Tuesday, November 9, 2010

How to Rock the Skinny Jeans Look When You're Not a Size 2

Conquered my Fashion Fear last Fall, and skinny jeans no longer scare the begeezes out of me.
I am living proof that you don't have to look like Heidi Klum to rock a pair of skinny jeans. Really! 

I look fondly back on the days that I was a size 6, but those days are long past. I certainly don't advocate for someone like me, who is NOT a size 6, to pair them with a fitted t-shirt or something like this:

In fact, even if you are a size 2, this is just not a classy look. Unless it is Halloween and you are going as Ellie Mae Clampett or Mary Anne from Gilligan's Island. And FYI, fitted tees paired with skinny jeans are best left to supermodels or other freaks of nature who possess the lithe body of a malnourished 12 year old.

You have to make wise choices in order to embrace certain fashion trends, or else you really will look out of place and maybe even end up featured on People of WalMart. Seriously.

I think that most skinny jeans look great when you pair them with a nice tunic or longer sweater like these from Old Navy.

The skinny jeans shouldn't be the main attraction. You want your top, accessories, and shoes to all blend together to make one cute outfit. Skinny jeans are great for showing off a cute pair of shoes or boots!

See the difference with my boot cut jeans?

They don't look awful, but my purple booties are hidden and the black "Uggs" just look like clunky old shoes. The flats I don't mind so much with boot cut jeans, but unless your jeans are the perfect length, they can have a tendency to drag on the ground when you wear flats. 

I could go either way with heels, but I think I prefer the bootcut here:

I truly believe that most women can rock some skinny jeans if they take a careful look at what they are wearing on top. If size matters to you (that's what she said), then go for long tops, tunics, and sweaters. Dress your outfit up with some cute jewelry and a fun handbag and no one will be saying, "Should she really be wearing those jeans?" 

Keep things simple, and you won't end up like Ross and his leather pants in the Friends episode The One With All the Resolutions.

{Is there a trend you love but are too scared to try?}

30 comments:

  1. GREAT post Amanda .. the pictures really helped : )

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  2. almost spit my coffee out at that what she said :) ok-i've never thought of skinny jeans for me but i do like all the longer, drapy sweaters-not with boot cut jeans though-so maybe, just maybe, next time i'm at old navy i'll try on a pair of skinny jeans, you may hear me laughing all the way down at your house but i'll try!

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  3. Ha! I’m right there with ya! I kept thinking that they would surely go out of style soon.....come on any day now.....but they didn’t. I went out on a mission looking for the right pair, found them, and paired them with a long scoop neck sweater, chunky necklace, and my boots. I wear them with my rain boots too. Not sure that I rock them or even love them but I get complements when I ware them. Maybe because people are shocked that I would even try to squeeze my size 14 butt into them! I think skinny jeans and I will always have a love hate thing going on. I won’t cry when they hopefuly go out of style BUT I do like to wear them from time to time.

    Kendra aka “Domestic Princess in Training”

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  4. Truth time... I am thinner (though not a size 2) and skinny jeans and leggings still scare me... I am a boot cut or trouser style girl all the way. I am looking for cut comfy clothes to wear at disney so I will definitely go looking for those sweaters :)

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  5. Ooooh, you just may have inspired me to at least try on a pair of skinny jeans. :-) I've been avoiding them like the plauge.
    :-) Love your purple booties too!

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  6. I'm a boot lover, so last fall I embraced the skinny jeans. I'm like you, I'm careful about what shirts I pair with them. I wouldn't ever wear something that doesn't cover me up, but you can still make a poor decision with clothes you would normally consider "harmless". I like the shirts you pictured from Old Navy...might have to make a trip over there! I've always wanted to try legging, but I'm terrified. Maybe if I could shed 15 or so lbs...

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  7. I haven't done a skinny jean...and I don't imagine I will. I'm short, and wearing a long top like that would make my legs look about 12" long.
    But you are a total fashionista! If I saw you at Target, I would definitely be a little jealous of the fashionable cute mom-about-town!

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  8. I'm still afraid of skinny jeans!

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  9. You got my curiosity up now, I wonder how they will look on me...gonna give them a shot, at least in the dressing room. I take one of my three girls they always give their honest opinion, sometimes I wish they wouldn't they can be brutally honest:) I love those purple boots, so darn cute!

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  10. I'm not a size 6 (never was actually) but I looove my skinny jeans! They're so cute with my rainboots! I love your purple booties! Soo cute!

