Donna Ida rightly earned the nickname ‘Jean Queen’ after launching her own brand when she couldn’t find any comfortable jeans in stores. A decade later, her collections continue to eschew trends in favour of creating clothes that make women of all shapes and sizes look and feel confident. Ahead of her pop-up at Salon Sloane, just off Sloane Street, Donna shares her tips on finding the right jeans for you. 

How to find the perfect jeans

The first step to finding the perfect jeans is to think about your body shape. Forget about the jeans that your friends wear, forget about the trends, and instead focus on what will best suit your unique body and feel good to wear.

On finding the right fit for your body shape

Have a good look in the mirror and consider whether you have a long body (with shorter legs) or a short body (with long legs). It can really affect whether you are looking for a high waist, mid or low waist and which leg profile will suit you best. 

You can also look at your shape and find out whether you are an apple, pear, curvy, or the opposite, with a very straight figure. There are jeans out there to suit every shape, but the most popular for most figures is a classic skinny fit. Our ‘Rizzo The High Waisted Ankle Skinny’ jeans are a bestseller.

Deciding on denim weight

Picking the right denim weight also depends on your body shape. Curvy, pear and apple shapes can often prefer stretch in their jeans because it will create a nice silhouette. If you’re boyish or long and lean, a more rigid style can be super relaxed and flattering.

The jeans every woman should own

For me, the essentials are a classic skinny shape, a relaxed boyfriend fit and a pair of flares.

Give white denim a chance

White denim is really versatile as it looks fresh in the spring and you can wear it all the way through to winter with neutral shades.

Even if you’re not sure, white jeans are always worth trying. Consider the shape, rise and fabric when you’re shopping to find the pair that’s right for you. And make sure you get the sizing spot on when buying white jeans, as you’ll tend to wash them more frequently, so they won’t loosen up between washes like your blue jeans would, which you probably won’t wash as often. Consider the right weight of denim, too, because if it’s too thin, you might be able to see through it.

Caring for your jeans is easy

There are a few things I stick by. First, try to wash denim on a cold cycle (or at 30 ℃ if not), because heat can damage the fibres. And always turn your jeans inside out to protect the hardware. 

When it comes to detergents, go for non-bio, because the enzymes in biological washing detergents can actually damage natural fibres, like cotton, which is usually what your jeans are made of. I really like the ‘Denim Wash’ by The Laundress, but any non-bio will do. 

Donna Ida will host a pop-up at Salon Sloane on Pavilion Road from 22-23 May 2022