Which Jeans Are Right for Me? The Dotique Guide to Finding Your Perfect Pair

If there’s one thing we’ve learnt from fitting women into jeans at Dotique, it’s this: there is no single “best” pair of jeans.

We stock several different denim brands – PAIGE, MAC Jeans, NYDJ, Brax, Red Button, Robell and Anna Montana – and there’s a reason we don’t just stock one.

Some women want jeans that hold and support them. Some want incredible stretch. Some need a shorter leg. Some want a higher rise. Others want that one really brilliant pair of premium jeans that makes everything they wear with them look better.

And sometimes the jeans your friend absolutely swears by are the ones you put on and immediately take off again.

That’s normal.

The secret is finding your jeans.

So consider this our virtual Dotique changing room. We’re breaking down the brands we actually sell, why we’ve chosen them, what they do differently and where we’d start depending on what you want from your denim.

Here’s the quick version.

But that’s only where we’d start.

Here’s what makes each brand different.

Let’s start at the premium end of the Dotique denim collection.

Because yes, PAIGE is an investment – and they’re worth every penny.

PAIGE was founded in Los Angeles by former fit model Paige Adams-Geller, and that background in denim fit is important. These aren’t simply expensive jeans with a designer label attached. The brand specialises in premium denim, with enormous attention paid to fabric, construction, washes, fit and proportion.

And you can feel the difference when you put them on.

A beautifully cut pair of jeans isn’t just about whether you can fasten the waistband. It’s about where that waistband sits, how the jean fits over your bottom and hips, where a wide leg starts to fall, how much structure the denim has and how the whole silhouette hangs on the body.

That’s where PAIGE really earns its place in our collection.

The Anessa is one of our standout PAIGE shapes at Dotique.

It’s a high-rise, wide-leg jean that gives you a contemporary silhouette without simply drowning you in denim.

If you’ve looked at wide-leg jeans and thought “I’d love to wear them, but I’m worried they’ll swamp me,” this is exactly the sort of cut we’d want you to try before writing the shape off.

We also stock different PAIGE silhouettes, including straighter and barrel-leg options, so PAIGE isn’t simply about one particular look.

Try PAIGE if:

• you live in jeans and want to invest in a really good pair
• fit and cut are incredibly important to you
• you appreciate beautiful denim and washes
• you want a contemporary shape that has been properly considered
• you want your jeans to be a key part of the outfit
• you’re looking for premium denim you’ll want to wear again and again

We have customers who come into Dotique and tell us:

“I just don’t wear jeans anymore. I don’t find them comfortable.”

This is where MAC comes in.

MAC’s DREAM denim has become such an important part of our denim collection because it combines the look of proper denim with a huge amount of stretch and softness.

They move with you.

So if your idea of jeans is something stiff that digs in when you sit down, MAC can be a bit of a revelation.

But one of the reasons we love the brand is that comfortable doesn’t have to mean boring.

Our MAC collection isn’t simply one stretchy straight-leg jean.

MAC Dream Straight

A great everyday option if you want that famous DREAM comfort in an easy straight silhouette.

MAC Dream Bootcut

Perfect if you like a little more shape through the leg or want to move away from straight and skinny jeans without going dramatically wide.

MAC Dream Wide

The comfort of DREAM denim with a much more contemporary wide-leg silhouette.

This is a really good example of why we don’t believe you should have to choose between fashion and comfort.

MAC Danni

For something completely different, Danni gives us a more directional barrel shape.

So if you already know and love MAC, don’t assume you have to keep buying exactly the same shape forever.

Try MAC if:

• comfort is your absolute priority
• you love stretch in your denim
• you dislike stiff jeans
• you need jeans that work for long days
• you want to experiment with a new shape without sacrificing comfort
• you’ve previously decided that jeans “just aren’t for you”

NYDJ has perhaps the clearest USP of all our denim brands.

The name originally stood for Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, and these are jeans specifically designed with shaping in mind.

NYDJ’s signature Lift Tuck® Technology uses a proprietary slimming panel with a criss-cross construction at the front, designed to flatten and flatter through the tummy while helping shape the curves.

So when a customer asks us:

“Which jeans will hold me in?”

NYDJ is one of the first brands we’d reach for.

They’re not shapewear pretending to be jeans. They’re proper denim, but with extra thought given to support through the middle.

NYDJ Marilyn Straight

The Marilyn gives you a timeless straight leg.

It’s a brilliant option if you’re not particularly interested in chasing denim trends and simply want a really good pair of jeans that you’ll be able to style again and again.

NYDJ Barbara Bootcut

Barbara gives you that same NYDJ shaping technology with a bootcut leg.

A bootcut can be incredibly useful for balancing proportions, and it looks fantastic with boots as we move into autumn and winter.

A very important NYDJ sizing tip

NYDJ recommends buying one size down from your normal size.

So if you’re shopping online, pay attention to the sizing advice – and if you’re in store, don’t be alarmed when we bring you a smaller size to try!

