I wish you would’ve posted about The Good Shepherd a day earlier. My husband and I attempted it last night, and holy crap was it boring. I fell asleep midway through and my husband made it to the end, but this morning he was like, “man that was a long and boring movie!”

Anyway, pre-baby I was way into Seven Jeans and Citizens of Humanity Jeans. Yes, they are a splurge but well worth it when you wear jeans often and they look nice enough to wear to work. Now that you are a skinny minny you would rock those jeans. I, however, need to lose another 15 lbs. before I would look decent in them again. Don’t let their price scare you off ($130-160) because they are comfortable and really cute.

I just found this cool website last night, you answer a few questions about fit, etc. and then it gives you jean brands that go with your body type.

It’s awesome. I am so picky about wearing jeans and this was perfect.

http://www.zafu.com

I totally agreed with you! Good Shepard was a suck fest! Glad I’m not the only one warning people not to rent it -save you money!

I just bought a pair of Banana Republic low-rise, and dude, there is no muffin-toppery, and they look great (um, if I do say so myself). I wish I knew the specific style, but they were on sale right now (RUN!), and have the flap pockets in the back that sit low on the butt. Love.

Now. That being said, if I weren’t still dropping a pound or two here and there, I’d absolutely go pick up another pair of Sevens (I am currently trying to get in shape enough to wear the pair I have without being embarrassed). Yes, they are exorbitantly expensive, but they really are wonderful jeans. And I say that as the most lazy non-Paris Hilton type evar.

I wish I could wiggle my hips like that. You should feel no shame, even if you dance around your living room trying to recreate that. No idea about the jeans, since I’m still Lane Bryant size at the moment, and their jeans a) don’t come in skinny and b) suck.

I watched that stupid movie this weekend and you summed it up pretty well. I wish I could have that three hours of my life back to do something a little more productive, like baking cookies or ending global warming. Seriously.

As for jeans, I really like Gap Long & Lean for the less expensive ones (with stretch, of course!) and my other favorite brand is Mavi (though I haven’t bought a new pair of those in years). I usually end up going to the Not-So-Super Mall and going to the Gap outlet. It’s a pain in the ass to get out there, but often they’re about half price.

Also, that zafu site that Michelle mentioned is pretty cool.

Have to add that I just went to the http://www.zafu.com site and it rocks! I have recently lost a lot of weight and its nice to get help finding something that might fit in a variety of prices.

Thanks so much Michelle! That zafu site is awesome! I’m emailing my sister who had Levi’s make her a pair of jeans to her measurements and they STILL weren’t right.

Man – I wish I could bellydance like that. Just watching it gave me a cramp.

Gap Long and Lean jeans. They are comfortable, non-muffin top creating, and then tend to run large, so while sizes are meaningless and all messed up due to vanity sizing, you can secretly relish wearing tiny jeans.

A few of my friends, my sister, and I all wear them. They have a little stretch and are flattering to even my disproportionately large butt and thighs.

My favorite pair of jeans ever were Sevens. I wore them practically every day for over a year until I got too pregnant to squeeze into them. After Theo was born, I’d try to get into them every month or so because I missed them so. Finally, I was able to get back into them and rejoiced and started wearing them every day again but I think I was still a little too plump because the butt ripped. So I got them patched, I loved them that much. But then the butt ripped again a couple months later and I had to give them up. So I just shelled out for a new pair — they’re an old style so I had to find them online. Other styles of Sevens don’t work for me but these were awesome and so comfy.

the good shepherd. ya. pretty much CRAP. saw it in the theatre. kept waiting for something to happen. finally it did…it ended. what a waste of time/money.

also, i have said many many times that if i was shakira, i would never leave the house. i would just stand in front of the mirror all day and…wiggle. seriously. only in my wildest dreams can i move my hips like that girl.

Gap Long and Lean and Gap Curvy. Both come in X-Long just for me!