    You're too funny! Love the comment about the People of Wal-Mart. HYSTERICAL!

    The trend that scares me is those scary high stiletto heels! EEK! That's an E/R visit waiting to happen for a klutz like me!

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  11. I don't have any skinny jeans (yet?). I like the fact that you can tuck them into boots with no problem and wear them to show off cute flats. Except I don't have tall boots nor cute flats. It's sad fashion over here, it really is. lol I have a pair of plain black flats with a bow that are a hand me down from my 17 year old. They work though. I wanted to mention that I have a pair of straight leg jeans. They aren't boot cut but not skinny either. I really like them because they give me a slim leg look without being too skinny. They also are good for showing off the shoes. Oh and I love those purple booties! Too cute!

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  12. Sorry can't do it. I tried on a pair of "jeggings" at New York & Company in my normal size & tore a huge hole in them trying to get them over my size 12 hips. I *might* have handed them back to the dressing room attendant and run out of the dressing room pushing a double stroller, crying, and headed straight to Dip n Dots.

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  13. I still don't believe you. DOWN with the skinny jeans! Hahaha.

    L-O-V-E your purple ruffle booties though!

    Also - the leather pants episode? PRICELESS, one of my faves. I think of it everytime I see a pair of leather pants!!

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  14. hhhhmmmm....I wonder if they make these for pregnant women. I want some good old fashioned stirrup pants. lol

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  15. I was thinking of that Friends episode the other day. Ha! Also - where did you find your skinny jeans?

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  16. Aaaand...I just realized you picked up your jeans at ON, disregard the question :)

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  17. I agree! Some cute top and awesome shoes and all is well!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn
    PS I am loving those purple shoes. Fabulous!!!

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  18. Great post!! I shared it on my Tatertots FB page and linked to you.

    I hope you are having a great week Amanda!

    xox
    Jen

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  19. Actually, I got my first pair of skinny jeans today and I'm still not sure about it. I'm 5 feet tall and a size 2 w/ a big butt (not a good thing here) , so even though I'm small, I'm super short so I don't have much legs to rock the jeans. I will try with the long sweaters, etc though and see...great post!

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  20. So funny that you wrote about this because just today I was thinking about this. I just got two pairs of skinny jeans this fall and LOVE them. I just love having a new look. And I totally have the muffin top, so when I found out that you are SUPPOSED to wear flowy tops with skinny jeans I thought score! The perfect fashion fix for my body type! The name 'skinny jeans' is definitely a misnomer.

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  21. Amanda this is truly the best fashion advice I have read in so long. I have some funky boots I'd like to show off this winter.

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  22. I hope I'm never too scared to try a fashion that I like! That would be sad :( So glad you conquered!

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  23. I needed this post because I struggle with what kind of shoe to wear with what style jean. I love the sweaters that you've posted from Old Navy. They are so cute and I like that they can be casual or you could dress up and they'd still look great. I'm also lusting over those purple shoes. Love them!!

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  24. I am so not brave enough to try a skinny jean! I think a lot of people can rock them...I'm just not one of them!! I need the bootcut to help balance out my hips:) I think if I had cuter shoes to show off I might consider it more seriously though!

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  25. Best Friends episode, hands down!!

    I like those sweaters from Old Navy. I'm definitely on the skinny jeans bandwagon these days...although I read something about boot cut jeans coming back as the new "trend." Aah, the cycle of fashion :)

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  26. This is a great post. I totally just bought my first pair of skinny jeans before my DC trip. I got a great pair of boots and wanted to wear them outside the jeans. I really love them. I actually think they make me look slimmer, and the top of the jeans aren't too tight. I got mine at Old Navy for $15, too. Score!

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  27. I finally got the nerve to buy a pair of skinny jeans not too long ago! The hardest part was finding the right shoes to go with them - you definitely need cute ones. I ended up using it as an excuse to buy some new boots at Kohl's. :) It took some getting used to, but I really like the look! Can't wait to pair them with a long black sweater for a cozy fall outfit!

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  28. My thighs and I are still to scared to try skinny jeans, but I'll take a pair of those purple ruffly booties!

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  29. I totally agree with the longer sweater + skinny jeans. And I like to wear my tall boots over the jeans too. I just got my baby some skinny jeans- but only because they look like they'll fit better:)

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  30. I do like them with the boots because they are easy to tuck in. And they look cute with your boot shoes.

    However, I wear a size 11 shoe and I don't need anything that accentuates my skiis! LOL

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