Adolescent girls may be the last people on earth who haven't yet noticed Seven Jeans are so over. Here are six premium denim brands to check out and, quite possibly, make an investment in:
*Editor's pick* Paper Denim & Cloth - Well-fitting and superbly made, Paper Denim & Cloth jeans are a favorite among fashionable Japanese girls. Be wary of their length: they should be hemmed, cuffed, or worn with heels or boots, but any tall girl or guy will be quite pleased to note the length is ideal. The brand uses Japanese cotton in both rigid and distressed denims, making the transformation from I-need-comfort jeans to I'm-a-total-rock-star jeans a piece of cake. Price range: $150-$190.
Earnest Sewn - Established by Scott Morrison, Paper Denim's founder and original designer, Earnest Sewn is an up-and-coming brand made in the vein of Paper Denim jeans. Although some are still wary about the new tapered-jean trend, Earnest Sewn has styles like the Decca, a straight-ish jean in an assortment of washes that still has an ever-so-slight boot cut but is still skinny enough to tuck into cowboy boots. These jeans look awesome with almost every kind of shoe as well, so depending on the night, bust them out with heels, flats or boots. Price range: $170-$190.
Vamped-Up Vintage Brands - Suck up any lingering pride, try to block out memories of beloved riveted Lee wide legs from Sears and return back to the dweebie middle school days. Well, there's good news and there's bad news. The bad news is brands like Levi's, Lee and Wrangler can still be really, really dorky. The good news is all three have come out with styles that cater more to the hip, twenty-something collegiate mentality. Check out Levi's extremely dark washes (most notably the Iconic Straight Leg, which is delightful on all shapes and sizes) and some of Wrangler and Lee's new looks, which actually are extremely rad. Price range: $50-$90.
Diesel - Yeah, the new Diesel ads are racy, but their denim collections are always fabulous (not to mention fall 2005's Salina Boot, which, with the aid of extra dollars or dad's credit card, are a must-have). Diesel's collection of denim caters to a great variety of styles, so you and your sorority girl roommate can both look good. Just make sure she wears her pair with cowboy boots and not Uggs, or else disaster could easily ensue. Price range: $150-$270.
Miss Sixty - With lovable new straight-leg looks, their age-old wide flares still get wear and their distressed denim can coax a body into wearing them almost every day for both comfort and aesthetics. Miss Sixty wins, denim-wise. It also wins for looking good on every girl/guy seen wearing it, which certainly says something. Price range: $190-$250.
Citizens of Humanity - Admittedly, certain slowpokes have only just purchased their first pair of Citizens. There is no regret regarding this investment, because not only do Citizens fit well and come in many beautiful light and dark washes, they also feel absolutely divine. Citizens, as in the case of most premium jeans, are made with the utmost of care and technique and definitely act as a replacement for beloved (and now fashionably moot) Sevens. Price range: $150-$200.
Prefer to use hard-earned federal work-study dollars to pay off college loans? Look for cheaper premium denim on online outlets or eBay (but be wary of fakes that don't look or feel as nice), or at used clothing or consignment stores that specifically buy newer, trendier clothing and sell them for much less, depending on style and condition.
