I love my True Religion jeans. I bought them after flirts with 7 for All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity. Sure, the two latter are excellent, but my first True Religions (Joey) made me ever so happy. They have a wonderfully soft feel and Nordstrom's hemmed them perfectly.
Given my success with True Religion, I got an olive cropped pant and then later a deep-back-pocketed (Mickey T) that looked much better online and was way-more-ripped in person (and super-scratchy to boot.) The Joey jeans remained my favorite. (Although, I love the olive cropped and have received complements from Actual Very Rich Society People on them.)
But sadly, on the Joeys the fashionable rips have become deeper and a bit more homeless-chic than society-chic. The fading has become a bit light, so actual stain-type-things mean that the jeans always look dirty, even straight out of the wash. Still, I wear them on a regular basis, now with tights underneath to make the hole-y parts look more fashionable. (But don't I look more like an art student type that way, though?)
Those 7s and CoH jeans sometimes come out (when I am feeling particularly skinny,) but they are super-low, and that style has faded at the same time that the ripped-style has faded from fashion of late.
Skinny, matchstick, and high-waisted aren't for me. The regular ol' boot cut is the most flattering for my body type. I got some Loomstate that I wear all the time, and some Rock & Republic that are on heavy rotation, but both of these are miles too long for me. (Thank goodness for the tuck-into-a-ballet-flat trick!)
I heard about Joe's Jeans Provocateur from who-knows-where. The knee-break on these 30-inch inseam pants is appropriate for the length, unlike what happens when 36-inch inseam pants are hemmed for a petite person. The Petite Provocateur indeed fits me well, and I have found a new go-to favorite. (Don't worry True Religion Joey's, I still love you, you've just become more of a comfort-pant than a style-pant.)
My one "oh-darn" moment came when I read the care instructions for the Provocateur: "Dry Clean Recommended." My pair of Rock & Republic jeans are "Dry Clean Only," and this is a super-hassle. Both these pants have a rather rigid, odd-smelling denim. It seems strange that people would want that particular texture. Perhaps it is more durable that way.
But, the Provocateur said dry cleaning is recommended, not required, so I took my chances with following the regular ol' machine wash instructions. Suddenly, the odd smell and stiffness were gone. There is definitely an interesting texture, but I like them much more than those dry-cleaned R&Rs. (Maybe I should attempt to machine wash the R&Rs?)
At any rate, my quest for designer petite jeans landed on the Provocateur, and I am glad it did. These are comfortable, flattering jeans. Of course I know I could buy other high-end brands and have them hemmed, but knowing these were made with that petite knee-break and original hem make these pants very attractive!
