The American Brand that Has Me Excited About Denim Again

A petite lady’s review of Agolde jeans, and denim buying guide.

Denim, a staple of my mom-life wardrobe, isn’t necessarily a piece of clothing that I get excited about putting on. They’re an article of practicality, functionality, necessity, and to me just as comfortable but more polished than yoga pants. Yet each year I find myself on a weeks-long hunt for that year’s perfect pair of jeans, and put tons of effort into researching and finding the pair I’ll be living in for the cold months. Typically this involves a few return shipments and frustrated attempts at scoring a great pair at a great price, but this year is different.

This brand is not new to me, as I first discovered it when Caitlin of Southern Curls and Pearls rocked their cutoff shorts a few summers ago and loved the classic, all-American vibe of the high rise style and vintage color. True to form, I’ve waited and researched and finally took the plunge this year, buying my first pair of Agolde jeans. This year in particular, it’s been increasingly important to me to support businesses owned by/based in the United States, and Europe. I’m prioritizing quality and craftsmanship over getting a good deal like never before; though this has always been the basis of my purchasing behavior. This pair is designed and manufactured in the USA from super soft cotton, and fits like a dream. I mean, the best fitting and feeling jeans I’ve ever put on!

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Shop: Cashmere v-neck | Jeans | Shoes | Necklace

The Fit

Being 5’1″ means I need all the leg-lengthening I can get; high-rise jeans that skim the ankle do just that. I’ve been put off from buying such a high-rise (these are 11″) in the past by some of my stretchy high-rise jeans that bunch and slide, and over the course of the day just become really annoying and uncomfortable. These are made of 99% cotton and 1% spandex, which in the past, I believed meant rigid and uncomfortable (and when buying bargain jeans, it does) but in fact seems to help with the bunching and sliding. Furthermore, a higher cotton content means the jeans are going to hold you and shape you beautifully, while just enough stretch from the spandex allows these to rebound and retain their shape as the day wears on, and as you wear and wash them. Another trick that is a revelation to me as of recently is buying jeans with a shorter inseam, which for me means 24-26 inches, actually helps elongate my legs as well. Something about being able to see the ankle creates the illusion of being just a little bit taller than a grasshopper.

I really like shopping from this site as they have free 2-day shipping, have the most comprehensive product descriptions, most accurate sizing, and remarkably helpful/accurate reviews from other shoppers, which is otherwise unheard of. Using the size guide and relying on the “these run large” reviews, I went with the smaller of my two usual sizes, 26, and they’re perfect. Though the inseam is an inch longer than I’d usually buy, I’m ok with it as these are intended for layering under boots for winter, and as the weather warms they’ll look just as cute with cuffed hems.

The biggest lesson I learned from this is that from now on, I’m going to invest in better quality denim made of comfortable materials and that USA brands do not disappoint! As someone who wears some form of denim bottom almost daily all year, choosing quality over cost is worth it to be able to do all the mom things in comfort and style. If you’re still unsure about shopping for jeans online (which is the only way I do it), make sure the site you’re shopping from has a “free returns” policy; another reason why I like shopping here!

Denim buying tips for petites:
– Look for an inseam of 24-27″.
– Higher rises elongate the legs: look for 10-11″ rise.
– Higher cotton content = shaping and durability.
– Read reviews from multiple sites and look for commonalities.

xo, Mia