women's apparel
By Liza Corsillo, a senior writer at the Strategist covering kids’ toys and men’s style. She joined the Strategist in 2019. She is a former writer for GQ and an accomplished illustrator.
Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Liza Corsillo
Welcome to Jeans Month on the Strategist, where we’re obsessively vetting denim — from trying on every pair at the Gap to asking dozens of stylish people about their favorite fits. For more, head to our Jeans Month hub.
In the five or so years since I last shopped at Madewell in person, I’ve had many conversations with fellow Strategist staffers and friends about the fit of the brand’s jeans. Namely, that they run big (sometimes really big) and that the sizing is inconsistent, sometimes even within the same style of denim. (Depending on the wash, I wear a few different sizes in Madewell’s Perfect Vintage Jeans.) Part of the problem is that Madewell’s denim nomenclature is confusing: Generally, a “wash” usually refers to the color or shade of a pair of jeans. But Madewell’s washes seem to encompass color, plus fabric composition and special details like a ripped knee, allover pattern, or patch pockets. And differences in fabric will almost always affect fit, especially when you add stretch the mix. Since there are constantly new styles, fabrics, and “washes” being released, plus seasonal updates to core styles, it’s been hard to know what size to order when shopping online.
So, to get a better sense of how all the different Madewell jeans really fit, I dropped by the new Madewell store in Soho and tried on as many pairs of jeans as possible. I expected to find mostly stretch denim but was pleasantly surprised that more than half of the 15 pairs I took into the fitting room were made of 100 percent cotton. The sizing was more consistent than I expected, too. I am five-foot-seven and typically wear my jeans right at my waist and a little cropped; this usually translates to a 30-inch inseam on size 29 jeans, but at Madewell all but one of the pairs I tried fit me best in a size 28. Some, but not all, were also available in Madewell’s Curvy Fit, which did an excellent job of reducing gapping at my waist. (I am pear-shaped and have always struggled to find denim that fits both my waist and my hips/butt.) Here’s what I thought of each one.
The Perfect Vintage Jean
Madewell The Perfect Vintage Jean
From $128
From $128
Cut: Slim or curvy slim | Lengths: Standard, petite, tall | Rise: High | Material: 85% cotton, 13.5% recycled polyester, 1.5% elastane | Fly: Zipper | Washes: Medium distressed, dark indigo
One of the first pairs of non-maternity jeans I wore after having my son two years ago were Madewell’s Perfect Vintage Jeans in the Mccoll medium wash. As a stepping stone between leggings and hard pants, they fulfilled their purpose splendidly. But while they were very comfortable, I never felt particularly stylish; they made me feel like a cute but basic millennial mom without strong opinions on fashion. Since then my taste in denim has moved toward wider silhouettes and 100 percent cotton whenever possible. But I figured these jeans would at least be comfortable, and tried them on the dark indigo Larkspur wash thinking it would elevate them to a dressier category and make them feel more current. Either the cut of these has changed since I last wore them or my memory is failing me, but they were not nearly as comfortable as I expected, and I didn’t particularly like how they looked on me. I tried them on in both size 29 and size 28 and found the 29 was too big in the waist.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Flared Wide-Leg Crop Jean
$111
Cut: Flared | Lengths: Standard, plus, petite, tall | Rise: High | Material: 91% cotton, 6% recycled polyester, 3% elastane | Fly: Zipper | Washes: Medium distressed, blue, white, gray distressed
I was biased against these from the start, because I am not a flared-jeans girl. On the plus side, my butt looked good in these jeans and they didn’t look nearly as costume-y as I expected. They are very dramatically flared, though, and because they are pretty cropped on me — the 27-inch inseam on the standard pair hit me above the ankle bone — the bottoms flapped around a lot when I walked. I also thought the crop made me look shorter than I am. I didn’t try on the tall version of these, but I am confident the proportions would have worked better on me.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Superwide-Leg Jean
$111
Cut: Wide | Lengths: Standard, petite, tall | Rise: High | Material: 100% cotton | Fly: Zipper | Washes: Dark distressed, black distressed, medium distressed with cuffs, dark indigo
On the other hand, with the right styling, this pair could actually be pretty cute. They are made of 100 percent cotton and come with a generous cuff that is sewn in place so it doesn’t move. I like that the cut creates a straight line from my hips down to the floor and that the cuff gives them a bit of a sailor vibe. The wash is generously distressed but it doesn’t look cheap or too contrasty, and the feel of the fabric is substantial but not heavy. I still passed on this pair, however, because even though I liked how I looked I knew I would get them home and never wear them again.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Airy Denim Collection
There is a groundswell of jeans that feel like sweatpants and sweatpants that look like jeans. And while I am impressed with the technology and innovation necessary to make this happen, I don’t personally like how it feels. I’m easily put off by synthetic or exaggerated softness against my skin; I don’t like overly plush towels or those stuffed-animal-textured socks you get at the dollar store, either. To me, Madewell’s Airy Denim fabric feels more like a very soft chambray shirt than a pair of jeans and it made me uncomfortable. I tried on three different styles in the Airy Denim and didn’t like how they clung to every detail of my legs and underwear beneath them.
