White Jeans Round-Up
White jeans are like your very best frenemy. I think we all secretly have a love/hate relationship with white jeans. Oh, you see the the women who wear the white jeans so effortlessly and somehow never get a thing on them. It inspires you to try again. But the reality for most of us is, we love the stylish affect they provide but often the implementation is problematic. I am here to help. I did the painful part and tried on fifteen pairs of white jeans and narrowed it down to four picks.
Spring and early summer are perfect for white jeans. They provide warmth while brightening up your wardrobe. I have a few tried and true pairs that I usually rely on but this year when I pulled one pair out to wear, I found the rise to feel ridiculously low. When did that happen?
Finally Liking the Higher Rises
As a woman who fought the return of the hi-rise because I have an extremely short waist, it seems as though I have finally succumbed to its allure and now find many of my old jeans (cause I never really get rid of jeans) way to low rise. It could also be that at almost 50, there is no way to avoid a muffin top if the rise is too low. Higher rise jeans are just more forgiving. And when you are talking white pants, who doesn’t need a little forgiveness?
Still, I was undeterred and decided I still want to find a good pair of white jeans. Honestly, a good pair of white jeans can elevate any outfit. So, I decided to hunt for a new pair. I tried on 15 pairs in the comfort of my home (thank you online shopping). Styles from Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Shopbop. Bloomindale’s is having their Friends & Family event with 25% off selected items running through 04/14. It is a great time to pick up some white denim.
White Denim Goals
My white jean goal is to find two pairs: a loose fit boyfriend style and a traditional skinny jean. Both pairs need to be flattering, not see through and with a medium rise.
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White Jeans I Tried:
- Citizen of Humanity Drew Crop Flair Jeans – cute if flair cut is what you want.
- PAIGE Sklyline Ankle Peg Skinny Jeans – PAIGE nails white jeans. These are just a bit too low rise.
- AG Prima Ankle Cigarette Jeans – could have been a contender. Felt a little stiff though.
- AG The Ex-Boyfriend Crop Slim Jeans – beware two whites. One not so white. Great fit.
- Mavi Jeans Becca Tie Front Jeans – paperbag waist isn’t for me but great quality jean for the price.
- Citizen of Humanity ‘Emerson’ Slim Boyfriend Jeans – not really white kinda blueish. Low rise.
- Paige Hoxton Ankle Skinny Jeans – ah! Practically perfect in every way.
- AG Ankle Legging Raw-Hem Jeans – runs crazy small.
- rag & bone/JEAN The Dre slim boyfriend – wish I could find my size.
- rag & bone/JEAN Dre Raw-Edge Cropped – too low rise for me.
- rag & bone/JEAN Skinny Jeans – runs crazy small.
- Madewell High Rise Skinny Jeans – a great option for the price.
- rag & bone/JEAN Ankle DRE Ripped – great ripped option.
- Levi’s 501 Skinny Jeans – super quality for the price.
- Joe’s Jeans The Charlie High Rise Ankle Skinny – no pockets!
First, I just have to get this off my chest. When did not giving you actual pockets in jeans become a thing? Seriously, pockets are essential. I understand that they often avoid them in white jeans to avoid the added fabric bunching but pockets are useful and I won’t buy a pair without them. Now, on to the winners all with pockets!
The Winners
Boyfriend Style Jeans
After all that, I can only recommend four pairs. First, the boyfriend styles I love – Levi’s 501 Skinny Jeans (pictured below) and the AG The Ex-Boyfriend Crop Slim Jeans. The Levi’s are only $98 so a total score on price. To get the fit like on the model, I had to size up two sizes. They are a tad higher rise than I like but Levi’s has mastered the art of light-weight denim but not see through.
I also decided to keep, the AG The Ex-Boyfriend Crop Slim Jeans which run TTS. Important to note, AG has two white colors in this cut. One is 01Y Tonal White which I tried first. The color is really a yellowy white and it just isn’t good. The other is 01 Year White cause that isn’t confusing at all. The 01 Year White is a true bright white and after trying the other from Nordstrom, I had to order the bright white from AG directly. Both of these are really a boyfriend style, cropped cut perfect for summer.
Skinny Jeans
The two I recommend for a more traditional skinny leg style are the Madewell High Rise Skinny Jean and the Paige Hoxton Ankle Skin Jeans in Crisp White .The Madewell at $128 are a great jean for the price. The rise is stated at 9 inch but it felt higher to me. My sweet spot on rise is 9-10 inches and anything higher has me tucking my boobs into my pants. It is not a good look! I found these to be a tad sheer but far better than others at much higher prices. They are fine if you just stick with nude underwear. They are a great length for tall girls. I would definitely consider keeping these if I hadn’t found the Paige Hoxton.
The PAIGE Hoxton Ankle Skinny are the perfect skinny jean. The denim is super soft and has just the right amount of stretch. The rise is 10″ and the inseam is 28″. They fit TTS and have 5 pockets! They are super comfortable and a perfect addition to any wardrobe. The PAIGE Skyline Ankle Peg are also the same fabulous stretchy soft denim but the rise is stated at 9.5″ but honestly feels so much lower that it definitely didn’t work for me. PAIGE definitely kills it with the white denim options.
Honorable Mention
An honorable mention to the rag & bone The Dre Slim Boyfriend. I love rag & bone Dres. I have several pairs. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find these in my right size. I purchased the size they had which is a size up from my usual but Dre’s run large and I usually size down. I found them just too slouchy which in regular denim is fine but didn’t work in these stretchy white jeans. A quick internet search found me no options in my size so the Dre will have to wait until another year. If they have them in your size they are such a great light weight denim for summer and I have found them to be universally flattering. I recommend you pick them up. For more spring outfit options click here.
