Nothing will carry you through the school year like a great pair of jeans.
When it comes to jeans, there are tons of options. Skinny-leg, wide-leg, high-rise, low-rise—what’s a girl to do? Well we checked in with Jason Trotzuk, founder/designer of Fidelity Denim, and asked him just that.
The Scoops shades for fall ’08.
What are the top trends in denim for fall?
Jason’s top jean for fall, Fidelity Scoops in a rinse wash. We’re still in a dark trend as far as washes go. You’re gonna see a lot of dark washes with smooth groomed fading (no obviously contrasts, like whiskers).
As far as silhouettes go, “skinnies” (or as Fidelity calls them, “tapered”) are very strong and newly hot for fall. “Skinny was kinda hot a year or two ago. People bought one or two pairs of them, but they weren’t too sure. Now they realize that they go really well with their boots and can tuck them into their boots, [which is key] since boots are a must for Canadians in the fall/winter season,” Jason says.
There’s also been a huge trend towards higher rises for the last season or two, and according to Jason, we’ll continue to see that as a mainstay. (Remember that a high rise means comfortably on the hip, or slightly above the hipbone. Or you can go super high-rise if you’re up for a fashion-forward look.)
The style that Jason recommends from Fidelity is called Scoops. They sit perfectly on the hip—not too high or too low—and the leg silhouette is forgiving, so you don’t have to be pencil thin to fit into them comfortably. Scoops also come in a variety of colours, which is another big trend for fall. Not so much the neon brights that we’re seeing throughout the summer, but deeper tones such as plum, red, gray, and navy.
The must-have jean for fall?
Black or rinse-wash skinnies.
Jason’s top jean for fall, Fidelity Scoops in a rinse wash.
If you’re long and lean, the best cut for your body type is? Skinny or super-flare. Fidelity picks: Scoop for a skinny style, or Skip for a super-flare.
If you’re pear shaped? Trouser leg if she doesn’t want to appear curvy, but if she wants to show off her curves, then a flare. Fidelity picks: Hyacinth for a trouser cut, or the Lotus or Tiger Lily styles for a touch of flare.
If you’re short-waisted (meaning long legs and a short torso)? A lower rise bootcut—although any leg shape would work. Fidelity picks: Tiger Lily bootcut.
What are the tell-tale signs that your jeans don’t fit properly?
A wide flare is great on all body types and trendy for fall, so the Skip super-flare is a great option no matter your shape.
Jason notes a gaping-waist, bunching in the knee, and a pouchy crotch area as the obvious signs of an ill-fitting jean. But what’s more important? “Pocket placement. If the pockets are too high, too far apart, or angled weird, it gives you a weird bum,” according to Jason. “A good designer makes a pair of jeans that give you a great tush!”
So where do those pockets need to hit? “The sweet spot is not too high, not too low, too small, too big, too far out, or too close in—they need to be center. Pockets should never go lower then your seat crease [the spot where your cheeks join your legs]. They should be a quarter inch above your seat crease to frame your tushy and give it a contour.”
“The other thing is that jeans, being almost all exclusively stretch now, should feel like a second skin.”
Often when trying on jeans, the salesperson recommends buying them on the tighter side, since they’ll stretch. What’s the truth behind that?
“I say phooey to that,” says Jason, “The jean should fit right from the get-go. Yeah, they will stretch out over time, especially the lighter weight denims, but I don’t think you should get them uncomfortably tight.” There’s a difference between snug and too tight, and if you buy them too tight, you’ll never end up wearing them.
Why do some jeans cost so much?
Jason, who came into the business by founding the affordable denim line Dish and moved on to create the higher-end Fidelity, knows the difference between an $80 jean and a $180 jean. “You can have a great fitting $80 jean, and a great fitting $180 jean, but the fabric that you’re using in a $180 jean will hold you better and fit you better. And they’re gonna last you longer. There are lots of great brands at $80—no question—but if you wanna get a really great pair of jeans, then you might have to spend the dough for them.”
Jason Trotzuk, founder/designer of Fidelity Denim. “It’s kinda funny ‘cause girls will spend $300 on a dress that they might wear 5 times, whereas a pair of jeans, you’ll wear an average of 100 times, if not more. And they only get better with age.”
Grab your Fidelity jeans at Over The Rainbow in Toronto, and Aritzia and Holt Renfrew across Canada.
