Start with the rise, not the size
The rise is the distance from the crotch seam to the top of the waistband. It decides where the jean sits on your body, and after 50 it decides whether you're comfortable. A low or mid rise sits below the natural waist and rolls, gaps at the back, and shows a strip of skin every time you bend. A high rise sits at or near the natural waist, holds everything in place, and lets a top hang smoothly over it. Almost every pair we sell is high rise for this reason. Ask for it first.
Real stretch has recovery
Stretch denim is denim with a little elastic fibre woven in. The good kind stretches when you sit and goes back to shape when you stand. The bad kind stretches and stays stretched, so by afternoon the knees bag and the waist gaps. You can't tell from the label. You can tell by sitting down in the fitting room, standing up, and looking. Our two denim labels, FDJ French Dressing and Carreli Jeans, both use fabric with recovery; FDJ in particular says it was early to add stretch to jeans and has built its fits around it.
Leg shape: straight is the safe answer
A straight leg, or a leg that tapers gently to the ankle, works with a flat shoe, a low boot and a sandal without alteration and without looking like any particular decade. Wide legs are lovely but need a heel or a very specific hem. Skinny legs need a slim shoe and a long top. If you want one pair of jeans that does everything, buy straight.
Pull-on jeans exist and they're good now
No button, no zipper, a flat elastic waistband under a top that looks like a regular jean. FDJ's Pull-On fit is the pair we hand to anyone who says they've given up on denim, and it's the pair they come back for. It's also the answer for anyone with arthritis in the hands, or for a hospital bag.
The fits to ask for
FDJ names its fits, which is a gift: once you know yours, you can ask for it by name. The current names are Olivia, Suzanne, Peggy, Christina and Pull-On (FDJ's own description). The differences are in where the waist sits and how much room there is through the hip and thigh, and the only way to choose is to try two side by side. Carreli sizes consistently within its own line, but not necessarily the same as FDJ, so expect to try a size up or down when switching between them.
Colour isn't only blue
Black, white, olive, taupe and seasonal colours come through both lines every year. A black straight-leg stretch jean is the most versatile trouser most of our customers own, and nobody who sees it thinks "jeans."
How to shop for them
- Bring a pair that almost fits and tell us what's wrong with it. That tells us the rise, the size and the problem.
- Try two fits, not two sizes. The fit is the variable that matters.
- Sit down in them. Then stand up. Look at the knees and the waist.
- Wear the shoes you'll wear. Hem length changes with a heel.
- If it's right, buy two. You'll wish you had.
If you can't get in, call (905) 627-1150 with the brand, fit name and size of a pair you own and we'll tell you what we have that matches.