I think it’s safe to say that all girls are on a mission to find the perfect pair of jeans, with just enough stretch, the right shape, and the appropriate length. Those are all things I look for, at least. I tend to be a creature of habit, so when I find a good thing, I like to stock up. For about 4 years now, I’ve been stocking up on American Eagle jeans. American Eagle is my go-to store for affordable jeans that fit like a glove. I love their wide array of style options, washes, and of course the fact that they come in short and long lengths! I’m not quite short and I’m not quite average height either, but American Eagle short jeans are just the right length for me.

Slim Boot Jean in Pure Dark Indigo, American Eagle, $39.95

The first style of American Eagle jeans that I fell in love with were the Slim Boot jeans. They were the most comfortable jeans I’d ever tried on, and I’ve owned them in several washes over the past years. If you’re looking for casual, comfy jeans, then these are ideal. I am partial to the “super stretch” styles because they slip right on and don’t have a muffin-top effect. Sometimes they feel more like sweats than jeans, and cute but comfortable is always a plus! They give great shape around the bottom and thigh areas, which is awesome for girls like me who don’t have much of a booty. While these aren’t necessarily the jeans I’d choose for going out, they’re good for low-key hang-outs, lunch dates, and class.

Artist Jean in Blue Dark Rinse (Super Stretch), American Eagle, $39.95

I’ve also tried The Artist jean, which is slim-fit around the hips and thighs with a large flared opening around the lower legs. While these are extremely comfortable and cute with heels or wedges, these aren’t my favorite. Because the leg opening is so wide, The Artist jeans tend to make me look shorter. They do look terrific on tall girls, though!

Skinny Jean in Worn Dark (Super Stretch), American Eagle, $44.95

Skinny jeans are a great staple from American Eagle, as well. I’ve had a pairs in pure dark washes and worn dark washes. The pure dark skinnies go well paired with virtually any type of shoe, from boots to heels to flats. I like to pair my worn dark wash skinnies with casual boots, oxfords, Toms, or booties for more laid-back days. The only thing I don’t like about these is that I feel like I can only wear them on days when I’m feeling extra skinny. They do tend to give a bit of a muffin top and sometimes I feel like I look like I have chubby calves in them, but skinny jeans are generally tighter than other jeans, so it’s understandable.

Skinny Kick Jean in Faded Dark (Black Rock), American Eagle, $44.95

My most recent favorite jeans from American Eagle have to be the Skinny Kick jeans. They have just the right amount of skinniness, allowing for the absolute best hug around the legs, with an ever so slight ankle opening, referred to as a “kick”. I have these in the faded dark, and I absolutely love them. They are my go-to jean for hanging out or shopping. While they’re not considered “super stretch”, they have the right amount of stretch and do not feel stiff. I’ve had them for a few months now, and they still hold their shape, even after being washed. My boyfriend likes to call these my Tinkerbell jeans because they have subtle sequin detailing on the back pockets that give an ever-so-slight sparkle without being too loud or gaudy. I like to wear these with any shoe except long boots.

I truly believe that American Eagle jeans cater to girls of all shapes and sizes, so if you’re looking for affordable, good quality denim, then I definitely recommend American Eagle. The jeans go on sale often too, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re on the hunt for the perfect pair of jeans.  The makers of American Eagle jeans are certainly jean geniuses!

Have you ever looked at an expensive pair of destroyed denim and think, "Why are these so expensive? I could cut holes in my own jeans." I know I have. I never thought it was worth it to pay extra for jeans that came pre-ripped. However, until recently, I never made the effort to try doing it myself.

Courtesy: Madewell

Making your own custom pair of ripped jeans is fairly easy, it just takes patience. There is a lot of tedious work involved in making perfectly frayed holes. I would recommend doing it while watching your favorite TV show or movie; it makes time pass much more quickly.

What you need:

A pair of fabric scissors or very sharp scissors.
A pair of jeans you wouldn't mind cutting up
Tweezers

Courtesy: Pop Champagne

1. Make at least two cuts, as far apart as you would like.

Courtesy: The Harvard Vestis Council

2. Take your tweezers and pull out the vertical threads. It might take awhile to find them but once you find one, the rest is fairly easy. It just takes a bit of time since you have to pull them out strand by strand. It's okay if you destroy your denim a bit in the process, it doesn't have to be too neat!

Courtesy: The Harvard Vestis Council

3. Once you have pulled out the vertical threads, you are done! Make as few or as many as you'd like. Don't worry if it doesn't have the "destroyed" look you want to achieve yet. Once it goes through the wash, it will look just like the expensive jeans you would see in the stores.

Courtesy: denimblog.com

I know there are many ways to create the destroyed denim look, but this one was the one I tried and was really happy with. It's a great way to spice up your jeans and save a ton of money. If any of you try it, let me know how it goes!

