How to Find the Perfect Pair of Jeans for Your Body Type (From a Vintage Denim Expert)

0:00I was looking for a new pair of jeans and I went into a department store and I picked out like 10 pairs of jeans to try on, right? Yeah. How many do you think I left with?

0:08Lindsay Davidson Paley: None. None. Why do you think it is in general that it is so hard to find your perfect fit of jeans? Vintage, modern, it doesn't matter what it is. Jeans are based off a fit model. What is your like step-by-step evaluation for looking at a pair of jeans and knowing that that's the one for you? First, they have to have an original hem. Vintage denim is just cooler. I think for modern denim, a lot of brands have vanity sizing. For anyone pregnant, the low, loose, best pregnancy jean. The closer your pockets are, the more it's going to look lifted. The further away, the wider it looks. If you don't have a butt, then something that has a higher rise is going to lift your butt more.

0:48Lindsay Davidson Paley: When someone comes in, I want the Morgan Sierra jean. I want the Morgan Sierra jean. Do you know what jean she's wearing? She's wearing a 501. Every celebrity from the Hailey Bieber is to everyone. They love a 501. They're always in a 501. People love a 501, but it doesn't look good on everybody. Did you get these true to size? Did you size up? Let's talk about ripped jeans. What is the appropriate amount of ripped? How do you know someone's like hit the jackpot when they're in a dressing room for jeans?

1:13Welcome back to Let's Get Dressed. Before we dive into today's episode, make sure that you're following the show, both on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so that you don't miss a new episode. In case you want to watch today's episode, you can head over to YouTube. the full episode is available there too. And when you're done, leave us a review. I always love to hear what you guys think about the episodes and it really helps the show go. Now let's go get dressed. Welcome to the pod. Thanks for having me. I'm so happy to have you here. I like love your store. I'm so happy to be here. I feel like when I posted it, that got shared so much because everyone wants to know where to get the best vintage jeans.

1:53Lindsay Davidson Paley: Well, I appreciate it. Thank you. Of course. I had a shopping experience recently that made me think of you and made me want to do this episode with you. I was looking for a new pair of jeans and I went into a department store and I like walked around and I picked out like 10 pairs of jeans to try on, right? Yeah. How many do you think I left with? None. None. It's hard. It's really hard. And I feel like this is a very universal experience. 100%. And I loved going in with you. One, obviously, you have an unbelievable expertise in vintage denim. Thank you. But I also think you have such an eye for, like, what fits and what's right and, like, how to make someone feel really good.

2:34Denim, to me, is, like, second skin. Like, it's the thing we put on every day when we want to feel ourselves. Yeah, and great. And great. And, like, sexy and cute and all the things. Like, denim, to me, I feel like spans all those things. So I'm excited to do this episode with you today. I'm excited to be here. Talk about denim, finding your right fit, and all the things so that we can stop the pattern of that like very universal, why can't I find my jeans experience? That is what we're here for. Can't wait. So I'd like to start just high level. Why do you think it is in general that it is so hard to find your perfect fit of jean?

3:11Lindsay Davidson Paley: That's a good question. I think because vintage, modern, it doesn't matter what it is, jeans are based off a fit model. And so if like you're not that fit model, it's going to be really hard to find a pair of jeans. I also think just based off just different silhouettes, sometimes the crotch is too long or if it fits your waist, it's going to be too tight in your butt and your thighs. Or if it fits your thighs and your butt, you're going to have a huge gap. Just because everybody is so different. but the way denim is made, it's based off one or two people that they fit, which is not what most of society looks like.

3:45But also I feel like the fit model from vintage jeans to now has dramatically changed. Completely changed. There are some brands that I'm like a 24 in and some brands I'm like a 26 in.

3:55Lindsay Davidson Paley: Yeah, same. I feel like that mold is, you're working at such a deficit. This might be a crazy question, but is there actually a way to fix that? With modern denim? I mean, in general, like the idea of a fit model, like I was just on TikTok yesterday and a very popular brand that everybody loves on Revolve was getting seriously bashed on because they're extra small, like someone ordered an extra small. Yeah. And they showed what it looked like on the website versus what it looked like on in real life. And she was like, this fit model, this is a problem. Well, can I give you a, I did for a hot second.

4:30Lindsay Davidson Paley: I assisted styling on e-com shoots, everything is pinned. They pin. Everything is pinned. So if it looks good, you got to go into the reviews and not even the reviews, but you have to see like what the model's wearing. So if a model who's 5 '11 and no weight, like a hundred pounds is wearing a small, she's really probably wearing like an extra, extra small, but everything is pinned to make them look good. Jeans, everything. It doesn't matter what it is. There's clamps in the back. There's clamps in the back. Everything is clamped. What? I don't know how to fix this issue. For me, this is an industry-wide issue, is how do we make things fit when everybody is a different size?

5:10That's why you go custom. So tell me where you think people go wrong when they're shopping for denim.

5:16Lindsay Davidson Paley: So I think a lot of times people want to do what's trendy or they think what's cool. And I'm a firm believer in you want what fits your body. So if you're someone who's curvier, right? Fitted denim is actually going to look better on you. Because if you're curvier and then you try to hide in a baggy pant, it's just, it's not going to be flattering. It might like be really comfortable, but if you're going for what looks good, I wouldn't do that. Okay. So let's go back to that moment when I was in the department store and pretend you're with me. Okay. What is your like step-by-step evaluation for looking at a pair of jeans and knowing that that's the one for you?