I felt sorry for the screenwriter(s) of *The Good Shepherd* because I thought it was a clever jigsaw puzzle, but the glacier pace leeched out anything approaching tension or suspense, and DeNiro was waaaay to attached to the intercut scenes. And it was a full day later that I made the connection between Cardinal and the dollar on the bus/dollar in the museum.

Although I haven’t read *Notes from a Scandal* and understand that it is changed in structure and plot points from the movie, I think you’ll enjoy it. Both women are ideally chosen, I think.

NY&Co jeans are my favorite, because they make the short sizes for people like me (the Stumpy-Legged Ones), but I’ve also found really comfy ones, believe it or not, at Target — they’re Mossimo, I believe. They tend to have a little bit of stretch to them (very ass-friendly), but not so much that you feel like you’re just fooling yourself into thinking that you’re a size smaller than you are.

Also, The Good Shepherd — I agree. Way too long, and the ending made me think that they had just run out of energy, but hey, we have this aerial footage left over from a Bond flick, so just throw that in there. Bleh.

If you like the Cruel Girls, you might like Wrangler Auras. Be warned though; they run AT LEAST a size small. As in, the 12s were a little loose on me when in the real world, I wear a 14. Very comfortable though, and I call them my good-ass jeans.

Levis!

I don’t really have any useful advice here, because all our jeans over here are probably different to the US brands (apart from Levis of course) so I just don’t know. But I wanted to feel involved. Sorry!

Levis 505’s. They sit just below the waist, have just the right amount of boot cut without looking like giant bell bottoms, and wash out to a comfortable worn feeling within weeks. I won’t wear anything else. Well,besides American Eagle, which also has great jeans.

Don’t mind me, just a film student butting in :) I saw The Good Shepherd in cinemas when it first came out (luckily, I had a cinema pass and therefore didn’t lose out on any cash!) – what could have been a genuinely interesting and thought-provoking film was turned into a mish-mash of badly-in-need-of-dieting, over-emotive shots of Matt Damon. Someone should have been let loose with a pair of scissors in the editing room.

Plus my ass was numb by the end of it – this I was least impressed by :)

P.S. Notes on a Scandal (film) is ok, but the book is far superior. I’ll normally give dispensation for an film adaptation if I’ve read it before, as I know that it’d have my own imagination to contend with… however, there are certain scenes (and namely the end!) that set my teeth on edge. However, both Dench and Blanchett are flawless, as is expected of them. Don’t go out and buy it, but I’d watch it on Netflix.

My favorite part of that video is when Beyonce and Shakira are all writhing on the floor and you kind of wonder if they are going to morph into ConWeaved Twins or something. The mayas and taqsim are good too–the thing they do when they undulate against the wall is how I learned to do a body wave, too. I look a little less glamourous when I do it, sadly, but I’m sure that’s just due to deficiencies in my own weave.

American Eagle Hipster style jeans. AE can be a bit teeny boppery but this jeans style is great, lots of stretch and no muffin top, the waist is really at the perfect spot for me. But the sizes run a bit small so you might have to stay at the higher size. Worth a try.

I found Guess jeans that fit me in the 90s & I haven’t strayed from the brand (though now in a lovely boot cut or straight instead of tapered – *shudder*)! Since I’m so short & have a non-existant rear, it’s really hard to find jeans that flatter so when I found these, I stopped trying other jeans.

I just checked out the zafu site & it rocks! I’m definitely going to check out their suggestions.

I love my Cruel Girls. I also have a pair of Mossimo jeans that I really like from Target. This week though, I just bought three pairs of Levi Strauss low rise stretch jeans (on clearance!) from Target. They fit well, and the fact that I could buy three pair for the price I’ve paid for one pair of Cruel Girl jeans made them a sweet deal. I’m still in the middle of a weight loss journey, so I only want one or two pairs of really *nice* jeans, and then some cheap filler ones for riding my horses, etc. The Levis are my riding/horse show pants.

