Edward Russell
By Zara Ali
Ah, the mom jean (Mom? Mum? Let’s just go with mom.) Mom jeans may be the scariest piece of apparel in recent times because it seems like you need to be an exotic 6 ft goddess to be able to pull them off, which is not necessarily true.
The new generation mom jeans are not as unflattering as you might think. Just keep in mind one vital piece of information: it’s all about the butt (hit the squats now.)
The thing that makes mom jeans so appealing is their ability to lift an outfit: tuck in a band tee & a throw on an old leather jacket and it screams low- maintenance, but not messy. Case in point- they’ve popped up on the runway for brands like Maison Martin Margiela.
My first foray into the mom jean world was years ago, when I picked up a pair of worn in Levi’s 501s from a thrift store for about $5, back when thrifting was actually an economical and exciting way of shopping. I loved them because they had a high rise, a well fitting waist and a wider fit through the leg that was different to the skinny jeans everyone was wearing at the time. I got them from the men’s section, rolled up the hems and wore them to death. I then hacked them apart to make cutoff shorts, but the lesson here is that with mom jeans (or anything, really) there are no real rules. Don’t feel restricted by a certain gender or size, because if they fit and they make you feel great then they are the right pair for you.
If you decide to go the alternative route and wear a pair of 501’s, tuck your top in and don’t stress about the shoes. If you’re looking for vintage mom jeans, don’t get attached to a certain size, because fit is much more important than waist size and sizes fluctuate constantly by brand. Buy what makes you feel good. And do not be afraid to buy a pair that are imperfect and get them tailored to best fit you!
If you’re not so keen on trawling at a second hand store yourself, RE/ DONE does the hard work for you by sourcing the best vintage denim and deconstructing it to give it a brand new life: shopredone.com
Happy mom jean hunting!
