Hero Pieces: Cigarette Jeans

Or ankle length, but cigarette jeans sounds a bit chicer, somehow. I love skinny jeans, but I'm not blessed with endlessly long legs, and sometimes there can just be a bit too much jean down the lower end of things to get bunched up over boots or to arrange around trainer tops. Cigarette jeans cut out all that. They look great with trainers and leave a little bit of ankle free to let some fresh air in (this is what I'm wearing today):

The best thing about them from my POV though, in Dualista terms, is how versatile they are. They work with flip flops, trainers, ankle or biker boots, you can chuck a pair of stilettos in your bag for a quick day-to-night switch, you can do strappy sandals in the summer, either flat or heeled (here's Reese Witherspoon doing just that, and if it's good enough for Reese then it's good enough for any fellow Dualista).

I love the Koral ones she's wearing in this picture - they're the ones I'm wearing in the first photo as well. They have a good amount of stretch, don't need ironing and are super flattering as well as comfortable. I also have two pairs by Goldsign that I really like, and I was given a pair of MiH Breathless jeans for Christmas which are very slightly longer, but also fantastic.

I also like the look of the Kylie by Paige Denim - I haven't tried these, but Paige do great jeans.

Current/Elliott's Stiletto jeans are excellent, I have them with a gold star print, and I like this 'Reckless' wash (though the model's thigh gap is frankly terrifying)

I'm currently pondering an oxblood/burgundy pair, and I love these Paige ones with an ankle zip in 'Black Cherry'. I can't copy the photos from the website but they're here in Trilogy's sale...

I know the ones I've listed so far are at the higher end of the scale budget wise, but I spend so much time in jeans that I find it's worth spending money on them. Having said that, ASOS has lots of good options around the £30-40 mark, and Zara has some nice looking ones in the sale in some sizes still, and I like how they're styled here:

I do find though that Zara rises can be VERY low and unforgiving of any hint of post-baby muffin top, if that is an issue for you as it is for me, especially in January...

If you're making your first purchase of this sort of jean, I'd be inclined to keep it classic and go for an indigo wash, or a lighter/mid blue (like the Koral ones) if you'll be wearing them for mainly casual. Then when you're hooked you can start expanding your repertoire - as well as the dark red lovelies, I'm quite fancying a leopard print pair for Spring...