Happy Spring!
I had actually planned to post this review before the weather warmed up and I was obsessing over new spring items to add to my wardrobe, but sometimes timing is what it is. Ironically, it has been freezing cold in NC lately, much more so than normal for this time of year. The warm days we've had have been sprinkled in amongst 30-degree highs, and wintry mixes. Thus, I have been living in these jeans I'm about to show you...
As you know, I am a total convert to James Jeans. One of the many pairs I have collected in the last months is James Jeans High Class Skinny in Swat Dye. What is "Swat Dye" you ask? Well I wasn't sure either. But essentially it is a super-cool wash that makes for an eye-catching pair of printed skinny jeans. Add in the high waist and it is not only chic and comfortable, but also very figure flattering! Read on below for the details:
Jeans: James Jeans; Boots: Nine West Vintage America; Tank: H&M
Jeans: James Jeans; Wedge Sneakers: Xhilaration; Faux-leather jacket: H&M Men's; Hoodie: My own (Go Hurricanes!)
Jeans: James Jeans; Heels: Bandolino; Button-Down: H&M; Military Jacket: JCP
As you can see, these are definitely not your run-of-the-mill skinny jeans. The wash is similar to a tie-dye effect, but actually comes out closer to smoke swirls. The base color is a dark mocha bordering on black (I think it can be worn as either, it's completely neutral). The "Swat" part is the name for the color of the "swirls". It's kind of a toffee/burnt bronze color, which is hard to describe. Here is a pair of James in Swat for reference. At first, I wasn't sure how I planned on styling this wash, but after seeing the jeans in person, I was able to pull a surprising number of looks together. If you view the pants as simply a neutral print, like you would with stripes, plaid, etc, it opens up a world of possiblity.
The fit on these is some of the best I have seen. These are high-waisted jeans, with a rise of approximately 9.75". The inseam is about 30", varying slightly by size of course. These fit a little on the smaller side as compared to my other James, but I believe that is by design - they hold you in completely! As I have mentioned before, I am often in between sizes. I went with the larger size since the waist is so high. The fabric is Cotton/Lycra (97/3) so it is super stretchy - but that said, they feel almost like Spanx. While I might have gotten away with one size down, they would not have been comfortable, at least at first. These pants move with you, but they do not lose their shape or stretch out very much with wear. I wore mine for several hours, and when I took them off, they looked exactly as they did when I first put them on. This is a good thing, to me, as the butt never sags during the day! They really hold everything into place, slim the legs and waist, but still allow plenty of movement. The high rise is very on-trend right now, but is also great to keep from worrying about your "crack" with shorter tops. I don't usually like to post "selfie mirror shots" on my blog if I can help it, but I wanted to show the first photo to give an idea of how the rise actually hits on the jeans. It's definitely the highest rise I own - but they still don't look like "Mom jeans".
I am such a fan of these jeans - and to be honest, I like them more every time I wear them! I have worn them everywhere from a Canes game to my office. I really appreciate how unique the wash and dye is on this pair, and the quality of the fabric is so luxe and substantial, they really are a statement piece you'll have for a long time.
These jeans are selling out fast pretty much everywhere! If you are interested in a pair for yourself, try James Jeans or Shop Tank Top.
