Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009

Try these jeans for curves

Got curves? Here's a new brand of jeans you might want to try: CJ by Cookie Johnson.

Johnson, the wife of former NBA star Magic Johnson, was like so many women struggling to find a pair of jeans that fit her curvy figure. So this year, she decided to create her own line of jeans, designed to fit full-figured women up to size 18.

It's a smart move, because most denim designers stop at size 12 or smaller, leaving a gap in the market for quality denim that fits in all the right places. Already, there's plenty of buzz about the line, including the coveted Oprah Winfrey seal of approval. On a recent show, Oprah said the jeans are one of her favorites. She wore a pair of the jeans on the October cover of O, The Oprah Magazine.

"I have big thighs, I have a big butt, but I don't have a big stomach or big waist," said Anansa Sims, a size 12-14 model who co-stars with other voluptuous models in a nude spread in the November issue of Glamour. "A lot of times I'll find jeans that won't cover my thighs but probably would be good for my waist, or they'll come over my thighs but I'll have to wear a belt with all that extra material buckling around the waist. It's extremely hard."

Sims, the daughter of supermodel Beverly Johnson, appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," modeling CJ by Cookie Johnson jeans.

One catch: The price, $141 to $198 at Nordstrom stores and nordstrom.com, is too steep for many.

That's why Adam Glassman, creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine, also spotlighted a more affordable, well-fitting brand based on jeans he had women of all sizes try on. His pick for the show was Lee, which has three styles less than $50 that models, including Sims, posed in: a trouser cut, boot cut and straight leg.

"You really do not have to spend a lot of money these days to get a pair of jeans that look like high-priced designer denim," Glassman said a few days after the episode aired. He elaborated on three of his other favorites, not featured on the recent show, "that not only flatter every woman's figure, but also have a lot of bang for the buck."

Riders by Lee: "These jeans are the greatest buy of all time," Glassman said of $20-and-less Riders, which are different from and even more affordable than the regular Lee jeans Glassman touted on Winfrey's recent show. "They work amazing on women with larger hips, thighs and butts. They also have a fantastic tummy control technology built in to the front pockets that helps to smooth the midsection." They're at Walmart (walmart.com) and Kmart (kmart.com). See Ridersjeans.com.

The Gap's curvy fits: "I am loving all the redesigned and re-engineered denim at the Gap right now," Glassman said. The Curvy cuts, less than $70, have room in the thigh, seat and hip areas, and "mold to your body in all the best places." The rise is low in the front, but higher and contoured in the back to prevent cheek-peeking. See gap.com.

Shape fx: "These come in sizes 2 to 24 and are the perfect jean to help reshape a woman's body," Glassman said, citing a built-in power-mesh panty - "think Spanx as a panty built into the jean that lifts and shapes the rear and flattens the tummy." He has tried the brand's Push-up Control Bootcut style on many different women. "I must say, everyone looks curvy and sexy in these jeans." They're $59 at shapefx.com.

- From wire reports

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