WARNING: Image-heavy post.
Anthropologie lovers know them. I’ve long professed my love for them. In a dream come true for this blogger, I recently had the opportunity to team up with AG Jeans to try on anything and everything from their Fall 2012 line and spree to my little heart’s content! Step inside for reviews of several of AG’s latest styles, plus learn how the community can get in on the action too.
Flashback. September. I’m at Lucky Magazine’s LuckyFABB, a blogger conference held in NYC just before New York Fashion Week (NYFW) begins. In addition to meeting a bunch of amazing bloggers and social media reps I get the chance to talk with several brands I love. Some, like BCBG Generation, are already affiliates of EA (and make cute little flipbooks to boot!). Others, like Bulova, I’m meeting for the first time.
And then there’s AG Jeans, long my favorite denim brand. They’re at LuckyFABB too and they’re running a contest just for bloggers. I enter but doubt my chances. I’m going up against some of the biggest names in blogging.
October. Mailbox. Envelope. Winner. SCREAMING!!
Today I’ll have this reviews post on Effortless Anthropologie and for the rest of the week on my tumblr I’ll be showcasing the pieces I hauled in my OOTDs with additional review depth. And you’ll definitely want to check my tumblr this weekend if you’re an AG fan too and like buying things…
Soho. Last week. Welcome to one of AG Jeans’ Soho (NYC) store. Located on the same block of Greene St as Anna Sui, Space NK, and Kirna Zabete, entering is like making it to denim heaven. NYC has many denim bars stacked from floor to ceiling with all kinds of shapes, washes and sizes. The AG store has a nice balance of denim, tops, and accessories in both men’s and women’s. I’m no stranger to this store — it’s been the destination of many a lunch break from work.
My awesome associate for the excursion is Heaven, shown above. (Love her headphone necklace!) Heaven helped me sort through all the different fits and styles to find items we both knew I’d love. While in the store I tried on nearly 20 pairs of jeans, plus various tops, jackets and even a dress. It was my shopping workout for the day!
For those unfamiliar let’s run through AG’s various women’s jeans fits, shall we?
THE ALEXA – Slim boot cut, mid-rise.
THE ANGEL – Boot cut, mid-rise.
THE ANGELINA – Petite boot cut, mid-rise.
THE BALLAD – Slim boot cut, mid-rise. (OOTD at the bottom of this post.)
THE BELLE – Petite flare, low rise.
THE FARRAH – Available in either skinny denim legging or wide bell flare. High rise. (OOTD here.)
THE JESSIE – Specially made for curvy gals like me. Boot cut, mid-rise.
THE LEGGING – Super skinny fit, low rise.
THE PIPER – Slouchy slim fit, mid-rise.
THE PREMIERE – Slim cut straight leg, high rise. (OOTD here, here, here, here.)
THE PRIMA – Cigarette jean, mid-rise.
THE SIMONA – Relaxed wide leg tomboy. Mid-rise.
THE STEVIE – Exclusive to Anthropologie, slim cut straight leg, low rise. (Reviews here, here.)
THE STILT – Cigarette jean, low rise. (See them reviewed by me here.)
THE TOMBOY – Relaxed straight leg, mid-rise.
My personal favorite is the Premiere, which is high rise without venturing into mom jeans territory. The straight leg is comfortable for me to wear paired with any kind of shoe from heels to boots to booties to flats or sandals. Love them so much! Some other successful fits for me include the Farrah, the Ballad, the Stilt and the Tomboy. I’ve never had much luck with the Stevies unfortunately. They are perennial crack-exposers for me.
Each fit comes in several washes, ranging from light to dark. AG Jeans also has an aging process for its jeans that simulates weathering and destruction effects. These aging washes range from 5 years to 20 years. Unlike many denim brands AG manufactures completely in the USA which I wholeheartedly approve of! Sometimes jean distressing done in foreign countries was exposing factory workers to harsh chemicals and toxic fumes. We don’t stand for that stateside.
During my visit to the Soho AG Jeans store, Heaven started by having me try a couple of complete looks. Let’s start the reviews there.
(jeans also available via Anthropologie OR on Shopbop for 20% off TODAY ONLY with code WEAREFAMILY)
My first complete look started with the Legging Jean in blackberry Leatherette ($198). I can’t believe this leatherette jean style is already back — in high school I had a pair made by Wrangler. (No, seriously, they were Wrangler and they were awesome.) Now the trend is back and AG’s put their spin on the trend by laminating their Legging super skinny fit. The jean comes in four colors — I tried on blackberry, which is a purple-backed shade.
With low-rise jeans, my issue is not so much the front rise (7.25″ here) as it is the back rise (12.5″ here). I prefer at least a 13″ back rise whenever possible. For this lower rise to work I have to size up. So instead of my usual 31 I took this jean in a 32, and according to Heaven it’s common for customers to size up in the Legging style. Another reason I sized up is for my thicker legs. I’m not sure a 31 waist would have cleared my calves. The 32s felt comfortable and I love the uniform dark wash! These jeans came home with me and will be featured in an OOTD on my tumblr later this week.
