The Best Stretch Jeans

Jeans, jeans, jeans. Love them, hate them -- it all depends on fit. You feel gorgeous when they fit and like a blob when they don't. While stretch jeans spent time in the desert of 1980s shoulder pads, they are back with a vengeance. Everyone remembers why Lycra was added to denim in the first place: it makes jeans a whole lot better. To find the best stretch jeans, you need to consider the jean's body, the fabric and how you will wear them.

The Usual Suspects and Pricey Boutiques

You can pay $400 at a boutique for one pair or $22 at Old Navy, and you will find a middle-of-the-range price at the Gap or Levi's. All of the jeans offer a minor amount of stretch, with the highest content of Lycra in the 2 percent to 3 percent range. Many jeans are labeled "stretch" and only have 1 percent for a little give. If you just want a little extra movement, aim for 1 percent in your stretch jeans.

Specialized Brands for the More Mature Figure

The "mature figure" jean is a whole new category, and the secret is that you can be 16-years-old and the fit might even work for you. Some brands like Not Your Daughter's Jeans and Lee begin with a soft denim and then add a Lycra content of roughly 3 percent. They also usually include a stomach panel that holds the lower abdomen in with a little bit of Lycra mesh. You won't find a super-lowrise in these brands, but you might find a way to feel like a hot mama again.

Online Specialized Individualized Jeans Ordering

You can order a pair of stretch jeans online made especially for you. One such company is Indi Jeans; you can send them an extensive range of measurements. Or, get a "fit kit" by mail for other companies who make a pair of jeans just for you. The trick is to be honest, as you may have trouble getting the right fit if you don't admit you are petite with a large abdomen. Most importantly, custom jeans make you feel like a superstar with a stretch content as high as 5 percent.

Pajama Jeans and Jeggings

Pajama jeans answer a need that has not been addressed before -- the comfort of staying home and still going out. They have a "proprietary blend" of super soft denim and Lycra around 5 percent. Beware, though: they have no zippers or buttons, as they just pull on. Jeggings, on the other hand, offer a super high stretch content -- as much as 10 percent -- and some are simply fully Lycra leggings printed to look like jeans. If you don't have a jean body but want jeans, these can make you feel like a million bucks.

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