(I did get a compliment from my trainer on my Cruel Girls the other day. He said I looked mighty fine riding my horse. ;) )

I have to recommend See Thru Soul jeans… they look like Sevens, they feel like Sevens, and they’re 1/2 the price! You can generally get them at Macy’s, Nordstrom, Von Maur… (not sure what department stores you have out there in Seattle). They run about $60-$80 a pair, and I like the flare and bootcut styles. They have some stretch to them, which is helpful in the rear area, and they’re roomy enough in the waist to be comfy and non-muffin-toppy. I will warn you though, they tend to stretch quite a bit – so go with the smaller, slightly tight size instead of the size that fits you perfectly – they’ll stretch just enough to fit perfectly.

Anything by Paige Premium Denim – hands down, my favorite jeans! They have a little bit higher of a rise (but not too high) and they all have stretch/lycra. These are the only jeans I’m not afraid to sit down in and I can actually do the things people USED to do in jeans before the back-pocket embroidery became top priority and comfort went out the door.

I have researched A TON of jeans, and written several articles on the topic, and Paige takes the cake!

Haven’t read all the comments so might be repeating… but last week I bought a pair of Ann Taylor (LOFT) jeans that are flattering and comfy as all get-out! I don’t think there’s any hope for non-muffin-topness for me. But for you? I betcha. Cheap, too — on sale, $43! A steal. i should have bought 3 pairs.

Gap Curvy

I am so lame, I still love my Gap jeans. The new Curvy ones are awesome, I guess if you’re curvy.

I loved Notes on a Scandal, but I haven’t read the book so I wasn’t in a position to be let down. I thought the whole movie was extremely well crafted, right down to the original music by David Byrne. Enjoy!

citizens for humanity, hands down. they come in a variety of styles, they wear so super well (i have had mine for three years and they are just starting to show signs of wear around the cuffs), the color/dye is great, they stretch, there’s no muffin top, they look good dressed up or down, the butt pockets make your butt look AWESOME, they are soft, and theya re more forgiving in the thigh area than a lot of that level of designer jeans. they runa bout $122-175, but i’m telling you, they are worth it. i have bought a zillion gap jeans to wear them once, where they then stretch out to oblivion–how i don’t know, since my body isn’t even that big–and are unwearable. citizens are good on the ego, good o n the body–and that’s worth the pain to the wallet.

I have to second the Ann Taylor LOFT jeans. They are absolutely my favorite and I will RUN (or walk very swiftly) down to the store near my house and buy another pair (on sale, even..thanks!) today. I have expensive jeans (can’t remember the brand name off-hand while here at work, not working) but prefer the Loft ones.

I have to admit that I LOVE Kut from the Kloth jeans – they are MOST awesome. I have two pairs that are not a teeny bit large since I have lost some weight. They are about $79 from Nordstrom’s but OH SO GREAT and no muffin top or showing the world your stuff. Here is my review of them from way back in December. :) http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?user=LuciaFrohling&tab=weblogs&uid=555278228

My ass only looks good in Lucky jeans. The Lil’ Maggies are my favorite. There’s just something about those jeans. I think they’re actually cut for women, not just boy-hipped models. But they’re still stylish and way comfortable. The people who work at Lucky are really great about working with you to try to find the right fit. One word of advice if you do go the Lucky route: buy a pair that is slightly tighter than you would normally wear. They stretch and never shrink. Good luck!

I second Paige jeans! I tried on every kind out there, and these are made for mamas! They are super stylish, comfy, yet keep things covered that should be…aka, ass crack and muffin top.

Well I have no recommendations on jeans because damned if I can find a pair I like that I think are really flattering on me. I was just talking to a friend the other day about how we’d be willing to drop some serious cash on a pair of jeans that really looked good, but we cannot find anything. UGH.

I don’t really have any good video rental suggestions – I really enjoyed Children of Men, but I think you may have mentioned seeing it already? Anyway, just went to see Hot Fuzz by the guys who did Shaun of the Dead and it was HILARIOUS! Paid full price, plus a babysitter and it was still worth it.