5:56Lindsay Davidson Paley: I think you first have to figure out how you want them to fit. But right, because even what you're saying now about like, say on a curvier body, you want something that fits a little bit tighter. Like, what if you don't want that? What if you don't want to be in something that feels... What if you want something that's looser? I know. Right. So like, what I actually like, let's even go a step further. Like, what in your mind is the right process of sitting down and being like, these are the jeans I want? I think first, knowing your body and knowing what looks good on you is going to be the easiest thing.

6:26Lindsay Davidson Paley: Like for me, for example, I have a big butt and a smaller waist. So as much as I love like a 517 orange tab, they just don't work. And I know that's vintage denim, but in general, something that's going to be like, if I want a lower slung baggy jean, I'm going to need to size up like four sizes because with the last thing you want is something that's super fitted on your thigh, but then you get a lot of extra material in the crotch. I mean, look, I'm not someone, and we actually just had this conversation on the podcast a few weeks ago about like, do we really need to be dressing for our proportions?

6:59And the guest who I love, who has an impeccable personal style, she was like, nope, I don't believe in that. Wear what you love. And like, I shouldn't be in a low slung because it just doesn't really work for my body. But like, I love it. So I'm going to wear it anyways. But I do. I'm curious if you think that jeans kind of defy that rule.

7:15Lindsay Davidson Paley: Yeah, I think when you're just look, if you want something that's low slung, comfy, you don't care. Great. Like that's easy. But if you want something that's fitted, you need to know what's going to work. If you don't have a butt or if you're like more of a square shape, then something that has like a higher rise is going to lift your butt more. I think it's just knowing what works for you. And then like, if you don't know, that's awesome. We're going to help you. And we're going to tell you. I think it's like when people want something because they see like the Hailey Biebers of the world or the Kendall Jenners of the world, like they're supermodels.

7:46Lindsay Davidson Paley: They're going to look good in everything, but like you want to look good and what's right for your body. So I think sometimes also taking away the like, well, I want to look like that, but just everyone has such a different body. So it might not look like that, but it can look like that in your own way. Oh my God. Oh, I think one of the most like universally humbling experiences as a 20 year old was like being on Pinterest during like the 2016 street style era and taking all these images that I was seeing and being like, I'm going to buy that, that, that, and I'm going to look just like that. And then I got it all.

8:19And I looked in the mirror and I was like, wait, what's happening? And being like, oh, you need to understand your body a bit better and how clothes fit you and not chase what you're seeing on the internet. Because girl, you're not going to look like that.

8:33Lindsay Davidson Paley: You're 5 '4". Not 5 '9". Or like, you don't want the clothes wearing you. You want to wear the clothes. Totally. Okay. Tell me when you're in the store then. If we were in that dressing room, trying on the things like step by step, what are you looking for? Is it fabric? Is it composition fit? So where does your eye go first? I guess fabric like I'm a big I like the material for me. I like rigid denim. Don't get me wrong. Like I love still here in New York makes these like great low slung with the drawstring and they're soft. They're 100 % cotton. And like that's I love that gene for what it is.

9:09Lindsay Davidson Paley: If that makes sense. Like, yes, it's a specific, it's, it's, it's a specifically if you're wanting, it's falling into the trend. That's a trendy gene though. Totally. Okay, great. Totally. Very trendy gene. Really great for pregnancy. Yes. Cause it's really low below the bum. Yeah. I really like them. But going back to your question, let's say you wanted a gene that's going for like going out at night. For me, I would, it depends what you like. Like, do you like mid-rise, high-rise? I think higher rise is always nice because especially with the zipper, it like kind of sucks you in for at night and you can pair it with a great blazer or a fitted top underneath.

9:46Lindsay Davidson Paley: And then for me, like the leg silhouette is the biggest. I love a straight and a boot. Like I can't do the skinny. I'm not into the skinny and I'm not into like the super, super cigarette straight. Why? I just don't think they're flattering unless you are a six foot model with the lankiest legs. I just don't think the silhouette is as flattering. I think it like hugging you in all the way down. It makes you like look short almost. It's not flattering. No. Whereas a boot cut, I think really like elongates you. Boot cuts are the best. They really are the best. Universally flattering. Yes. Basically what happens is it hugs your thigh and then at the knee loosens.

10:28Lindsay Davidson Paley: So it gives that illusion of like Like you're just tall and long. But you could be 5 '2 or 6 '2. And they're going to look good on everybody. Yeah. Most of my pants are a straight pant. I'm realizing now. Like when I think of even just my everyday pants, I feel like that's kind of the go-to for me because I think no matter what, they look so nice. A straight pant is going to look good no matter what. They're going to look good day, night, cuffed, not cuffed. Heel, loafer, flat, whatever. They just look good. Yeah, I think the reason why I keep gravitating towards that shape is because it's very versatile.

11:03Lindsay Davidson Paley: Yeah. Like loafer, heels, boots, flats. Whereas I feel like with like a cropped jean, for example, or a skinny, like you're only going so far with those. Love cropped. Love. So— I don't get that. And it's always like the shorter women love cropped. Yeah. So I'm 5 '4". A cropped looks cute on me. It's cute. I've worn it with like a Mary—a little like flat, like those Chanel ballet flat Mary Janes, which I think are really cute. I actually recently was thinking about how crop jeans really let you show off a shoe. They do. It's nice. Like it's good real estate if you are a shoe person. I'm a big shoe person.

