Summer Jeans That Actually Work After 40, One Isn’t Even a Jean
I may be reliving my childhood in light wash jeans and jelly sandals, and I have zero regrets. This summer jeans edit for women after 40 is proof you can look great when it’s hot. After 20 years as a Nordstrom stylist I know exactly where to splurge and where to save, and your butt deserves better options on both counts. Light wash, soft white, the jean that goes with any shoe, and the one that isn’t even a jean. Whether you want the $258 Agolde or the $118 style that fits just like it, I already found both for you.
Light Wash Summer Jeans After 40, and the Shoe Rule That Changes Everything
Light wash jeans are having a moment and I am here for every second of it. Wide-leg light wash is the most flattering style you can wear this summer, but only if you know the shoe rule that goes with it. I posted two reels this week that explain exactly what I mean. The first one will make you rethink every black shoe in your closet. The second one is me reliving my childhood in jelly sandals with zero apologies. (Use promo code CLOSET_15 to save on this colorful cardigan)
The styling rule is simple: light-colored and neutral shoes slim, elongate, and balance your proportions. Dark shoes are distracting, and chop your leg line. Once you see it you cannot unsee it.
This look for less list includes a wide leg cropped jean that fits like FRAME’s “le slim palazzo crop”, Chole-inspired jelly sandals, an Alaia look for less in this coveted east west style, and two Veronica Beard inspired tops under $100 that will make you do double take.
Coffee In My Closet
I keep telling myself, “Veronica, you don’t need any new jeans.” Luckily, luckiy my name’s not Veronica. You won’t be able to refuse these styles either.
(Promo codes: Alice and Olivia jacket and tops CLOSET_15. My necklaces CLOSETCHOREOGRAPHY20)
The Jean That Goes With Any Shoe, and the Measurement That Makes It Possible
After 20 years of fitting women in jeans at Nordstrom I figured something out that nobody was talking about. If you pick jeans, long or short, with a leg opening between 16 and 20 inches, they will look good with every shoe in your closet. Sneakers, sandals, heels, wedges, flats. Every single one. This is not a trend. It is a measurement rule I developed in the dressing room and it works every time.
If I could only own one jean for the rest of my life it would be the MOTHER Rambler. It’s so popular it comes in petite sizes. The Agolde Ren is the one I keep reaching for. Both are worth every dollar when they fit this good and have the right opening measurement. If they do not, no brand name in the world will save the outfit. If you have a hard time committing to the price tag, I found the designer-inspired versions of both that have virtually the same measurements.
Soft White Jeans That Look Expensive and Cost $30
Soft white is not the same as stark white and the difference is everything. Thick stretch denim in a soft, not stark white looks more modern, more expensive, and more forgiving than the bright white jeans. Think less I work at the Cheesecake Factory and more I’ll have what she’s wearing. The splurge here is the MOTHER cropped bootcut or this wide leg style from FRAME. Both are worth it when the measurements are right. The rise, the inseam, and the opening are the three numbers that tell you whether a jean will fit before you buy it, and in a solid color like soft white they are the most convincing proof that designer-inspired works. No pattern, no wash variation, no distressing to hide behind. Just the fit. And if you happen to be prone to iced coffee spills like some of us, the $30 version makes more sense.
The Most Flattering Jeans for Every Body, Tested on Every Kind of Booty
Nothing looks as confident as jeans that fit fabulously and flatter your body. Two brands have cracked the code.
I should have known that the brand responsible for the world’s best shapewear also makes the most flattering jeans. Spanx wide leg jeans have a 360 degree shaping panel built in and they come in petite, regular, and plus. I am 5’4″ and wear a 25 in designer jeans. In these I am an XS regular length. Under $200 and they fit like they were made specifically to make you look good. Because they were.
After 20 years as a Nordstrom stylist, I have seen every jean brand up close on every kind of booty. Paige is the only one obsessive about pocket placement. Higher. Closer together. Scaled to your size. Combine that with their trademark Transcend fabric that is so soft yet keeps its shape and you get a flawless fit every single time. I founded the Nordstrom 6, and we are the reason Instagram is calling these the jean that fits everyone. The Anessa, wide leg, 30+ colors, petite sizes available. The jean the Nordstrom 6 unanimously agree on.