WAIST: 27″
FULL HIP: 42″
HEIGHT: 5’5″
Musings About Years Past: Aritzia and Quality
I used to shop a lot at Aritzia. Since I was pre-teen, I would use birthday money and wait for my sister’s hand-me-downs to get some really nice silk and cashmere pieces on top of the yoga pants and hoodies I wore day to day. Eventually, I fell out of love with Aritzia in my early twenties, and I started shopping elsewhere.
I looped back to Aritzia a few years ago when looking for quality closet staples in natural fibers only to find that Aritzia had drastically changed: nylon t-shirts and viscose sweaters were plentiful and the few cashmere and cotton options were mostly sold out. I was horrified.
The prices had fallen as well, but not enough to account for the cost-cutting that inherently comes with swapping high-quality natural fibers for nylon. I wrote them off as egregious fast fashion and never looked back. Until…
When I found out that Aritzia had decided to dip their toes into the curvy/hourglass market, I actually chuckled. Maybe I would check out what they had, but I suspected that it wouldn’t be much better than what Abercrombie currently had (which is a coming post).
However, I saw that one of their denim offerings was in the exact color I had been hoping to add to my closet this season, and Everlane decided to omit this wash from this season’s hourglass line. So, curiosity got the better of me and I bought jeans in the wash “No-Stress Dark Blue” in each style it was offered in. I purchased two sizes per pant (27 and 28).
Aritzia Remy Hi-Rise Curve-Fit Relaxed Jean
The first style of pant was the “Remy Hi-Rise Curve-Fit Relaxed Jean”, and it had wider legs and was a bit more fitted in the hips than I would like for a relaxed jean in the 28 size. The rise was just high enough, hitting right at my natural waist, no lower and no higher. My torso is pretty average in length, if not on the slightly longer side. In 27, I found the jeans to be quite snug overall. I could see myself keeping up with wash offerings for future seasons in this style, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.
In the Remy “No-Stress Medium Blue” colorway, I found the waist to be too big — substantially so, enough to make me put them back in the bag immediately and forget to take a photo. The 27 in this wash and cut fit well in the waist, but went right up my butt.
Maybe another time.
Rowan Super Hi-Rise Curve-Fit Straight Jean
The second style, the “Rowan Super Hi-Rise Curve-Fit Straight Jean” in the same wash, was the real star for me. Now, before I begin, let me say that the Abercrombie & Fitch “Curve Love Super-High Rise Slim-Straight Jean” and this jean fit incredibly similar– suspiciously similar. It made me wonder if Aritzia had contracted the same patternmakers that Abercrombie had, if it wasn’t done in-house. Regardless, the rise is a about half an inch higher than my belly button in the front, and is a bit higher at the back. It’s actually so high that it buckles and a little crease forms horizontally. See the photo. Note: This jean is higher rise than Everlane’s Hourglass Way High.
They’re unusually high; the only other denim I’ve seen with this rise was – you guessed it – the Abercrombie Curve Love Super High Straight jean. I’m not sure why anyone would want something that high. It’s already a high-rise pant, so it’s not like if you bend over your butt will be out. My bottom is not so large that I need an several extra inches of height at the back.
With that said, these jeans are otherwise amazing. The Abercrombie Curve Love jean in this style first similarly, particularly in terms of rise, but that jean is “lightweight”. It feels insubstantial and the zipper quality isn’t great.
These jeans blow those ones out of the water. When I popped the sticker on the white Aritzia shipping bag and took these out, I was surprised by how heavy they were. And not “these are clunky and unnecessarily heavy”, but rather “these feel much higher-quality and substantial than other jeans I’ve tried at similar price points”. These jeans are 99% Cotton 1% Spandex, they have a substantial, smooth zipper, and they generally feel really nice. Definitely nicer than the $110CAD price tag would suggest.
Note: $110 is not a cheap pair of jeans by any means, but I’ve owned denim that cost much more than this pair and I’d say that for the money, these are an amazing deal.
The inseam for a 28 is 31.5″, which is a bit long for me and my 5’5″ frame. Not one to cuff a pant, I’ve been wearing these jeans with heels with success and will probably have them hemmed by an inch or two.
I took my usual 28, which I also wear in Everlane Hourglass denim. The 27 I have, and I have worn, but while they fit in the waist, they ride up so far up my butt that it’s near impossible to walk like I mean it. There’s a bit of comfy tuck room in the 28, but that’s okay with me.
The lighter washes in this pant fit very similarly to the wash shown here, and I opted to wear the 28s because they fit my butt better and were overall more flattering than the 27s, which also technically fit but were quite fitted. The No-stress Dark Blue (pictured) was the only wash that was really missing from my denim capsule, so that’s the wash that I kept. I haven’t had any issues with shrinking or dye transfer yet and have worn them on a weekly basis for a couple of months, now. I don’t put them in the dryer and I wash them in cold water.
My thoughts on the Curve-Fit trousers are coming soon – but I loved the denim that I received and I hope they bring out additional washes. Definitely not a bad first foray into fitting hourglass and pear shapes. I’m happy to recommend the Rowan jean, especially if you have a long torso. The Remy I recommend if you prefer a wider leg and a shorter rise. Everlane Hourglass could do with the competition.
As always, thanks for reading!
Megan