$111
Cut: Straight or curvy straight | Lengths: Standard, plus, petite, tall | Rise: Low | Material: 61% cotton, 39% Tencel Lyocell | Fly: Button | Washes: Medium
In pictures these Dean Easy Straight jeans look pretty good on me but in person they felt much too thin and soft. They drape like silk or liquid, which might be great for some people but it gave me sensory anxiety and did nothing to smooth out the aging skin of my upper thighs.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
Cut: Pleated wide | Lengths: Standard, petite | Rise: High | Material: 61% cotton, 39% Tencel Lyocell | Fly: Zipper | Washes: Light
Madewell’s Harlow pants are so popular that the brand has now made them in denim. I am sure these look good on someone. But that someone isn’t me. The pleats combined with the light color made my mid-section look stuffed and lumpy, and I didn’t think the high trouser-style back pockets did anything good for my butt.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
$111
Cut: Wide | Lengths: Standard | Rise: Low | Material: 61% cotton, 39% Tencel Lyocell | Fly: Zipper | Washes: Light distressed, white
I was excited to try these because I really liked the drawstring detail and was hoping that it would be an actual functioning drawstring that could help with waist gap. Unfortunately it only sort of works to cinch the waistband because the string is sewn down on each side at the hip. I also tried on a pair of the Low-Slung Baggy Jeans in 100 percent cotton leopard print and really liked them but couldn’t see myself wearing the print, especially as I have seen that same print on younger, cooler people everywhere I look lately.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Curvy ’90s Straight Jean
$50
Cut: Straight, curvy straight | Lengths: Standard, plus, petite, tall | Rise: High | Material: 99% cotton, 1% elastane | Fly: Button | Washes: Black, light blue
When I put on the ’90s Straight Jeans I got a familiar little buzz of excitement. I went straight for the curvy version knowing it would make them fit better. They fit me really well and made me look zipped up and pulled together. You’d think that 1 percent stretch wouldn’t make much of a difference. But it makes these ever so slightly more flexible, very useful in high-waisted jeans. And I like the wash and really like the crease details on the shins and backs of the legs. My only complaint is that they are not especially slimming and that made me feel self-conscious.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Relaxed Bootcut Jean
$111
Cut: Boot-cut | Lengths: Standard, plus, petite, tall | Rise: High | Material: 99% cotton, 1% elastane | Fly: Zipper | Washes: Off-white, medium, black
Am I a boot-cut jeans person now? That’s what I asked myself after putting these on. They are the closest any pair of jeans has come to converting me to a style with even the slightest bit of flare. Like the ’90s Straight Jeans, they have 1 percent stretch, which makes them comfy and compressive. I could see wearing these with a clog or a heeled sandal even if ultimately they’re not my style.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg Jean
Cut: Wide | Lengths: Standard | Rise: High | Material: 100% cotton | Fly: Button | Washes: Faded green
After walking into the store I immediately gravitated toward this pair of faded-green wide-leg jeans because they look so similar to my green Rudy Jude Utility Jeans, just without the double knees. They are not as wide as the name suggests; in fact, I’d say they are only a bit wider than straight jeans. I love that they are an unusual color, that they hit me just above the ankle, and that they are made of a hefty cotton I’m sure will wear nicely. But the waist gap was huge in my usual Madewell size 28, and they don’t come in curvy fit.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Curvy Perfect Vintage Wide-Leg Crop Jean
Cut: Wide | Lengths: Standard, petite, tall | Rise: High | Material: 100% cotton | Fly: Button | Washes: White, light distressed
These are the same jeans as the faded green pair above but in a different wash and curvy fit, and they were one of my two favorite pairs of the 15 I tried on. The curvy fit is extremely effective at eliminating waist gap, and that combined with the 100 percent cotton denim made these jeans feel like winning the vintage Levi’s jackpot. They are a touch too cropped for my taste right now, in early spring, but come summer I’ll appreciate the length, especially paired with flat sandals. They fit snugly in the waist, then fall more or less straight down from my hips to my ankles. I think they look good from all angles and feel casual but don’t look sloppy.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
The Darted Barrel-Leg Jean
$148
Cut: Barrel | Lengths: Standard, plus, petite, tall | Rise: Low | Material: 100% cotton | Fly: Button | Washes: Off-white, light distressed, medium distressed, light, blue distressed with patch pockets, faded black
Of all the jeans I tried on, these were the pair that I most wanted to wear out of the store. And I did, in fact, end up taking them home in the medium wash (without the patch pockets). They are lower rise than I am used to wearing. I think this caused a bit of sizing confusion as the size 28 felt big on me in the waist but I was probably just hiking them up too much. The size 27 sat closer to my actual waist but meant that the legs were cropped. I still preferred them in the smaller size and felt like they looked better, because they fit more snugly around my hips, with no waist gap. But since wearing them at home for longer stretches of time, and sitting in them a lot more, I have realized that I might actually prefer the 28 — they don’t have any stretch, and comfort is more important to me than a snatched waist. The medium wash is so convincingly vintage looking that I would never guess these were Madewell jeans if I saw them out on the street, and the darts at the knee are such a nice subtle workwear-ish detail. I love how my butt looks in these — not something I say very often when trying on jeans. I also tried on the faded-black version and loved them too.
Photo: Liza Corsillo
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