The retailer’s Magic Shaping High Waisted Skinny Jeans felt good on and improved my shape
With the weather warming up, I’ve been going through my wardrobe and bringing all my spring and summer clothes to the front once again. I’ve been ditching my thermal leggings and opting for lightweight jeans. Hoping to buy myself a new pair for the new season, I looked online at what was getting the best reviews.
I spotted Marks and Spencer’s Magic Shaping High Waisted Skinny Jeans, which had a seriously impressive list of five-star reviews. Annie said: “Perfect fit. Very comfortable. I very often have a problem with jeans but these are just right.” A second commented: “Very happy with purchase. Would recommend to a friend and not age related.”
Another shopper put: “Very Good fitting jeans. I like the way they don’t widen at your back side when bending down. A great fit very comfortable. They come up high at the waist.” Jafet said: “Good strong denim, right amount of stretch. Long are long enough and high waist good.”
Given how skinny jeans are starting to make a bit of a comeback, I headed to my local Marks and Spencer to see if the positive comments were true. There were different fits to pick from, I went with the ‘skinny’ option, which is designed to “hug the body from hip to ankle”. The other designs I could have chosen included ‘slim flare’ and ‘straight leg’.
The jeans I tried on were called ‘The Ivy’ and were made with shaping darts that are said to “lift your silhouette”. The jeans also feature bi-stretch fabric for ‘support and comfort’ and are high-waisted. The pockets on the front are even purported to ‘hold in your stomach’.
As I’m only a size six, I don’t have much of a figure, but I was pleased by how much better my silhouette looked once I put the jeans on. Admittedly, it took some wriggling to pull them on, but once they were up, I loved them. The jeans offered a snug fit, and the denim’s texture felt premium with ample stretch.
I spun around to inspect whether they lived up to their promise of ‘enhancing’ my silhouette and they did give me shape. The front was tight enough to keep my slightly bloated belly in, but not to cause discomfort.
However, I did face a couple of issues. I opted for a ‘short’ rather than a ‘regular’ leg length, which turned out to be a misjudgment, as they finished awkwardly above my ankles, a look I’m not keen on. The jeans also cost £45, which is fairly pricey for just one pair, I thought.
In the reviews, one shopper claimed: “First time I wore these jeans was out for an evening. As the evening wore on the seam on the leg split and got bigger through the night causing me to abandon my evening. The fit was was good, but bad quality.” Another shared mixed feedback, writing: “The material is good quality but they are very high waisted. I have to wear a belt to hold them up.”
Online, 27 different sizes are available, ranging from a UK six to a UK 22 – though some are already running low. Customers can choose from short/petite, regular, and long leg lengths.
I tried the ‘indigo’ colour, but there are other options: black and indigo mix. The denim is sustainably sourced through Marks and Spencer’s Better Cotton Initiative – more information about this can be found on its website.
However, Marks and Spencer isn’t the only retailer offering ‘shaping’ jeans. Debenhams is selling Enorsia Slim shape Bootcut Jeans for £39.99. At Next, you can get these Inky Blue Denim Slim Lift And Shape Bootcut Jeans for £48.
ASOS sells Topshop’s Hourglass Jamie flare high-rise jeans in rich blue for £46. On Amazon, you can get MYT Women’s Magic Shaping Straight Leg Jeans for just £19.99. These jeans have an average customer score of 4.2 stars out of five.
