The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
The Insider Pick:
We've tried more skinny jeans than we can count. After testing the best new skinny jeans, Warp + Weft got our vote for best overall with its vast size offerings, various inseam lengths, sub-$100 prices, and different skinny jean styles.
For many women, skinny jeans are a wardrobe staple. For one, they can be styled to look ultra casual or night-out polished. Skinny jeans are generally comfortable, with a good amount of stretch woven into the denim. The slim-fit silhouette is flattering across a variety of body types. Plus, there are now a wide range of washes, rises, sizes, and lengths available from affordable denim brands — many of which are also dedicated to body inclusivity.
If you’re reading this article, I’m certain that you’ve owned plenty of skinny jeans before. You may already have a couple of favorite go-to pairs. Maybe you haven’t found a pair you absolutely love yet. But what I do know is that even the most avid skinny jean wearers tend to diversify their arsenal. After all, different jeans offer different things.
That's why we tested several different skinny jeans to come up with this buying guide to the best skinny jeans offered by the buzziest direct-to-consumer denim brands and to decode the key features that may be most important to you when shopping for a pair of skinnies.
Read on in the slides below to learn why Warp + Weft makes our favorite skinny jeans and why you might also like those from Everlane, Liverpool Jeans, Mott + Bow, and Universal Standard.
SEE ALSO: We tried the skinny jeans the internet has been raving about — and they really are that slimming
The best skinny jeans overall
Why you'll love them: With sizes ranging from 00 to 24, Warp + Weft skinny jeans offer a wide spectrum of trendy and classic styles for every kind of body type.
What impressed me most about Warp + Weft is how many great styles the brand offers across so many sizes, which made me think this is a brand dedicated to offering jeans to an inclusive customer base. There are a variety of both classic and trendy styles to choose from, which is important to note, especially since many skinny jeans tend to come in one particular look.
Warp + Weft sells coated jeans, distressed jeans, destroyed hems, and colorful denim for more adventurous wearers. For that reason, I gave the Petite MXP — with its stretch-blend fabric and exposed pull-ring fly zipper — a test run. The pants were slim-fit down to my ankles (though a little long in the inseam), sculpting every curve from my hips to my calves for a seamless look. The exposed fly detail is out of my ordinary aesthetic, but I was delighted to see how fashion-forward and understated it looked at the same time.
For a more classic affair, a representative of the brand told me that the JFK mid-rise skinny is the “hometown favorite” because it comes in the widest variety of fabrics and colors, and can be scored for less than $100.
This denim is super soft, with a touch of stretch and lift, allowing it to hug your curves without squeezing or digging into your body. A common characteristic of stretch denim is that, yes, it’s designed to stretch over time. So if you’re interested in a style from Warp + Weft, it is recommended that you order a whole size down to bypass this issue.
Read our full review of Warp + Weft on Insider Picks.
Pros: Fun and trendy details, wide variety of sizes
Cons: Petite inseams run too long, may loosen over time
Buy the JFK Skinny at Warp + Weft for $49-$98 (Price varies on wash)
Buy the JFK Skinny Petite at Warp + Weft for $49-$98 (Price varies on wash)
Buy the JFK Skinny Plus at Warp + Weft for $49-$98 (Price varies on wash)
The best jeans with minimal stretch
Why you'll love them: The ethically-made High-Rise Skinny Jeans from Everlane are made with a high-quality Japanese fabric that's 98% cotton and 2% elastane.
Everlane has two skinny jean fits available for women — a high-rise and mid-rise, with different washes and lengths (ankle and regular) available for each.
Since I’m a petite woman at 5’3, I opted for an ankle-length style, which fit my frame perfectly without hemming or cuffing (those who are shorter may need additional alteration). What I like most about this Everlane pair is how structured it is compared to the other brands in this shopping guide. The company used cotton with a mere 2% elastane for a touch of stretch.
In other words, this style is less likely to stretch out or get baggy over time. Some shrinkage did occur after giving the pair a wash, but after a day or two of squeezing back into them, the jeans eventually gave way back to the original size.
As with all Everlane products, these jeans are produced under ethical and environmentally-conscious processes. And at $68 a pair, the price isn’t too shabby either. I highly recommend Everlane denim if you’re a woman who prefers her jeans to hold her in at the waist, but don’t expect these pants to do any favors during a large dinner.
Pros: Two lengths available, transparent ethos
Cons: Sizes max at 32 in European sizing (roughly 13/14 in US sizing)
Buy the High-Rise Skinny Jean (Ankle) at Everlane for $68
Buy the High-Rise Skinny Jean (Regular) at Everlane for $68
Buy the Mid-Rise Skinny Jean (Ankle) at Everlane for $68
Buy the Mid-Rise Skinny Jean (Regular) at Everlane for $68
The best skinny jeans for curvier bodies
Why you'll love them: Liverpool Jeans“cross fits” its styles across multiple body types, which means these skinny jeans are designed to flatter curvier silhouettes.
While I myself have a relatively straight body shape (there isn’t much of a difference from my waist to hips), Liverpool is known to make a great pair of jeans for other varying body types. Liverpool employs a “cross fit” innovation process, which has the brand reworking jean styles until it accommodates most everyone, including wider hips and muscular thighs and calves.
Even though a handful of women may all be the same pant size, Liverpool ensures that its jeans will also fit and flatter across the board. Liverpool told me the cross fit begins with a professional size four fit model, followed by a personal test run by co-founder Jill Perilman who makes sure all points of measure grade are also consistent in a size six.
From there, a whole array of samples are cut from sizes zero to 12 and tested across many women staffers at Liverpool for diversity. Feedback is collected, samples are revised, and fit/construction issues are addressed before a style goes into production. As you can tell, Liverpool takes this process very seriously.
The most popular style, the Abby Skinny, is a classic mid-rise that is offered in 16 different washes and up to a size 16. The denim is super-soft with a generous amount of stretch without feeling like the style is going to bag out.
I would compare the fit similar to the way compression workout leggings feel — form-fitting around the legs with plenty of give for those aforementioned curves. As a petite woman, I found myself having to cuff the hems a few inches, but overall, Liverpool has made a great pair of affordable everyday jeans that can easily translate from day to night.
Read our full review of the Liverpool jeans on Insider Picks.
Pros: Designed to flatter multitude body types, many washes and sizes available
Cons: Not available as a high-rise, style runs a bit long for petites
Buy the Abby Skinny Jean at Liverpool for $79
Buy the Petite Abby Skinny Jean at Liverpool for $79
See the rest of the story at Business Insider