11:42Right. So like…

11:43Lindsay Davidson Paley: I'm not a crop jean girl. Yeah. But sometimes if you're wearing a boot cut or a straight pant… You don't get to see the shoe. Your whole shoe is covered. It's true. So I think I only really wear my crop jeans in the spring and summer because I'm wearing like a chic strappy sandal, a Mary Jane, a pump. And I want the shoe to kind of be part of that. Like, I think we mentioned this on another episode. Like Morgan Stewart does that well. You can always see her shoe. Like she's got that like cropped jean on a lot. She looks great. She looks great. In everything she wears. She's probably the most requested when someone comes in.

12:16Lindsay Davidson Paley: Morgan Stewart. I want the Morgan Stewart jean. I want the Morgan Stewart jean. Wow. Oh, yeah. Morgan, everyone loves you. We love Morgan in this house. Do you know what jean she's wearing? She's wearing a 501. Always. Nine out of 10 times. The photos that people bring in, she's wearing a 501. But hers are very straight because it also is dependent on the year it was made. 80s cut and 90s cut are different. And then even like an early 2000s cut is even more different. I kind of want to get into this 501 lore a little bit because I feel like it's nonstop. People love a 501. They love it, but it doesn't look good on everybody.

12:53And that's the thing. Like, I always think it's like a little toxic when the rhetoric out there is just like, 501s are great. Just buy those. And it's like jeans are, everybody's different. Jeans fit everybody differently. For starters, why do you think that every celebrity on the planet, from the Hailey Beavers to everyone, they love a 501. They're always in a 501. What is it about them that works? Let's start there.

13:16Lindsay Davidson Paley: Okay. So Hailey Bieber, for example, she's thin. So she can wear anything. She looks great. She's an amazing body. True. But I think what people gravitate or maybe her specifically, she gravitates towards vintage denim is just cooler. It's better. The material, just the way they manufactured the cotton is so different to now. Like back in the day, like the 80s and 90s, the way like the loom was, it was for like a longer process. And now modern day denim is optimizing for like fast production time. So it's just the cotton itself. Even though if you're buying modern day denim, that's 100 % cotton.

13:52Lindsay Davidson Paley: It's just a different cotton. I find the 501s, like the vintage ones, are stiffer. 100%. Unless you get ones that have been worn and worn and worn. Right. You can find them softer, but it's rigid denim. Like it's funny, if you like hold a 501 up, like it almost like will maintain its shape around the waist. So that is what vintage denim was made for. It was made for like work, work men, work wear to like mold to your body during the day. So it holds its shape. That's, that's why they, that's why I'm in business. The 501s. Everyone's coming in for the 501s. Or just vintage denim in general. But people, I think 501s have like the nicest fading on them.

14:29Lindsay Davidson Paley: They have like the nicest whiskering and feathering and like just the different tracks down the side of the jean. So I think just the way they made them, I love like the vintageness of it. But I also think a 517 has that as well. Today's episode is presented by Depop. If you know me, you know I am big on a closet reset. I genuinely think that when your closet feels organized, your brain and life does too. So how many things are in your closet right now that you have loved when you bought them? Maybe you wore them once or twice, but now they are just sitting there. Here's something that I have realized.

15:01That random vintage blazer or dress that you bought for that birthday or dinner, someone is searching for that exact vibe right now. And that's why I love Depop. It's a resale app where you can buy and sell fashion. But what makes it feel different is how easy it is to actually list something. You literally snap a photo and their AI-powered listing fills in the details. It gives you smart pricing suggestions. You can accept offers, boost listings, and it takes what feels overwhelming and makes it feel like a very low lift. Also, no seller fees. So if you're clearing out one bag, five pairs of jeans, or doing a full closet edit, what you earn is actually yours.

15:40So download the Depop app and list one thing that you're not wearing today. You might be surprised at how fast it finds a new home. have you seen this like viral thing going around yeah I know you're gonna say it try so if you buy the new 501s the 90s and you size up three sizes up they feel like the vintage ones what's your

15:58Lindsay Davidson Paley: hot take on that I haven't done it but I'm gonna say no because it's they might feel like it in that looseness but it's never gonna feel like that with the actual denim I also think it's interesting because isn't the 501 the opposite to me it's the opposite of a loose jean yeah thank Thank you. It's literally like the most. It's the body hugging. That's. Yeah. That's why Morgan looks so good all the time. They are. Yeah, I agree. In there. I agree. But people will bring pictures of like celebrities. Kylie Jenner. There's this one photo that everyone brings in where their jeans are sitting very low on her.

16:36Lindsay Davidson Paley: Blue jean. Blue jean. 501. They're sitting very low. She probably sized up like three or four sizes. So this is my personal opinion about a 501. I personally think it should be worn very fitted. It's a very flattering jean when worn very fitted. Because I agree. When you get into that in-between where it's like somewhat fitted on your thighs, somewhat fitted on your butt, but then you have so much material on the front, you either need to go fitted or like really big. Yep. Where you're just forgoing the butt. Hey guys, Future Liv jumping in here. I loved recording this episode because I feel like I constantly get asked about where to find the best jeans and I'm even looking for myself.

17:16So I thought I'd put together a little shopping guide for you guys of my favorite jeans that are out there on the market right now for summer. So I actually went to Macy's.com and pulled five different styles that I'm loving right now. A couple of Forever jeans, a pair of shorts, and then also one styling trick that I think is going to change the way that you style your jeans forever. So let's get into it. Of course, the classic Levi's 501. You can always find them at Macy's. I love these jeans. I live in them. There's a reason why they are as beloved as they are. Okay. And we talked about this in the episode, but remember there is that viral trend going around right now that if you get 501s and size three sizes up that they fit like the vintage pair.