So, I have this hipster friend. Like, seriously hipster. She’s a five foot tall lesbian, complete with faux hawk (awesome). She works at the Apple Store (of course). She has an expansive collection of beanies and v-necks (fierce). And she’s also one of my best friends in the world (true love). Anyway, a little while ago, we’re hanging out and she says to me, “Hey. Feel these jeans. Right now.” I put my hand on her knee, expecting the usual soft, worn feel of all the Levis I have in my drawer, but instead I feel a rough stiffness. “They’re raw denim.”

BAM. Note the rolled cuff at the bottom. The white seam is the mark of true raw denim.
Unbranded Skinny Selvedge Jean, urbanoutfitters.com, $78

“Raw denim?” I ask, inquisitively (I’m totally aware this is feeling like a weird after school special by the way), hoping she’ll take my cue on continue.

“Yeah. Totally unwashed, untreated, un-everything. Just raw. They’re usually pretty expensive but you can order a pretty legit pair from the Urban Outfitters website for like 80 bucks. Get some with me. We can break them in together.”

I’m sitting there thinking, Raw? Unwashed? Break them in? What is all this sorcery? But then I think about how I should try new things and how I love fashion and pretending I’m a hipster, so why not?

If you haven’t figured it out by now, these kinds of jeans are the antithesis of “distressed” jeans, but the eventual goal is to get there yourself. Instead of buying a pair of jeans that has a predetermined fade, you create your own fade based on the way you’re shaped and the way you move. Essentially, your own perfect pair of jeans.

Flash forward to me pulling on my raw denim jeans for the first time. It’s just as uncomfortable and slightly painful as you might imagine. And the point is to wear them every day, and to not wash them for six months to a year. But it wasn’t very long before they were loosening up, and before I knew it I was showing off my “honeycombs” (the creases on the backs of my knees), and my “whiskers” (the folds where I bend at the hip), and just my jeans in general. And I was surprisingly getting a lot more compliments than I expected!

And I’m not saying this is something you have to get all intense about. Some people make it into a lifestyle, and spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars just on one pair. But I’m here to say the $78 Urban Outfitters pair is well worth the investment, and you won’t regret it. Take it from me. Or take it from my hipster Apple-employed lesbian best friend.

Courtesy: StyleMint

There’s no doubt that denim cut-offs are a summer staple. But wouldn’t you rather save the $50 you’d spend on them at Urban Outfitters or NastyGal and make them yourself? Here are a few tips for when you make your own cut offs!

First off, you’ll need an old (or thrifted) pair of jeans, scissors, a razor-blade, and chalk.

1. Use a pair of jeans a couple sizes too large or make them out of men's jeans. This will help you acheive the high-waisted, but loose-fitted look. If you use jeans that are actually your size, they may be too fitted around the legs.

2. Use chalk to mark the places on your shorts where you want to make slashes/rips. If you mark with pen and decide to make slashes somewhere else, the pen might not come off in the washer. But you don’t have to worry about the chalk!

3. Keep the pant legs that you cut off to practice your tearing techniques on. This way you can make sure you’ve mastered making the perfect slashes with your razor blade before you make them on your shorts.

DIY cut offs can be that much better than buying them, because you can customize yours to fit your taste. If you want to add something extra to your shorts, you can purchase packs of spikes and studs from www.studsandspikes.com at fairly inexpensive prices and stud your shorts like these:

Courtesy: Vixxxen

Levis 501 High Waist Studded Cut Off Shorts sold by BetaVintageCasual, etsy.com, $42

Vintage Destroyed DIY Cut Off Jeans sold by SORUTHLESS, etsy.com, $49

You can also pick a fabric of your choice and sew them on a pocket or one side of your shorts, as shown on the Free People blog.

Courtesy: Free People

You just need to measure the size of fabric you need and hand stitch it onto your shorts.

If you’re feeling brave you can use white jeans and dye them fun colors, or even do an ombre dye job.

Levis Coral Pink Ombre Dip Dye Shorts sold by ShopKaleidoscopeEyes, etsy.com, $65

No matter what you decide to do to, make sure to enjoy those cut-offs before summer’s over!

I'm big into basics -- jeans, leggings, collared shirts, solid colors -- and the next piece on my list is a chambray shirt. Denim is nothing new, particularly this year, but it's clear denim will be a big part of fall. Paired with bright bottoms, big necklaces, or a denim-on-denim ensemble, the chambray shirt is here to stay as the most important new basic for fall.

First, a laid-back look with yellow denim paired with the chambray top and big beads. Yellow and blue are two of my favorite colors, and together, they make a perfectly sweet and cute combo.

Courtesy: The Shine Project

Another laidback look here, this time paired with black leggings and knee high boots. A college staple. (Even with coffee!)

Courtesy: Adrilucia on Chictopia

Headed out? Open up the shirt to wear as a jacket over a chic LBD.

Courtesy: Seams for a Desire