Cheryl Shops

Updated February 2025. 

It's funny to think that I started wearing Spanx pants only a year ago, because my collection has grown exponentially in that time—it started with perfect black ankle pants, then the faux leather leggings, every pant in navy, and even activewear. I wear Spanx pants several days a week on average; I love that they're comfy but polished-looking, e.g. it's not totally obvious that I'm wearing leggings. But now I'm starting to go out more and want to look like I'm not wearing leggings, however I'm also carrying around 5 extra pounds of pandemic weight and wearing hard pants is, well, hard. Enter Spanx jeans. They look like traditional denim but definitely don't fit like it. If anything, they're even better than jeans—they're a gift from the gods. Here's my honest and unfiltered review of Spanx flare jeans and Spanx skinny jeans.

Blazer. White tee. Jeans. Boots. There's just something about the classics, which explains why this pin of Leandra Medine was this month's most-pinned look from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board. Granted, her blazer is vintage Chanel and the rest of her outfit is probably pretty fancy too, but thankfully it can be re-created for a song. Here's how to get her look.

Not so much: Jeggings
Skinny pants were all over the fall 2009 runways, and I read a few weeks ago on Style.com's Style File blog that in the coming months, jeans are getting even skinnier. As someone who avoids salt the day before she wears skinny jeans (I am completely serious), I can tell you this is not really the greatest news. How much skinnier can skinny jeans get? Apparently, so skinny that they're not actually jeans anymore. Let's do the math: jeans + leggings = jeggings. That's right, jeggings. While you attempt to wrap your head around that one, let's take a look at Topshop, which offers jeggings in several different washes. There's the basic, the capri, or the acid denim, which surprisingly don't look as bad as they sound. However, the worst offender comes courtesy of Urban Outfitters, whose acid wash leggings actually look like a pair of acid-washed jeans from the 80s. It's not the acid wash that bothers me; it's the fact that not only are these leggings supposed to look like something they're not (jeans), they're supposed to look like a specific wash of something they're not (in other words, acid-washed jeans). What's next? Body paint jeans? Okay, on someone besides Lady Gaga? The only positive thing I can say about jeggings is that at least they're probably more comfortable than their conventional alternative, ridiculously tight skinny jeans, which, by the way, might cause nerve damage. I love skinny jeans, and I love leggings, but one must draw the line somewhere, and this is one hybrid that truly freaks me out. Thus, jeggings: not so much.

Buy it: Earnest Sewn jeans
I have been looking for a pair of gray skinny (or straight) jeans for what seems like forever. I feel like last year they were everywhere, but now everything is dark rinse or black--am I nine months late to the trend? Anyway, while I was in State College, PA, last weekend, of all places, I happened upon the best sale rack ever, which had all manner of gray, black, and dark-rinse skinny and straight-leg jeans (clearly skinnies didn't go over so well in Central Pennsylvania). I tried on J Brand (which still don't fit me), Habitual (which I liked a lot, but were actually more of a boot-cut), and Earnest Sewn, which I had tried before, but, miraculously, all of a sudden, fit me beautifully. The pair I ended up getting is the Decca, which is a straight-leg (the much-hyped Harlan is a true skinny). They are incredibly flattering, not ass-tight, and are so soft, they feel like I've owned them for years. Of course, I wish I had known this a few weeks ago, when Earnest Sewn had their sample sale. Well, there's always next time. In the meantime, eLuxury has a few Deccas on markdown here and here. Revolve Clothing also has some here. So, I eat my words and hereby endorse Earnest Sewn. In fact, I am so enamored with my new jeans, I might even try the Harlan again. Wish me luck, girls.