17:53We all want that like perfect vintage Healy Bieber style 501 jeans. So try it out. Let me know if it works. Okay. My next favorite pair of jeans is a great straight ankle jean. I feel like for summer, I love an ankle crop for a lot of reasons. One, it's a bit lighter. It's not as heavy, but also I love being able to show off my shoes in the summer. Like I want to show my cute sandals, my beach shoes, and Goat American makes the perfect straight ankle jean. So if you're looking for something that's very sleek, very like kind of CBK coated, the perfect uniform jean, these are them. They look so good with loafers, especially a loafer sock, because there's like a little bit of that space at the bottom.

18:32It's really the perfect jean for a great pair of shoes. For summer, I also really love a cargo pant. I feel like they're great for travel. If you are like on a destination vacation where you're walking around a lot, what better than a great utility pair of cargo pants? I love the ones from Sanctuary. They're a little baggy, a little bit of like a low rise. And I feel like what I love about the most is they're slouchy without looking sloppy. So you can wear them with a T with a button down and still look really put together, but all while being really comfortable. Okay, let's move into shorts. Denim shorts, I feel like are always a hot topic for the summer.

19:05Should we still be wearing them? Are they too young? Can we wear them in an elevated way? And I'm here to say yes. I love a pair of like Levi's kind of Bermuda style longer short. They have a pair of cinch waist denim shorts that I think are like the perfect everyday pair of pants. And I think a lot of people might be a little shy towards a Bermuda short. But again, I have a few tips. Always wear a belt, wear a little bit of a heel, even a kitten heel works, and it will really help the longer proportion of the shorts thrive. Okay. And then last, one of my favorite pairs, I actually have these myself in black.

19:38They're the Polo Ralph Lauren cutoff shorts. They're a baggier fit. If you are going to go for a shorter jean short, I always recommend like a baggier cutoff style. I think it's a little bit more looser, a bit more effortless. I also think the white instantly makes it chic and really great if you're looking for like the perfect vacation short. I know jean shopping can kind of be rough. So I always, when I'm giving you guys suggestions, want to give you a bunch so you can try them all on and find your perfect fit. If you are looking for these, they're all linked in the description of this episode.

20:06You can also shop them all at Macy's.com. Happy shopping. Do you have a piece of advice for people listening to this right now who are like, I don't even know where to begin with the sizing situation. Like, I do feel like there's a lot of advice all the time around the three sizes up, two sizes down. Like, that can be, in my mind, very misleading. Because I'll go in and be like, I actually don't know. Should I be getting true to size? Actually, the biggest question I get is like, did you get these true to size? did you size up, like, especially when it comes to pants? So do you have like a rec for that?

20:40Like, what do you think people should really be looking for when they're picking a size, whether it's a 501 or not?

20:44Lindsay Davidson Paley: So I think for modern denim, a lot of brands have vanity sizing where... What does that mean? So there are modern day denim brands where they want you to be the smallest size you are. So it's like, you know how you said earlier, well, like, I'm a 24 in this brand, but a 26 in this brand. There are certain denim brands that you're going to consistently be a smaller size because they make the cut bigger. So they're going off like a bigger fit model. So that way, when you're buying X brand, you're like, oh, I'm a size 23. I feel so good. That's what they want. Yeah. This is why I think we have such a big problem in like the fit world of across so many brands.

21:23Lindsay Davidson Paley: I think my biggest piece of advice is know your measurements, know your sizing, because if you know your measurements and then you can gauge it based off like what they say the model is, you'll know what size you are. I actually think that's so great and very underrated. Like I think of myself as a shopper who's like a pretty savvy shopper. The amount of times I go on any website and it shows me like a sizing chart and it says all these measurements and I'm like, yeah, I don't know that, but I'll just like get it. You're going to guess. I'm going to go like pick three sizes. I think like really, let's just like go to the local tailor and like get our measurements.

21:56I really like the know your measurements thing. I actually think like that is a thing that would be incredibly helpful

22:02Lindsay Davidson Paley: for people shopping, especially for pants today. What kind of other details are you looking for on jeans? I know we, you and I've talked about Kate jeans before and Kate Holstein actually said in another interview that she's done that they actually make the pockets on the back closer together because it makes your butt look better. I'm wondering if there are any details like that, that you recommend people really like tap into. Totally. The closer your pockets are, the more it's going to like look lifted. The further away, the wider it looks. Interesting. I know. Some people like the wide look.

22:32Lindsay Davidson Paley: Right. I'm very specific about the wash. Okay. Like the wash of a jean. I would say like that's the first thing I'm going to look for. Okay. And what are you looking for specifically? What do you love in a wash? I want it to look worn. If I'm buying a non-vintage denim brand, I just like that vintage look. Right. So I'm obsessed with the Celine Dillon jean. when I'm when I'm there I'm getting them yep I just think they're so cool like I love the little detail buckle right here and I love that they're a flare and the wash is amazing like it looks very worn it doesn't you know sometimes modern denim can look like it looks like a fake wash yes it looks like it's been printed onto exactly it looks like it's been literally yes through a 3d printer I can't I can't deal with I can't either but it's not I'm just like, what are we doing?

23:21Lindsay Davidson Paley: They look old, which I like. Yeah. I really like piping on a jean. Like sometimes I like like a little like white stitching or like a yellow stitching. And again, I think when you don't have those details, sometimes it can look like it's like a machine denim. Yeah. You know what I mean? A hundred percent. Like it looks like printed stretch denim. Do you think that light wash jeans like remind us too much of the early 2000s? Yes. And I also just think they're not the most flattering all the time. And by the way, no shade. Like a light wash is great. And I think in the summer it's cute. But there's something about it that feels so nostalgic to me.

