I distinctly remember my first pair of skinny jeans: I was in sixth grade and performing in an all-girls show choir in my hometown of Tampa, Florida. We were putting together a country music medley, and our costumes included flannel button-ups and a dark-wash pair of skinnies. I ordered mine from Delia’s and, even though I wasn’t supposed to, I wore them on days when I wasn’t performing. At only 11 years old, I was dedicated to living my life exclusively in skinny jeans.
As I got older and went through changes in my body type and fashion sense, my love for slim denim didn’t falter. That is, until I was introduced to the Hepburn high-rise wide-leg jeans ($156) from DL1961 Denim. I originally snagged the ivory pair created in collaboration with beauty influencer Marianna Hewitt, and have since acquired them in two additional colors, because I love them that much.
As a woman with pretty wide hips and a very round backside, I never really pictured myself as the type of person who would gravitate toward wider pants, out of fear that they wouldn’t be flattering on me. But skinny jeans were always such a pain to put on—so much so that the “skinny jeans shimmy” has become a signature dance move—and though I loved how they hugged my legs from hips to ankles, I was eager to try something new.