Skinny jeans and lean times may seem a perfect fit but some of the price tags are not downsizing.
American fashion designer Tom Ford last month launched a line of jeans at US$990 (S$1,500) a pair - big bucks in anyone's language.
They are not available in Singapore yet but if it is premium denim you want to splurge on, there are plenty of choices here.
Take denim jeans from a tie-up between French-based brand Lanvin and cult Swedish brand Acne - a pair goes for $1,009 here.
Other top-dollar jeans come from luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana. These start from $700.
At half that are jeans from hip denim labels such as Diesel, G-Star and Miss Sixty, from $350 and up.
Or you can get a perfectly decent pair from the likes of Levi's and Guess for about $150.
So what is the pull of high-end jeans?
The attention to detail is one factor.
Tom Ford's $1,500 denim are pre-washed Japanese jeans that will not shrink and whose colour will not run. They also have pockets lined with fine silk and 18-karat gold-plated front buttons.
The denim in Lanvin's Acne collection is woven on a blue-black thread instead of the usual white, so the underside is deep indigo - a striking contrast when the hems are rolled up.
Also important is the way jeans hug and flatter your body.
Jeans addict Kady Leyau, 31, brand director of beauty chain Fil Skin, Body and Spa Intelligence, buys Dolce & Gabbana's denim duds for this reason.
She owns more than 100 pairs of denim from high-street brands and designer labels but since discovering Dolce jeans two years ago, she has amassed seven pairs that cost $1,000 to $2,000 each.
Leyau, who is slim and willowy, says: 'Dolce jeans have a very good cut that is suitable for my body type.
'The quality of the material and finishing of the jeans are all excellent and worth the price.'
There is also the brag factor: 'Whenever I wear my Dolce jeans, people ask me where they are from,' says Leyau.
Why pay more?
Still, I was not convinced. I am fiercely loyal to my $70 Uniqlo skinny jeans, which I discovered two years ago at the Uniqlo store in Soho, New York City. (I currently own four identical pairs in different washes.)
Before them, I was addicted to Diesel's then-$250 Liv jeans, a straight-cut design that perked up my derriere and made my legs go on forever.
With such affordable finds that flatter my body shape, I wondered why some people would shell out more than double that amount for a pair.
So I persuaded four designer brands - Lanvin, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Gucci - to let me take their jeans for a test run.
FINE DETAILS
Brand: Lanvin
Price: $1,009
The dark inner lining of the jeans and a grosgrain ribbon in place of the usual waistband are thoughtful touches.
The relaxed 'boyfriend' fit is also a nice change from my usual skin-tight jeans.
I wore them to a media event where a few eagle-eyed reporters noticed the interesting details on the jeans.
I was wondering if the jeans were worth the hefty four-figure price tag when a work acquaintance said: 'They make you look great - and that is priceless.'
Dark indigo relaxed-fit jeans from Lanvin, 02-47 Wisma Atria; beret, vest, tank top and heels, writer's
PERKS YOU UP
Brand: Louis Vuitton
Price: $980
High-waisted jeans are not the easiest style to pull off - think the unfortunate recent pictures of a full-figured Jessica Simpson in them.
So I had my doubts over this high-waisted, straight-cut pair.
However, these are actually mock high-waisted - the raised yoke at the back makes them appear higher than they really are.
So you get the curve-enhancing effects of wearing waisted jeans without feeling like you are wearing a hernia support.
Creative director Marc Jacobs' clever placement of the back pockets is another plus.
At least two people I ran into, including a very discerning stylist, commented on how perky my behind looked.
Denim jeans with raised back yoke from Louis Vuitton, 01-20 Takashimaya Shopping Centre; white shirt, jersey scarf and heels, writer's
FULL FIGURES
Brand: Christian Dior
Price: $940
My least favourite pair, though this is no fault of the jeans.
They are made for a woman far more bootylicious than myself.
Pour someone like Beyonce into them and you would have an immediate red-hot alert.
As my assets are somewhat lacking, the jeans merely looked...saggy.
If you have curvy hips and have trouble fitting into jeans made for androgynous figures, then I recommend these - especially if you like bling and logos. The back pocket is emblazoned with crystals that spell 'Dior'.
Dark blue skinny jeans; silk camisole and snake-print blouse (not pictured) twin set, $2,750, both from Christian Dior, 01-07 Takashimaya Shopping Centre; shoes and necklace, writer's
COOLING & COOL
Brand: Gucci
Price: $1,440
These beige jeans give off a breezy vibe that blue jeans just cannot.
They are also more cooling than dark jeans which trap heat - something I appreciated when I wore them during Chinese New Year.
The gold ring detail under the belt hoops helps to dress up the denim.
Even my mother commented on how grown-up I looked in them, which goes to show that jeans are more than just casual attire, provided you pick the right pair.
Bootcut jeans with ring detail; off-white rope belt with gold finish beads, $1,180; white knot wedges, $1,550, all from Gucci, 01-40 Paragon; white shirt, writer's
This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.