23:57I can't wrap my head around. Yeah. And maybe it's just our generation.

24:00Lindsay Davidson Paley: I don't know. It reminds me of like seventh grade shopping like for back to school. And it was that light wash. Yeah. I frequently actually get asked like what the best wash is to like really elevate an outfit. And I wonder what… It's dark. 100%. It's 100 % dark. There's no question. Yeah. Dark wash. Why? I just think it looks aesthetically pleasing. It just, it's night, it pairs well with most neutral colors or bright color, like a dark wash. The color you're wearing, it's going to look good with like a bright red, but it's also going to look good with a black or a chocolate brown. Yep. Or any of those like rich elevated colors.

24:34I feel like my entire denim closet recently in the past year has like really just shifted to dark denim.

24:40Lindsay Davidson Paley: I love dark denim. Because I do wear, but I also love what you're wearing with color right now. You're wearing, for those listening audibly, she's wearing this like amazing teal dough and top and like a very classic wash, like a very like true blue denim. This is probably as light as I would go. Right. And I think it looks so great together. But I don't know. I've been wearing a lot of dark wash because I feel like I can wear like my yellow sweaters and like my teal button downs and then also like range in my neutrals. And there's just something about it that feels very put together. But I will say I have been like, it's really a spring summer thing where I start to itch for like the 501 true blue wash.

25:14Lindsay Davidson Paley: I know what you mean. Yeah. Or it's like white denim is great for spring, summer too. I actually really like white denim year round. I think it looks so good in the winter, like styled with like a white tee, black belt coat over it. Like I don't get, I think we - You're not the white after, like no white after Labor Day girl. We also live in LA. We can wear anything year round. The no white after Labor Day thing, I think is like any of those like things that your mom told you growing up, let's just like— Disregard. Disregard. Yeah. Send to trash as an email. Like in terms of just those fashion rules, like I just don't think that they matter anymore.

25:53Like, of course I'm wearing white after Labor Day. Or like, of course sometimes I'll wear a horizontal stripe. Or like, I mix navy and black all the time. Like all of these kind of rules, I think it's like, let's just not— Let's say bye-bye. Let's say bye-bye. Wear what you love. And like at the end of the day, it all comes back in anyways. But yeah, I love a white jean year round. I think it looks so nice. You know, white vintage is hard. It's just hard to find. Right. I have a pair from a Nina Bing that I actually really like. I think for modern brands, like a Nina Bing makes a great denim. I love a Nina Bing.

26:24Love.

26:25Lindsay Davidson Paley: I've like always loved a Nina Bing. A little pricey, but I think it's really worth it. I get so much wear out of them. I feel like denim is worth investing if you can. Yeah. if you can it's like you said it's a neutral it's like it's what you wear every day so to me it's the best investment alongside shoes and bags yes but I I agree with you like invest in the thing that you're gonna wear all the time totally I want to get into vintage a little bit because that is your your home turf my niche it is your niche how do you source what are you looking for Like what is like the stamp and steal of approval that makes it into Lenny?

27:02Lindsay Davidson Paley: Okay. First, they have to have an original hem. Oh my God. That is my… I'm grabbing the chair right now because I'm so passionate about original hems. Me too. One time I took my favorite pair of jeans to the tailor and they got rid of the original hem. You're like, I have to throw them out. I can't wear them now. They were naked. Yeah, no. You're naked. You are naked without an original hem. Agreed. For everybody listening, if you are ever getting pants tailored or anything, make sure you keep that original hem. And if they don't know how, go find someone that does. Find another tailor. Don't leave it there.

27:35Don't leave it there. No. But like there was one time where it happened again, and I actually made them go through their scraps and find the original hem and bring it back. I would too. Yeah. Passionate. Deeply passionate.

27:44Lindsay Davidson Paley: I don't mind a raw hem. A raw hem is fine with the right gene. Right. But no, just a tailored. But a tailored hem, it looks like, what are you doing? Like, what's going on? it feels explicit to me yeah it's like I'm like it's explicit yeah like please put that away put that away yeah Rahams okay I'm so glad you brought this up because I think it's so important and so easy to do everybody listening right now can do this at home with their tailor yeah yeah it's that's number one yeah Raham no question I would say the next wash wash is the biggest thing for me and distressing. Like, I don't mind distressing.

28:22Lindsay Davidson Paley: I love a good vintage distress. I love a rip moment when it's right, but like something that's torn all the way down, no. It's funny. I have strong thoughts about this. I do not like ripped jeans. It makes sense. I see them coming back though. I don't mind. It has to be the right jean, the right rip, the right distress. Okay, let's talk about ripped jeans. What is the appropriate amount of ripped? tell me tell me the parameters like one rip or I think like a little distressing but I mean distressing where you see the white yes not like a full-blown rip totally but everyone loves that's the beauty I guess of what I do is everyone loves different things yeah so if someone comes in being like I want fully ripped jeans I'm gonna be like let's do it of course that's what you want do you like a rip on like both knees no okay one it needs to be one asymmetrical I'm an asymmetrical girl Like I have.

29:17Lindsay Davidson Paley: It's like it's a rip, but I didn't try. Exactly. It was an accident. It's like piercings. Like I don't want them to be even. I think a rip has to look like an accident. The more manufactured it looks, the more you're like, it's not working. Couldn't agree more. Okay. That's how I feel about rips too. Okay. So we're looking at raw hems, distressing. And then the wash. Like I know. And then I have, it's not a debate, but like me and my girls that work with me, it's because we're all different age range. So some, you know, like the younger girls really like that Y2K wash or like it's a little bit greener and it has like that more intense whispering.

