Nothing frustrates me more than seeing "back-to-school" promotions in early August. Maybe not now as much as I used to since I'm no longer a student, but I am very much open to the idea that this back to school commotion means an excuse to buy new clothes! Particularly jeans...possibly the most loved and hated item by women. My enthusiasm was peaked even more when Kohl's asked me to participate in their Denim Blogger campaign! Usually when I go to Kohl’s, I head straight to the Junior’s section. I realized at 23 years old, it’s probably acceptable for me to actually check out the women’s denim. Especially when the Junior’s jeans are all torn up, faded, and have weird pocket designs that I’m just not down with flashing from my booty. Wandering over to the big girl’s section, I questioned whether this too would be way off my radar (hello, mom jeans), but I was shocked that I actually found as many pairs as I did that I felt flattered me, met my standards for comfort, and actually see myself wearing.
Rock & Republic Denim Legging $59.99
This is my favorite pair from the entire haul. These are super stretchy and hug my legs just right without squeezing. Usually I never do low-rise jeans just because mid or high rise don’t dig into my skin, but these seem to have a better hip to waist proportion for my body than other pairs that taper in too narrow for my figure. I think most women would agree with me when I say this is the most frustrating part about buying denim (and the reason I almost never do!) I am wearing a size 4M.
Simply Vera Bootcut Jean $34.99
I think the last time I wore bootcut jeans was in high school. Probably because skinny jeans became much more acceptable and didn’t make me look squat. They’re not for everyone, but when I shop for them they must be fairly slim from the knees down - wide, exaggerated flairs look funny to me; even the fashionista in me just couldn’t hop on board with those babies. And unless you’re a celebrity or prominent in the fashion industry, I feel they just aren’t ideal for daily wear. That being said, the Simply Vera pair I found did not have this issue for me at all, and will work well for days when I want to throw on my Converse sneakers and a tee or hoodie for a relaxed look. I am wearing a size 2 (my sizes in this brand seem to be smaller than my sizing in others)
Levi's High Rise Skinny Jeans $49.50
To be honest I’m not as into the super high-rise style as I once was, but I they are still a staple just to have in case I have a certain look I want to achieve. I like wearing these with crop tops and tanks, but as the weather cools down they will look perfect paired with cropped sweaters, moto jackets, or basic cardigans. These also fulfilled my need for a lighter wash without being too light. I’m not a huge fan of the white/blue denim. As far as the fit goes, these hit me right above my hip bones, and are just a little too tight for my liking in the waist, but I can compromise because it fits nicely everywhere else. The Lee’s do not have as much stretch in them as the R&R’s, and the front pockets aren't very deep so they tend to pop out after sitting/bending/moving around. However, this could add to the casual vibe from the lightly distressed look it already has. Here I am wearing a size 5M/27.
Clearly, these three finds were worthy investments, which is also easy to say since they were so fairly priced. In reality, I don’t wear jeans enough to justify spending $70-$150 or more on designer pairs. In my mind, it makes no sense when stores like Kohl’s offer high quality denim with prices that don’t make my wallet want to stay hidden in my purse. My local Kohl’s department store is pretty small in terms of size and tends to get cleaned out of sizes fairly quickly. Sadly there were no more of the black Rock & Republic skinnies and Lauren Conrad denim leggings I wanted to try, so I would highly suggest rushing to a Kohl’s before stock runs low! It is still summer technically, so don’t stress too much - there’s still time to stock up for fall and back-to-school. But it never hurts to be prepared; especially with prices like these. Thank you to Kohl’s for the opportunity to test out their denim!
Disclosure: I received a giftcard courtesy of Kohl's to purchase the jeans featured in this post; opinions are 100% our own.