EDIT: Our favourite relaxed, everyday denim

Jeans to keep your cool in.

The deranged reality of shopping for jeans is that it can sometimes feel like a ride on the carnival ghost train. You never know what scary house of mirrors you’re going to encounter, what feelings of dread you’re going to have to swallow in the process. The fear of an unfriendly waistband. The spectre of camel toe. The many horrors.

It shouldn’t be this way. For many of us, jeans are the promise of nonchalant cool. Isn’t that why we buy and wear them? And yet, it can be hard to feel cool when you’re squeezing, sucking and shimmying your way into a pair that doesn’t let your body go where it wants to go.

During each of our pregnancies and early on in the postpartum months, both Sophie and I desperately missed being able to wear jeans — pillar of our wardrobes that they are — but since getting back into them, we’re both keen for options that feel more relaxed. More like an everyday trouser that you can move, bend, squat, dance-like-a-fool-in-order-to-entertain-your-baby in.

Lucky for us, and for all people who value comfort, there are loads of excellent relaxed denim jeans on offer from local labels right now. So we’ve compiled a little edit, focusing on various types of relaxed ‘legs’: wide, straight, baggy and barrel. The gang’s all here!

In this edit, you’ll find

• Three pairs of light blue denim jeans, including a pair currently in Soph’s shopping cart

• Five pairs of mid-to-dark blue denim jeans

• Two pairs of white/cream jeans

• Four pairs of black jeans

Oh, and if you see a style below but it’s not in the wash you’d like, check the label’s website — most of these picks come in multiple tones.

For ideas on how to wear relaxed denim, check out our Pinterest below -

May the horrors subsist, at least for your tum.

Light Blue Denim

As far as a “running around” pair of jeans goes, a light blue wash strikes a nice balance of relaxed, practical but still very classic cool. Light blue denim looks good with almost anything: a white baby tee and a black blazer; a sweater and a pair of sneakers; a red cashmere shawl à la Leandra Medine (see below). The key factor is the weight of the denim, which should have a vintage feel. Most of the time, this means going for a rigid, non-stretch denim. But go for a loose fit (size up if in doubt), and you’ll avoid wanting to cry every time you sit down.