29:58Lindsay Davidson Paley: Do you know what I'm talking about? Yes. I have a hard time with those. That's not for me. Right. I don't like them. So when I see this, I'm like, I don't like these or I don't like like the two-tone stitching. Some people love it. Right. So for me, and I know it's vintage, but I like it to look a little bit more polished vintage rather than like full grunge vintage. Yeah, I think, I really think when it comes down to washes, like you, it's kind of like color analysis. Like you really have to not do a color analysis on yourself, but on your closet. And like, if it is a gray green wash that you like, you, you probably are someone who wears a lot of neutrals because it's hard to match colors with that in my opinion.

30:38Lindsay Davidson Paley: I'm with you. Yeah. I also think sometimes I need to think, what would everyone want to wear? Not just me. So I think that's the biggest thing with sourcing. Like I'll pull up these jeans that are super, super dark. We're like all of that, but someone might not like that. But I know like someone else is going to like that. So I think trying, if at least I can hit 90 % of people, then we're doing a good job. Right. You also mentioned something that I only recently learned about. I didn't realize that the distressing on like the sides under the pockets are called whiskers. Okay. So you call that distressing?

31:15No, sorry. That was just like my way to describe it. Like where the lines? The lines. Yeah, whiskering. When someone was like, oh, I don't like those whiskers. I was like, what?

31:24Lindsay Davidson Paley: You're like, what's a whisker? And then they were like the lines on the sides. I love that. Little body whiskers. Like denim whiskers. Yeah, they're great. I love whiskering. They just look old and vintage. but I don't like whisking on like modern denim because it looks fake. Okay. So those are your like three parameters that you're looking for when you're bringing in jeans for Lenny. And then also style of the jean. Okay. So that's a big thing. I would say there are certain cuts that just don't work. I just do not like them. Like? Me personally, I really don't like a 901 cut. A 901 is a vintage model, but it was It's kind of modeled after the 501, but it more has like a pinched waist.

32:10Lindsay Davidson Paley: So it's for women. Okay. But it has buttons and it just looks like a mom jean. Oh my goodness. It's not cute. I actually feel like everything you've just shared of what you look for in your store is such a great toolkit for people when they're looking for vintage jeans out in the world. It's like whether they're coming into your store or not, like those are such good parameters to be like, okay, this is a great wash. Whiskers are there or they're not there. There's a hem there. Like, I think vintage shopping for jeans is really overwhelming for a lot of people. It's hard. And unless they're in there with you, like, how do they sift to find the best pair for them?

32:45Lindsay Davidson Paley: Again, it goes back to knowing your sizing. Yeah. Because I think, and also what looks good on you versus what you want. I'm actually curious for you, if you're advising people back to shopping online, what's your advice for people shopping for jeans online? I'm into like the Citizen's Barrel jean. I like those. I love those. And they're comfortable. Those are such a good pair of pants. I also really like them in, I actually like them in other colors versus a jean. Yeah. I will buy modern denim if it doesn't look like vintage denim. Right. Like I'm not going to buy, I actually bought all modern Levi's during my pregnancy.

33:24Lindsay Davidson Paley: For anyone pregnant, the low loose, best, best pregnancy jean. I love a Levi's low loose. And the ones that I have aren't even vintage. No, they're not. It's not a vintage style, right? It's not a vintage style. I wore them my entire pregnancy. The low loose Levi's They're amazing. are, I think, up there in my most worn pieces in my closet. Oh, I love them. They are such a cool fit. And every time I wear them, I get so many comments. What are those jeans? What is the fit? It's so unique. Yeah, they did a great job. They're, it is a great, if you are going out for like a dinner and you're going to like, and you're like, I want to eat.

34:02Wear the low loose jeans.

34:03Lindsay Davidson Paley: 100%. because you can still style them. They're still like a really cute silhouette. Right. But they're just not, you know, they're not like where you have to wear like a cropped anything. You can kind of style anything with them, in my opinion. Like you can wear a big jacket. You can wear a cropped jacket. And I also love that they're a boot cut. They're like$99, I think. Great price point. I also love those Citizen's pants. I think they're good in other colors. The Citizen's pants, I will say, run big. Citizen's runs very big. I've heard great things about Aflalo. I haven't tried anything from her.

34:33I haven't either. This is Yale Aflalo who started Reformation's new brand. That's definitely at a higher price point, but very cute stuff. I would 100 % believe that she makes great jeans because I think Ruff jeans are really great.

34:45Lindsay Davidson Paley: I do too. I actually think... I love Ruff. I think the closest jean that you can get to a vintage-inspired jean is a lot of times from Ruff. Hands down, especially because they also do vintage. Okay, I want to get into this a little bit more because I know we've talked about finding your fit. and getting your measurements done. But for people who aren't based in LA or, you know, aren't coming to you, I think you have like such a great dictionary and like toolkit for going into a tailor and asking for the right things. Off the bat, when someone is in a store and they're putting on a jean, what do you think like defines that perfect fit for them that is like something they're able to go to the tailor and like get a little bit closer?

35:28Like, how do you know someone's like hit the jackpot when they're in a dressing room for jeans? I think it's all about the crotch for me.

35:35Lindsay Davidson Paley: Wow. I know it's really weird. No, I agree with you. Yeah, yeah. Explain. Okay. So, you know when people are like, why are these jeans giving me a camel toe? They're constantly giving me a camel toe. It's because the rise is not right for them. So let's say the reason jeans give you a camel toe is because they're trying to get up and over your hips to close. Okay. And they're pulling, even if it doesn't matter what size you are. It's your hips. So you could be a size 2 and a size 14. But like if your hips are wider and not as straight, especially with a button fly, they're going to go up and over.

