Hello! SkinnyJeans Q+A

Does Hello! SkinnyJeans really make jeans that are "thigh-slimming, stomach-flattening, buttocks-shaping, and leg-lengthening"? Can they really make a woman look less "full-figured" as they claim? Being a little skeptical, I said, no way, this is NOT possible. So I went ahead and asked Catherine Hart, the founder and designer of this brand a few questions:

Q: Catherine, there are a lot of desperate women out there who have a big problem in finding jeans in a larger size and/or that make them look better - be this thigh-slimming, stomach-flattening, buttocks-shaping or leg-lengthening. Does your company propose the ideal solution for all of these requests?

A: Yes. We specifically incorporate design solutions in SkinnyJeans(R) that address ALL of these common problems:

(1) thigh-slimming-- thighs are 'scooped-out' to slim and separate them and the high-performance stretch denim compresses and slims the legs; the inseams are drawn very forward on the leg to trick the eye into seeing less 'real estate' on the front of the leg; and the inside and outside of the thighs are darkened creating an optical illusion that the thigh is slimmer.

(2) stomach-flattening-- we use non-stretch pocket lining to create a panel across the front of the jeans to flatten the entire stomach area; additionally, the mid-rise cut of the jean falls at the hip which pushes the stomach in at the most effective place, avoiding a 'pooched-out' stomach with a too-high cut or a little 'pot-belly' from a too-low cut; and the stretchy, bias-cut waistband avoids 'muffin-top'.

(3) buttocks-shaping-- using optical illusion shading, the sides of the hips and under the buttocks are darkened for a shaping and slimming look; the design of the yolk shapes the buttocks; and the pockets are shaped and placed precisely to make the buttocks appear smaller and more shapely.
(4) leg-lengthening-- we use optical-illusion shading to trick the eye into seeing the leg-break higher than the natural leg break and the shading down the middle of the leg is drawn all the way down to create a long, unbroken line.

Q: Being a very skeptical person and having worked with lots of companies that claim that their jeans make your body look perfect, I need to ask you -
what makes your jeans different from all the other jeans that aim at the same market? How did you succeed where they all failed?

A: Firstly there is the denim we use- it is proprietary to SkinnyJeans(R) and is the strongest stretch denim available- it actually functions as a 'girdling' fabric and never stretches out, no matter how many times you wear the jeans; secondly there is our extensive sizing- we go from size 23 to size 38 (equivalent to missy size 18) and inseams from 29" to 37"; then there is the list of our features-- shading on the jeans is employed to slim and lengthen the look of the leg and to minimize the hips and to shape the buttocks; we use a panel on the front of the jeans to minimize the stomach; the seams are drawn in a way to trick the eye into seeing a slimmer leg; the extensive range of inseams ensures that the jeans are proportioned to the wearer; the bias-cut, stretch waistband and mid-rise cut functions to flatten the stomach and avoid spill-over. We have succeeded in the market because SkinnyJeans(R) really are effective and work on almost everyone, because our jeans are elegant and classic and can be worn year after year so are practical, and because our extensive sizing addresses customers who never had access to premium U.S.-made denim before.

Q: I have read quite a few comments on your jeans, and most of them don't agree that your jeans make them look skinnier. Have you heard this too? How do you respond to that?

A: SkinnyJeans(R) work on almost all body types; however there are some people that we simply don't help no matter how hard we try or what design changes
we try to make. We had a trunk show in Manhattan and everyone tried jeans on and bought jeans but there was a girl who simply got no improvement whatsoever from the jeans so we refused to sell them to her. We listen to our customers all the time and wherever we can improve a fit or do something to take care of our girls, we incorporate the changes or additions as soon as we can.

Q: Your jeans come in different lengths, up to 37 inches. That's cool for the tall crowd, but what about average sized women like me, who are in the 5¹4² range? Can we only use your petite line? But then, those apparently only come in skinny styles. If we want to buy bell bottom jeans, by the time we hem them, aren¹t they just plain skinny jeans again?

A: Not at all! Our regular line starts at 30" inseam which is perfect for the 5'4" girl who otherwise is not a petite size. Our PetiteCut is for a petite size- the rise is slightly lower and we offer that also in inseam 30" as well as 29". The PetiteCut also comes in a 33" inseam which is for our customers who like a slightly lower rise.

Q: What about your washes? People have been complaining about the dark dye of the jeans coming off on their clothes, so, is it best to wash them a few times before using them?

A: Our NiteWash ultra-dark indigo can indeed 'bleed' before it is washed and we always include a little note on our tag about dye transfer.The reason for
this is that indigo is a 'fugitive' dye- it is a large molecule and actually sits on top of the fabric fibers and is the reason why the jeans 'fade off' in a certain wear-pattern (all dark denim does this.) We definitely advise that the jeans be washed several times before wearing light-colored tops.

Q: On your website there is an option to compare your jeans with other jeans. Some of the other jeans are shown in a lighter wash than your jeans. Is it true that a lighter color wash is less slimming and accentuates large hips, buttocks and thighs or is the way the jean is made/fits?

A: When we first started SkinnyJeans(R) we were appalled by most of the designs and wash patterns of jeans that seemed to make you look WORSE so we just
took a sampling of all of the most expensive, well-known U.S.-made brands, and made a bunch of amateur comparison photos. These brands seemed to us to be tone-deaf to the needs and wants of the wearer and were all about the designer. And it is true, lighter colors make you look larger and horizontal lines across the hips indeed make the hips appear wider.

Q: And, finally, is there anything else you would like our readers to know?

A: SkinnyJeans(R) was the first line of jeans to come out with slimming blue jeans-- there was a complete void in the market and no existing brand was even close to addressing our size and inseam range in a premium denim or using all of the design features we do (there was an existing brand of mom jeans addressing stomach problems of older women). There are so many girls who care about how they dress and they simply couldn't find premium denim above size 10 or 12. Also, we manufacture our jeans in the U.S.- it is more expensive but we employ a lot of Americans and our wearers make a statement supporting American manufacturers. Available at Fred Segal, Kitson, E Street Denim and online at www.skinnyjeans.com, www.slimthing.co.uk with a price range of 145-225$. So, bye for now, guys, I am off getting my Hello! Skinnies!