Cheryl Shops Fall Shopping Guide: Skinny JeansDepending on what area of the country you live in, you've probably already had skinny jeans for at least a season now. And, let me guess, they're a dark indigo, right? Skinny is still here for fall (and most likely will be next spring too), but you can broaden your horizons with a gray or black wash--very Kate Moss. So far, I've only been able to handle straight-leg (about a 14-inch leg opening), but I'm feeling adventurous, so I'm looking for the perfect pair of 12- or 10-inch stovepipes. Here are some contenders.
Madison AvenueThis pair from Alexander McQueen isn't exactly a black or gray wash, but the back-pocket embroidery and side scroll detail makes it not your ordinary skinny jean. Neither, of course, does the $695 price tag. But McQueen is a master tailor and, after all, he's the one to thank for low-rise pants, having designed the infamous "bumster" pant.
While we can thank Alexander McQueen for low rises, Stella McCartney has been a leading proponent of skinny jeans. I can attest that hers fit quite well, so if you have the money, this
gray-wash pair is a good investment. And, of course, I love the butterfly detail on the back pocket.
The hard-to-find Tsubi
jean has its own level of cachet for that very reason; it has another level of desirability, however, for its supposedly awesome fit. I don't know firsthand though--they're sold out everywhere!
SohoImitation of Christ has entered the denim fray, and the fact that
this black-wash pair is named after Scarlett Johansson is somewhat promising--after all, the starlet is a bit more curvy than, say, Kate Moss.
Even True Religion has a skinny jean now, and while I'm a huge fan of how their jeans fit, I feel like the coolest part of the jeans is their back pockets, and since
this black pair has tonal embroidery, you can barely see them. And thus I'm not quite sure if they're worth the $200-plus price tag.
And then there's J Brand, which, at the moment, seems like the front runner to me. I tried
this pair on at Barneys on Saturday, and while they don't make my legs totally look like sausages, I find them to be ridicuously tight--if they're not too tight in the thighs, the waist is butt-cracky. I hate to say it, but I might have to cop out and go with their straight-leg, non-stretch style.
34th StreetIf you want something trendy, affordable, and thus disposable, the teen catalogues are often your best bet. This
Piper black skinny jean comes in many different inseams, but, based on the picture, I say unless you have the body of a 17-year-old, order up a size.
The
Casey jean from Delia's looks slightly more forgiving, and I like the ankle length--perfect for tucking into boots without all the bunchiness, or for wearing with flats.
Urban Outfitters has quite the selection of skinny jeans--in every wash you can imagine, pretty much--but my favorite is the
Outlaw by, of all things, Levi's. I think the pockets are pretty cool and, at $68, you really can't go wrong with a classic.
Project Runway seems to be dragging out as long as possible--last week was a rerun, next week is the "get the contestants together and have them talk shit about each other" episode, then the final episode airs in two parts, with the grand finale, finally, on October 18th. I think nearly everyone has seen the photos from New York Fashion Week by now, so now we're just waiting, waiting, waiting for a winner to be announced. Based on the pictures alone, I'd say Jeffrey wins, but there are all of these rumors about him outsourcing his sewing, so who knows. Uli's collection was very...Uli, Laura's was very elegant but a bit boring, and while Michael's seemed to be the most cohesive, it was not really my taste, sadly. So whoever wins is anyone's guess. In the meantime, in this week's challenge, the designers were given $250 and free reign to create whatever they wanted, so long as it represented their signature style and was "editoral"--in a way that would be fresh to the judges, of course. The amusing part of this challenge was that after so many weeks of having strict rules, Uli and Michael seemed a bit lost as to what to do. And while Uli's signature-Uli-with-a-twist minidress was the winner, Michael faltered with a satin charmeuse dress that was sexy but unwearable. Laura's dress was nothing new, and while Jeffrey challenged himself with a more "romantic" look, it looked kind of sans culotte. And unflattering. The "twist" at the end of the episode, however, was that all four designers would be showing at Fashion Week. Which, um, we already knew since it happened two weeks ago. So, here we are, back to waiting.
And last week America's Next Top Model debuted on its new network the CW. Every season, I tend to get fed up with the show and vow not to watch it anymore, but that's not going to happen this year, because I've decided the show is just so over-the-top and campy--and it's not like the winner is really going to become a top model of any sort anyway--so all I can do is sit back and enjoy it. This week was the makeover episode, which is always one of my favorites because for every girl they make look good, they make one look awful. I actually like Brooke's new brown hair--it makes her skin glow--but Megg's wild fro for some reason now emphasizes the fact that she looks like Mayim Bialik. The twins' red hair is actually not bad (I was a little nervous about it at first), but I don't really like Melrose's blonde hair, because now she looks like a cross between Courtney Love and pre-makeover Ashlee Simpson. And while I loved Jaeda's short haircut, I was not a fan of the platinum blonde on Megan--and I don't think she was either, since, well, she ended up going home. I was a bit surprised by it, and I'm wondering if it's because she was too much like Kim from season four, even down to the lesbian part (did anyone else notice her talking to her "girlfriend" on the phone early in the episode?). I mean, I didn't think her photo was that bad. Of course, I have some early favorites, namely, the twins (yes, I like both of them, mainly because I can't tell them apart). I think AJ is going to go far, too--in the poster for the show, she totally stands out--but she seems to have a bit of an attitude problem. Next week, Ms. Jay teaches the girls to walk, but in the meantime, I highly suggest taking advantage of the "send Tyra Mail to your friends" feature on the CW's website. I spent an entire afternoon doing it last week and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