The purple-y color of the jeans works well with brown so I tried on the Skinny Racerback Cami $53) in heather brown. The top is a semi-sheer ribbed racerback in super soft modal and also comes in black and white. The center ribbed panel is framed by two darts of extra ribbing. In theory this top is very cool but I found it neither long enough nor big enough for me. I tried on a large which was straining over my hips. It was a pass for me.
The final piece of my look is the Robyn Coat in villa. I’ve been on the hunt for a denim jacket and this slightly shrunken and cropped, super-soft topper was perfect! I love the silver buttons and the medium blue color of the jacket (it’s also available in grey and a distressed blue). The jacket is cut narrow in the arms (love!) and shoulders so I found a large was the perfect fit. I’m usually a 10 or large in jackets so this runs true to size in my opinion. Like the Leatherette Legging Jeans, this coat came home with me and will be in a tumblr OOTD later this week!
Tomboy jeans sound great in theory — a straight leg that’s easy to cuff. But with larger thighs I find them tricky to wear and AG’s Tomboy in 10 Years Blue ($215) were no exception. My main complaint is the length. AG used to make their jeans 35″ long as a standard but these days 33″ or 34″ is more common. These jeans are 33″ and barely cleared my ankle. As a tall chick I’m sad. No way I could cuff these. Please bring back your longer inseams AG!! Oddly enough, Heaven suggested that a lighter wash might suit me better in these jeans, like the 12 Years Ash ($215) wash, but the Soho store had already sold through their supply of that wash. So I passed on these jeans for now.
The top is the Long Sleeve Crew Neck ($110) in stripes and again I was happily surprised at how soft it was! It’s viscose so it might pill over time. I liked the slouchy fit and wide, sloping crew neck and found my usual size medium comfortably large. But at $110, I feel like you could find something similar at any other number of stores. So I passed on it, though its softness cannot be beat.
Next up I tried on the Legging in Sulfur Black Santa Fe ($225). These are also available in Tobasco, an orange-y red. Like the Leatherette Leggings I sized up to a 32 in these. Though I didn’t think I would, I love the medallion print running down the sides! I think these would look great with brown booties and a slouchy cashmere sweater.
Next up in the Legging fit was these Lace Sateen version in Slate Blue ($178, they also come in black, called Conrad). These jeans are so velvety soft. I kept running my hand along them! Even with the sateen material they have a little bit of stretch. Again I’m in a size 32, one size up from my usual 31. Although these are cute I think I prefer the J Brand Brocade Marias ($242, review) I’ve mentioned about a million times now. The AG jeans are less expensive though, which makes them an appealing alternative.
One last pair of Legging style. These are the Legging in 17 Years Dwight ($210). I specifically asked to try on a lighter wash. I loved these jeans! I could have done without the thigh whiskering but I love the tone variations of this jean. Once again I’m in a 32, one size up from my usual 31 due to the low rise and my thicker calves and thighs. Loved these jeans and they came home with me for two OOTDs on my tumblr, beginning today.
Moving on to another cut I tried on the Ballad in 11 Years Repair ($225). This darker blue version I tried doesn’t seem to be online at the moment. My jeans had two distress patches — one at the knees and one on the thighs. I have to admit that destroyed isn’t really my cup of tea. Why pay $200 for something you can do at home with a pair of scissors? But if I was in the market these would fit the bill well. At 12.75″ the back rise is much easier for me than the 12.5″ back of the Legging jean. The boot cut opening looks great with a low heel. I say low heel because these jeans are only 33″, again short of the 35″ inseam I prefer. I sized down in these jeans to a 30 from my usual 31. They have quite a bit of give.
And finally, my last photo’d pair of jeans is the Stilt in 11 Years Slate ($215). A cigarette jean is ankle length, so the inseam here is 30″. I have a pair of Stilts in the Durini Wash from 5 years ago that still looks brand new! I love these jeans. I noticed that the fit has changed since I got my last pair — I own them in a 30 which is what you see me in, but I think my usual size 31 would have been better across my thighs. So stick to your true size in these jeans. Depending on the wash these have less give so they don’t stretch out much over the course of the day.
QUICK TAKES:
The Legging in Bark ($168): A sateen cord available in 4 colors. Higher rise in the back (12.75″) makes these easier to wear than the Legging Jean, but I found the leg too constricting. Size up.
The Jessie Bootcut ($168) in Bluestone: Specifically made for curves, I love how these fit through the leg! But I had the dreaded gap in the back of the waistband. A 13.25″ back rise is just a bit too high I guess, fixable with a belt though. The 34″ inseam is closer to my ideal length. I took a 30 in these, one size down from my usual 31.
It was a fantastic day shopping at AG, and I’ve still got some spree money left over! You can shop AG 24x7x365 online, or see if there’s a store near you. Be sure to check out my OOTDs on The Parallel Universes Resolution. I’ll be talking about how these jeans wear on the second day (did they stretch? sag? draw compliments? get side-eyed? etc.) and watch out this weekend for some community giveback.
Do you love AG Jeans as much as I do? What’s your favorite fit? What kind of jean would you like to see from AG?
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