36:15Lindsay Davidson Paley: And so they're tight trying to get over. Right. And the rise is too small. So you and I actually had that problem when I went into Lenny for the first time. I tried on a pair of jeans that I loved. And I was like, there's too much going on there. Like it's distracting for me. And do you remember what you did to fix that? Yeah, I think we went three ways with your jeans. We got dark jeans. Three ways means down the back and on the sides. So you brought it up in the back? So we took in the back. Like we took it in through the center back seam. So like the seat, the butt. And then also on the sides.

36:48So if you're a person in the dressing room and the crotch is not working, do you still think they're workable to take to a tailor?

36:55Lindsay Davidson Paley: If they're giving you a camel toe, definitely not. They're not the right jean. Absolutely not. You're sending them home. Even if it fits everywhere else, you love the wash. It fits in the waist, whatever. There's just also certain styles and cuts that just don't work for certain body shapes. I'm trying to think of my own experience of like being in a dressing room and looking at jeans and being like, I can get that fixed. How far is too far for a pair of jeans? First, I think you need to look at where the pockets are. Okay. Where the pockets are on the side. So sometimes when I tell people, I don't know if there's room, what room means is if there's room in between the pockets, your pocket distance on the side of your jean.

37:32Lindsay Davidson Paley: Oh. So like, yeah, there's obviously room if your jeans are big. You can take them in, but there might not be room on the jeans. Yes, because then the pockets would end up in weird places. Your pockets will be touching or your pockets will look like they're on the side of your hips. So how do you recognize that as a normal consumer in the dressing room? I would look how big. If you want a fitted pair of jeans, I wouldn't try and have them be bigger than like an inch or two. Okay. You want to see how far apart the pockets are? I think learning the art of talking to your tailor is something everyone should learn.

38:04Like knowing what to ask for, what to work with your body. Obviously, we've covered getting your measurements done. But are there any things for jeans specifically that you think are important things to be shared with a tailor? No darts. She's like, don't do it.

38:17Lindsay Davidson Paley: I think a lot of times people will get jeans that are like six sizes big being like, I want to take in the jean. and look, their tailors are amazing. They are so talented like that. I am not a tailor. I am a fit expert. I can fit you in a perfect pair of jeans. I have amazing, amazing people that do the work and but I've learned from them. So that's how I know. But basically, the also you don't want to recreate an entire jean. Then like, let's go find you a place that will custom make you a pair of jeans from scratch. Because the whole point is like, yeah, you buy a great pair of vintage 501s and they're three sizes too big, you're going to have to take in the whole jean.

38:55Lindsay Davidson Paley: And then what's the point? You lose everything about the jean. There are so many pairs of jeans in this world. You shouldn't have to settle for a pair that you're going to manufacture in like so many different ways. Like no operation on the jeans. No, you want like a little tuck, a little hem. Sure. You don't want it to look like you fully redid a jean. Right. That's redone. So I follow this amazing fashion account that runs data like all around the world. And she's reported numerous times that America is the only country that doesn't wear skinny jeans. Really? I feel like the Midwest loves skinny jeans.

39:31Well, they're rising in popularity. Like they are very popular. They're not like, the sentiment towards them is not high. But like people do wear them. But like we're the only country in the world where the sentiment is low towards skinny jeans. Like Europe, they wear skinny jeans. Yeah, I don't know why we hate skinny jeans. I know you mentioned earlier we were talking about like balloon jeans and trends. Like how much do you think that people should really be paying attention to those trends when they're looking for jeans? Like

39:57Lindsay Davidson Paley: zero percent, zero percent, zero. I think when you're investing, looking for jeans, you really want to do what looks great on you. I think it was either area or a lie. It came out with like really that really, you know what Jean I'm talking about? Yes. I had like a full open on the side. Yeah. Amazing. Beautiful. They did an incredible job. But if you're spending $2 ,000 on a pair of jeans, you might want something you're going to wear more than like one season. Right. I'm just not a big trend person when it comes to denim. I do agree. I think the one caveat in terms of like investing in expensive jeans right now is I am noticing more jeans than ever on runways.

40:35Like Chanel of all brands is showing jeans going down the runway. Celine jeans down the runway. Like we are seeing Gucci, Tom Ford, all of these brands are showing denim. What do you think it says about the state of fashion that we're seeing a lot of jeans?

40:51Lindsay Davidson Paley: I think that just as a society, denim has become like at the forefront of what people want to wear. Just if you see like the way fashion has shifted from like the 20s, 30s, 50s, 70s, all throughout now, denim has like become more and more popular. We're not getting as dressed up anymore. Like denim is the dress up, if that makes sense. It's a lot easier to buy a denim pair of pants from Chanel than a tweed jacket. You're going to wear the denim jeans more. So I think if the people are like choosing on what to invest in. Let's get into that a little bit because we brought up the Kate jeans earlier and those Kate Danielle jeans have been like, I feel like the number one most requested thing in the last couple of years.

41:34People love them. I love Kate. They were a little too like tight on me, to be honest. Like I, I just feel like.

41:40Lindsay Davidson Paley: They came up to my boobs. That's yeah. And I have a long torso and I'm tall. Yeah. But they were still up there. They were really up there, but they're like $700 jeans. Like why do you think jeans have gotten so expensive? And also if you're paying that much, like what are you actually paying for? I would say a lot of times you're paying for the name. Right. But then you're also paying for the materials. Kate Jean, she's going to use superior quality to probably a Zara denim. That being said, they're both great. It's just, it's, I, it's nine times out of 10. It's the quality, not necessarily the fit, but it's the name.

