Year: 2016

I try not to notice these things, but they pop up in my browser and on the covers of magazines at the store and salon. I'm talking about celebrities who get caught going commando, and it seems to happen with some regularity… While most of us don't have paparazzi ready to shoot our every fashion faux pas (thank goodness!), there is no reason YOU need to risk similar embarrassment. Some of our readers have asked if they should wear a thong under tight or white jeans or simply forgo undies altogether. I'm here to tell you that you can keep your panties on, people! If you don't find a thong comfortable (and I've only met 2 whole people in my entire life who claim they actually do), there are some great options out there that are perfect for tight or white denim. Your first option costs around $20 and is an Assets by Sara Blakely Mid-Thigh Shaper in nude. (Get the nude for white denim or white pants; black is fine for other colors of jeans and pants.) Maternity Assets shapers are also available. I've worn these mid-thigh shapers under white linen pants, white shorts, skirts, and short dresses as well, so they are really versatile – and inexpensive. Sara Blakely is the creator of Spanx and knows what she's doing. These shapers eliminate panty lines; you can wear them alone or with underwear underneath them.

  

Your second option, which has more shaping and control, costs around $35 and is a SPANX Power Short. Like the Assets, there's also a maternity option called the SPANX Mama Short.

Spanx are available at Spanx.com, Nordstrom.com and Amazon.com. If you want tummy control, go for a higher shaper vs. a low-rise shaper. Remember to buy a nude or taupe shaper if you're going to wear white denim or pants. If you're buying the shaper for blue denim or dark pants, feel free to purchase black. And if you want to shape your legs the whole way down, go for a footless or capri-length shaper. Whatever option you choose, you'll be saying goodbye to visible panty lines when you're wearing tight or white denim and pants – and avoiding your own embarrassing fashion faux pas!     

After reading the post How Long Should Skinny Jeans Be? Reader Julia emailed to ask for advice on how to wear different types of boots and booties with skinny jeans. Well Julia, I'm glad you asked because I've been thinking about this topic a lot lately! 🙂 It's fall and we have our family pictures coming up. We're having them taken at a tree farm in Snohomish and I thought it would look cute if the whole family was in boots. My husband wasn't too keen on wearing his black rubber boots, but I think I convinced him it would look good. Anyway… Boots and booties with skinny jeans! I've been people watching and reading online articles and have come up with a few pointers. Here goes:

1. Tall boots pair best with a skinny jean. This is because a skinny jean fits tight around the knee and there's no extra fabric to pool around the top of the boot. You need a skinny pant or jean to get that smooth sleek profile that comes with wearing a tall boot. Before I got skinny jeans, I tried rolling my bootcut jeans at the ankle and stuffing them into tall socks, but the jeans were just too sloppy on top to wear with tall boots. Learn from my mistake, and pair your tall boots with skinny jeans or pants for the best fall look.                                                                                                                                                        
2. Booties are super cute with skinny jeans, but you do have to be careful. The jeans need hit at your ankle bone or be rolled up to the ankle bone UNLESS the bootie hits above the ankle bone. Then you need the jean hem to hit just above the bootie. You need to see a sliver of skin between the jeans and booties when you walk or sit. For this reason, you need to wear a short sock with booties that can't be seen. Get a good pair of short athletic socks that won't fall down and drive you crazy. If this has ever happened to you, you know what I mean.                                                                                                                             
3. Watch the contrast between jean and boot color – you don't want too much contrast. If you're looking for a classic and slimming look, you can't go wrong with black on black. If you want to wear a lighter color boot or bootie like gray or tan, go for a lighter wash jean. A dark brown or black boot or bootie is going to look best with a darker wash jean (medium blue or darker). Keep the contrast to a minimum for the best look this fall.

And there you have it! 3 tips for wearing boots and booties with skinny jeans this fall.  

I'll admit that I was late to board the skinny jean train. I just bought my first pair a year ago. I wasn't sure how long they should be, but it didn't really matter since I thought I was only going to wear them with tall boots. As time went on though, I started thinking skinny jeans looked cute with flats and booties and I wondered what length of skinny jean looked best with those types of shoes. After some research (reading online articles and comparing pictures of models in skinny jeans), it was clear that skinny jeans should be shorter than other jean styles. Whether you wear them with heels, flats, or booties, skinny jeans are most flattering when the hem stops around your ankle bone. If you already have a pair of skinny jeans that are too long (like mine), try cuffing them at the ankle bone or tuck them into a pair of ankle booties. If you've yet to buy your new pair of skinny jeans, get someone to help you measure the exact length you need and read on for step-by-step instructions and a how-to picture. (I did this with my husband and was really surprised to find out what my skinny jean inseam was!)

1. You need two people to measure your skinny jean inseam properly. So first thing first, go and grab someone to help you!
2. Wearing jeans, hold the 0" end of a flexible measuring tape (available at any craft or sewing supply store – or get this cute pink one at Amazon) against the inseam crotch seam and stand up straight.
3. Have the person helping you carefully measure the distance to the inside of your ankle bone, making sure to keep the tape flat and tight. The number will likely be several inches shorter than your normal inseam length (e.g. I need a 35" inseam with bootcut jeans but a 31" inseam with skinny jeans that hit at my ankle bone!).  
4. Use this new number as your skinny jean inseam length and shop at SearchByInseam.com for your new pair of skinny jeans that are just the right length!

Measuring my skinny jean inseam