An ode to the cropped flare jean

I don't wear jeans often. My office does not have casual Fridays. We may have the rare dress down day connected to the success of the Arizona Wildcats, that's once or twice a year. I live in the desert where at least six or seven months it's far too hot for long pants and certainly for denim.  There are some lovely chilly days in the winter when I wear jeans. I look forward to those opportunities all year long.  Just any old pair of jeans will not do.

I've been searching for the perfect jean for me.  I like a mid rise.  The tummy no longer allows for a low rise pant.  I like a slim cut.  No retro 70s wide leg for me, I lived through that the first time.  I need jeans that will work with flats or heels.  I've spent hours on the internet clicking on image after image until I thought I finally found the pair of my dreams.

Behold the MIH Brighton jean.

Lovely!  A mid rise slim with a little kick flare. Ticks all the boxes.  Except one.  Sold out in my size.  And back to the drawing board I go.

What do you do when you strike out completely and descend into despair?  (Okay, that's a bit melodramatic but these are jeans we're talking about here.)  You reach out for help, that's what you do.  Having seen the gorgeous Tabitha of Bourbon and Pearls in the very style I was lusting after, I emailed her.  She shared the information, the pair that made her stems so gorgeous were J Brand Gigi jeans.  The bad news was the style was several years old and no longer sold.  Undeterred I turned to eBay and there they were.  As worn by many celebrities including Elle McPherson, one of my style icons, they are the perfect combination of rise, rinse and flare. January Jones wears them all the time.

They're fabulous with heels, Audrey Hepburn-esque with flats.  The dark wash is dressy enough to be worn with a black blazer and pumps, and they can go casual with flats and a tee.  I'm giddy waiting for their arrival. 

Who is your muse?

Muse  (myooz)

n.

1. Greek Mythology Any of the nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, each of whom presided over a different art or science.

2. muse

               a. A guiding spirit

               b. A source of inspiration.

3. muse A poet.

 

In the days of movie magazines, before tabloids and ET (that's Entertainment television, not the extraterrestrial), women had only the images the stars wanted them to see.  Beautiful shots of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Katherine Hepburn filled the pages women thumbed through at the beauty parlor.  While they are still relevant fashion icons, we now have pictures of fashion editors, designers, singers, actors and those who seem to be famous for no reason at all. 

 

The explosion of street style photographers, personal style blogs, fashion show coverage and red carpet recaps give us plenty of examples to follow.  Still, finding your own style can be quite a challenge.  It helps to have a muse.  Or maybe more than one.  Following someone whose style you admire and want to emulate can give you a blueprint. 

 

My closet has evolved after using my muses as my source of fashion inspiration.  Here are a few of them.

 

Carine Roitfeld

 

 

Elle McPherson

 

Victoria Beckham