42:18Lindsay Davidson Paley: It's the brand you're paying for the brand. Do you think it's worth it? Yeah. If you like the jeans, if they work, if they work, yeah. At the end of the day, again, I'm going to go back to what I said. If you walk in and they look good on you, you're probably going to buy them. I would. yeah for me if I think if it's worth it if like a you can afford it b it makes you feel great and c you love the way it looks it's worth it and you're going to wear them a lot like you don't want to invest in something that's just going to sit in your closet no they're like a classic classic pair of jeans yeah I stand 10 toes down on that too though that if you're investing in like designer jeans make sure they're classic ones that you're going to wear forever and ever and not a trend.

42:57Yeah. Before we close out, I do want to end on the thought that like, again, jeans are so personal and like just part of our everyday wardrobe. So what is it that you hope that someone takes away from finding their perfect fit? Like what is that feeling that you want them to walk away with?

43:11Lindsay Davidson Paley: I want them to feel amazing and I want them to just be happy and like, I want to reach for these jeans. I think as you were saying, denim shopping is so emotional. It can be very humbling. And it also can make you feel great. Just so I think when you find those jeans, it just make you feel sexy and good and cool. And like, you want to shout from the rooftops and be like, look at my ass in these jeans. That's the most important thing to me. I mean, I'll never forget. There was one pair of jeans that came into my closet like two years ago and it changed the way I got dressed. Which jeans? Forever.

43:44It was the Anina Bing Gavin jeans. They were a light wash for, and it was like, I think I got them like in the spring. and they were cropped. But they just, it was like finding that pair that like made my closet suddenly work all together.

43:59Lindsay Davidson Paley: I'm going to try these jeans. They're really cute. I'll send you a picture of me in them so you can like see how they fit. But yeah, I think finding that pair can like dramatically change. Just like everything about how you get dressed every day. And it's worth the hunt. Totally. And it's also worth if you feel good in them. I think that's the most important thing too. I love it. Okay, before we close out, we have a new series on the podcast. It's called Let's Get You Dressed. Let's do it. Where we have listeners bring in their upcoming events, things, and ask us what they should wear to them.

44:28And then we answer them on the pod.

44:29Lindsay Davidson Paley: I love this. There was one that came in that I thought would be perfect for you since you just had a little one and you've probably been in this era. And I also have a way to tie it back to jeans because I'm so curious about this. But what would you wear if you were going to a spring baby shower right now? No theme. What's the dress code? So this is what begs the question. A lot of the baby showers that I go to do not have dress codes. And I often show up to them. And the dress code is kind of all over the place. Can you wear jeans to a baby shower? Yes. I think you can wear jeans to anything.

45:01Lindsay Davidson Paley: I'm not a big dress girl. Me too. It's so funny. I just went to a baby shower here in January. And I wore these exact jeans and a blazer and like a little white top underneath. And I had like a pretty brooch on and like a Chanel flat. And it was great. But it was interesting because I had never been to a baby shower that wasn't like in the summer or spring. So I was thinking about when I was getting dressed. I was like, am I about to show up and everyone's going to be in floral dresses? Yeah. And lo and behold, they were because we're in LA. But I too am not like the like flowy dress. Like the dough in.

45:34I'm not wearing. Yeah, that's not my personal style. But I feel like that has become very synonymous with baby shower dressing. So I was like, I feel like you're the perfect person to ask this to because what if you're not that gal?

45:44Lindsay Davidson Paley: I think a great two-piece or jeans, blazer, jacket. I'm obsessed with jackets. I wish it was colder here to wear jackets. Don't get me started. All I buy are jackets. Don't get me started. I'm like, hello. I'll start crying. Why is it 80 degrees? I mean, I'm wearing a tweed jacket. It's 85. I won't. I love it. Yeah. To the camera, I would rather be hot than not wear my cute stuff. Okay? But okay, if we're wearing jeans, a lighter color denim, and this I would go for like a straighter leg or a boot cut with a great pointy-toed heel and a nice top. Yeah, like I could see that working perfectly with like a springy, you can throw your florals in there if you want, but something that feels like it has a little bit of movement to it.

46:28Like I think if you do wear jeans, you need to wear a little bit more of like a dressed up top. So it just elevates it a little bit. I love the pointed toe. I feel like that always makes, if I want to wear jeans somewhere, I will immediately throw on pointed toe heels with it because it just makes it like a little bit more polished.

46:43Lindsay Davidson Paley: Yeah, and elevated. Yeah. You can even throw on a pointed toe flat. I feel like that works too. But yeah, I would do the nice top with it. You know, Posse are like faithful to the brand. They make great two-piece linen, but they're still polished and it's not like linen where it's going to just billow and be huge by the end of the day. Yep. And all wrinkled. Yes. Yes. So something like that. That Grand Posse has great summer pieces. Okay, cute. Thank you so much for coming on. Thanks for having me. I am so thrilled with this episode because I love how detailed you got. I'm all about the details.

47:14Yes, but also like I am going to look at jeans so differently now when I'm trying them on. So thank you so much for giving us all your incredible wisdom. And if you guys are based in LA, go check out Lenny. It's in the Valley on Ventura. I had the best time in there. It's literally jean heaven. And Lindsay is truly an expert. Like I loved watching you cinch and like put these jeans together and make them my favorite pair. So thank you so much for being here. And thank you so much for having me.