a bit of your tailor’s handiwork (also guilty) the trial and error process of weeding through vintage Levi’s can be a timely and expensive one. And how could I call myself a decent millennial if I didn’t demand instant gratification?!
If you have your heart set on slipping into perfect Levi’s, but like me don’t have the patience to scour the internet and consignment stores, fear not because Levi’s has done us all a favor introducing the Wedgie Fit jean. I’m late to the party on the Wedgie which was introduced in 2016 because I was pretty skeptical about them at first look. Vintage or not, Levi’s sizing is always a bit spotty for me, and it took some convincing via Jessie Bush of We the People and Lucy Williams of Fashion Me Now that they were worth trying on. These girls seem to traipse around in pair after pair of perfect vintage Levi’s, so it caught my eye when I noticed them both regularly featuring the Wedgie which bared close resemblance to their vintage mainstays.
The Wedgie jean is inspired by Levi’s vintage 501’s and 505’s, but with a cropped and slightly tapered frayed hem also have a light modern touch. Most importantly, the Wedgie’s signature high-rise hugs the hips in the best of ways and features back pockets with a slight inward tilt to give your bum a boost. Aside from the composition, the fabric is what really seals the deal. The Wedgie is made of stretch denim from Cone Mills, a textile provider for American workwear companies since the 1890’s. With such a heavy workwear history, Cone Mills manufacture durable and hard working fabric that comes in the form of clean and even denim in a regular weave. In Wedgie terms, this means a sturdy yet lightweight classic wash with the perfect amount of give that slightly relaxes while still hugging the body. AKA they get more comfy with wear but don’t lose shape. Basically this is a wait by the dryer for the cycle to complete so you can pull these puppies on as soon as they’re washed situation. I speak from experience as I did that yesterday.
It’s very rare that I come across a pair of jeans that fit like a glove the first time I put them on. With an athletic build I’m always searching for denim that have enough leg room and also fit nicely around my waist, but most of the time I end up having to size up and take my jeans to the tailor to have the waist brought in. My biggest piece of advice on finding the right size with the Wedgie is to either go try them on in a store or order two sizes so you can compare at home. Most reviews online say to size down, but I believe that these jeans fit best true to size.
That said, if you want a more skinny jean look you could size down. Also of note, if you prefer a “boyfriend” fit jean that is a bit more loose in the legs, size up but be prepared to have the waist taken in. I’m wearing a size 27 in the Wedgie, but I was on the fence between these and the 28’s. Both fit really well- the 27’s like a glove, and the 28’s with more room in the legs. But after the first couple of wears I was really happy with my decision because I definitely would of had to have the 28’s altered at the waist.
With high-rise jeans it’s important that the pants fit correctly at your waist, otherwise they will slide down looking sloppy and losing the accentuation of the smallest bit of your waist. The first time I wore these jeans the fabric was a tiny bit stiff but every wear afterwards the jeans get softer and slightly relaxed. After a run through the wash the jeans regain that same initial stiffness but quickly break in to the extent you almost don’t even feel them on because they fit so comfortably.
Another thing that I really love about these jeans is the slim straight cut style that works with almost any type of shoe. The leg of the pant in the calves is slim enough that they could fit under a tall boot. I’ve really taken to cropped flare pants recently, but my only qualms with that style is you’re limited from wearing anything higher than an ankle boot. This style on the other hand fits comfortable under tall boots, is cropped just enough for ankle boots, and is seamless with flats and heels.
While I’m obviously very gung-ho on my new Levi’s Wedgies, I also wanted to include two other pairs of denim in similar style and quality that deserve a wardrobe hero honorable mention…
Madewell Cruiser Straight Crop Jeans
