Bazaar’s editor-in-chief, Samira Nasr, loves the way a good pair of jeans can become an intimate part of your life: “Jeans tell your story, and take the shape of your body over time,” she says. With a background in styling and editorial, Nasr has spent years combing the market for photo shoots (and now for her newsletter, Samira’s Notebook), so she knows more about denim than just about anyone. Her own denim rotation is thoughtfully curated, and she regularly comes to work in the most perfectly styled jeans—often with a cuff. Below, as part of Bazaar's Jeans Queens denim guide, Samira offers her best tips for denim shopping.
On what she looks for in denim: I stay away from excessive whiskers and faded patches that look unnatural and also stretch. And I look for the right pocket placement on the butt—it’s the most important thing to consider after the quality of denim. Pockets should be properly angled and not too small. Men’s jeans are a great place to start; the pockets sit at just the right place and at an angle that lifts your behind, and the fit is perfect and straight around the thigh. I look at the zipper placket too (it should be proportioned to the rest of the leg) and where these sit at your waist.
On her favorite brands and styles: Vintage Levi’s—501s and also versions with a talon zipper—and A.P.C. jeans. Celine makes incredible jeans; they will tailor for you at the store to find the perfect fit for you and are worth the investment. Saint Laurent makes great jeans as well, and provides great services. From Ralph Lauren: RRL.
A.P.C. New Standard in Raw Denim
Ralph Lauren RRL High Boy Fit Drayton Jean
On fit: I like jeans that are baggy and sit low. And you can wear any shoe! Name a shoe that doesn’t look good with jeans—you can’t! When it comes to cuffing, it’s all related to where they fall and sit at your ankles.
On maintenance: Truth be told, I rarely wash them, and hardly ever put them in the dryer when I do. Instead, once they’re washed, you can pull them flat to air-dry, to keep their shape.