Lucky Brand are totally flattering–I wore mine totally threadbare. (Gap stuff stretches too much and gets all baggy and mal-formed. Not worth it.)

I slept through that movie. Soooo boring…

Almost every pair of jeans that I have bought since since High School have been Silver jeans. My most favorite pair right now are my Silver prism pants. They have a touch of polyester in them to give them some “give” so you don’t get muffin top and seem to flatter the parts that need flattering most.

You ought to try bellydance. It’s fun exercise, and does wonders for the tummy muscles. Plus, you get to play with finger cymbals and schtuff like that.

Citizens of Humanity (particularly the Kelly 001 bootcut) have been my favorite jeans for a few years now, and I’ve heard nothing but raves about the fit of Paige Premium Denim. Citizens and Paige are both made for real women (i.e., not for stick figures) and offer just enough balance between fashion and everyday wearability.

They’re on the spendy side, but I’m a big fan of AG Club Fit jeans. I read somewhere that Oprah called them the perfect jean and, although I’m not usually in the habit of quoting Oprah, I will in this case because she totally got it right.

I love Lucky Sweet’n Low jeans. No muffin top, no gappy back. And despite the name they’re not THAT low–maybe 2-3 inches below the belly button.

I was totally willing to spend the money on a pair of Seven jeans, but when I tried them on, they looked so terrible that they seriously made me want to cry. They have an unfortuate ass-flattening effect–they didn’t make my ass look smaller, just flat and wide. Not flattering.

I buy my jeans at Gap.com because I have a 36″ inseam and like my pants to puddle a little at my ankles. Okay? I hate it when my socks show, all right?! I get the XL length and it makes me haaaappppy. I don’t like weird hems or fat beltloops, just plain jeans, and I can almost always get them at Gap. I can’t help you with Luckys or 7 FAMK or anything. I wear a size 8 and okay, maybe it gets a little muffin-toppery *sob!* but it’s not the pants’ fault, it’s because of my lazy ass.

I’m with katie – Citizens. Make your butt look awesome. Make sure you buy them TIGHT because they stretch when worn. If they fit you right (meaning that you’re not buying them a size or two too small), you should have no muffin problems. They should cling to your body like a well-fitted glove, let’s say. They’re pricey but good quality.

Here’s one more voice for Lucky Jeans. They are the best jeans I’ve ever gotten and I’m usually impressed with how helpful and knowledgeable the people who work there are. The chick who helped me last time knew my size just by looking at me. They run about $100 so not as expensive as Sevens or David Kahns but they’re not super cheap either. I have worn all of mine through because I wear them so much. My favorites are a pair of Maggie’s that I bought a few years ago. I wore them so much I wore a hole through the knee. I know I should throw them out but holes in jeans are still stylish? Right? Somewhat? Maybe…

One girl got me to try these super low cut jeans, I felt so weird in them because I’d never worn anything so low but I’ll be damned if every guy isn’t staring at my ass when I’m sporting those babies. They make my ass look unbelievable and I’m a very tough critic when it comes to my own ass.

I don’t know jack about womens clothes so I asked my woman if she had any suggestions. Ater much suspicion and eyebrow raising, and a quick explanation that it was for someone on the internet, not me, a lady, who isn’t me, she said I should tell you to check out Sevens. Good luck with the jeans, and congradulations on being to filthy and obscene to be viewed in China.

Sorry I’m late to the party, but Joe’s Jeans are fantastic!!

Notes on a Scandal is great but very dark and sort of depressing.

I’m hooked on that video too! I sat mesmerized watching it last night – they’re so frickin’ beautiful and talented!

a new favorite of mine: dkny soho fit. soo good. im also a size smaller in these so thats an added bonus. ;p

http://www.amazon.com/DKNY-Jeans-Stretch-Soho-Rinse/dp/B000AE6UZA

The only pair of jeans I wear are Citizens. I had to hem them though, they are made for giants.