Levi - comfy look of boy friend jeans

Looks tike it's time to give your skinnies a rest and reach out for your man's roomier denims.
By JANET BENETT KELLY

Just when you thought you'd rather stick pins in your eyes than ever wear another pair of low-slung, thong-baring jeans, along comes the slouchy, relaxed, and - dare we say it7 - comfy look of boyfriend jeans.

"It's that very ability for reinvention that makes denim a mainstay in an American woman's closet," says Gregg Andrews, a fashion director at Nordstrom department store in the United States.

"Because there's so much variety in cut and finish, (she) can own a whole jean wardrobe," Andrews says.

Moreover, especially in times of economic uncertainty, denim means value. You can wear a pair of jeans for so long in so many ways you can
amortise the cost of even the most expensive pairs.

When celebs such as Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Jessica Parker and Katie Holmes were seen wearing a pair of Current/Elliot jeans that looked as if they'd raided their beau's closet, the style took off and has been endlessly copied by the likes of AG, Levi's, Citizens of Humanity and others.

Mauro Farinelli, the founder of the jean-centric Denim Bar and the Farinelli's in the US, comments, "The looser, roomier style is a reflection of the economy. Don't go too big, though, or you'll look like a hobo."

To reatlyrock this slouchy look, Farinelli says to fold down the waist band, cinch them with a belt, top with a T-shirt and wear with flip-
flops or slides.

Andrews suggests cuffing them, pairing them with a cropped jacket and toughening up the look with a substantial shoe either a gladiator sandal or chunky platform heel.

But don't store those skinny jeans just yet - they still work this spring. For an instant update, Farinelli suggests wearing those tight-fitting denims with brogues or saddle shoes and an Oxford blouse with three-quarter-length sleeves.- LAT-WP