Try NYDJ if:

• tummy support is high on your wish list
• you want a smooth, secure feeling through the middle
• you like stretch but still want structure
• you want classic, wearable denim
• you love straight or bootcut silhouettes

Brax is a German brand with decades of expertise in trousers and denim, and that experience with fit is one of the big reasons we stock it.

If you’re someone who puts jeans on and immediately starts analysing the waistband, rise, bottom, thighs and leg – Brax is worth knowing about.

There is a precision to the way the brand approaches trouser fitting that translates beautifully into its denim.

And importantly, Brax isn’t one shape.

Brax Mary

Mary is an important Brax fit for us and one we’d particularly consider for someone who likes her jeans to feel comfortable and secure around the waist.

We have Mary in different silhouettes, including straight and bootcut options, with shorter-fit versions available in selected styles.

Brax Maine

Maine takes Brax into a more contemporary wide-leg direction.

So if you’ve mentally filed Brax under “classic trousers”, have another look. The brand gives us modern denim shapes alongside the dependable fits it’s known for.

Brax Shakira

For customers who still want a slimmer silhouette, Shakira gives us another completely different option.

That’s why it’s important not to ask simply, “Do Brax suit me?”

The better question is:

“Which Brax shape suits me?”

Try Brax if:

• fit is the thing you struggle with most
• you like a secure, comfortable waist
• you appreciate quality fabrics and construction
• you want a classic jean that’s been really well cut
• you need shorter options in selected styles
• you want a choice between slim, straight, bootcut and wide silhouettes

f there’s one denim brand we’ve had enormous fun with at Dotique, it’s Red Button.

Why?

Because there are so many shapes.

Red Button allows us to offer really wearable denim at a more accessible price point while still giving customers the opportunity to experiment with different silhouettes, washes and colours.

And that makes it particularly useful right now, when denim shapes have changed so much.

If you’ve spent the last decade wearing skinny jeans and you’re looking at barrel legs and wider silhouettes thinking “absolutely not”, Red Button is a brilliant place to start experimenting.

Red Button Conny

Conny gives us one denim silhouette.

Red Button Colette

Colette offers another.

Red Button Cayla and Caitlina

Again, different shapes and proportions – and exactly why we’d rather fit you into the individual jean than decide that you are or aren’t “a Red Button person”.

Red Button Bibette

Our Bibette is a high-rise, regular-fit flare, bringing yet another silhouette into the collection.

Selected Red Button styles also come in different leg lengths, which makes the range even more useful when we’re trying to get the proportions right.

Try Red Button if:

• you want excellent value
• you want lots of shapes to choose from
• you’re ready to move on from your usual jean
• you’d like to experiment with a wider, barrel or flared silhouette
• you want different washes and colours
• you want an everyday jean you don’t have to be precious about

If you’re already a loyal Robell trouser wearer, Robell denim is a very natural next step.

Robell has built such a loyal following because women know what they’re getting: comfort, stretch and an easy fit.

And that translates into its jeans.

Rather than moving someone who lives in comfortable pull-on trousers straight into heavy, rigid denim, Robell gives us a much easier bridge.

It’s also particularly useful for shorter lengths.

At Dotique, we stock Robell denim in shorter leg options including selected 68cm and 73cm lengths, which can be a godsend if every pair of jeans you buy normally ends up at the alterations shop.

Try Robell if:

• you already live in Robell trousers
• you want easy, comfortable denim
• you like pull-on styles
• you don’t enjoy rigid jeans
• you’re petite
• you’re fed up with paying to have every pair shortened

Sophie says: If you come in and tell us, “I only wear Robells,” that’s useful information! We can use a fit and feeling you already know you love as our starting point.

Sometimes you don’t want your jeans to require any thought whatsoever.

You want to pull them on, feel comfortable and get dressed.

That’s where Anna Montana earns its place in our denim collection.

The brand is particularly useful for customers who like easy pull-on styles and comfortable waistbands.

Anna Montana Angelika Jump-In

The clue really is in the name.

Selected Angelika Jump-In styles have a high-rise, elasticated waistband, giving you an easy pull-on jean without a traditional button and fly at the front.

For someone who finds traditional waistbands uncomfortable or simply loves the ease of a pull-on trouser, these make so much sense.

Anna Montana Mila Wide

And pull-on certainly doesn’t have to mean traditional.

Mila Wide brings that same easy approach into a much more contemporary wide-leg silhouette.

Try Anna Montana if:

• you love pull-on jeans
• an elasticated waistband appeals to you
• comfort around your middle is particularly important
• you want easy everyday denim
• you like cropped options
• you want to try a wider leg without losing that easy fit

The honest answer?

We don’t know until we get some jeans on you.

And that’s exactly why we stock seven different brands.

We don’t believe there’s one magical jean that suits every woman.

We’d rather have PAIGE for exceptional premium denim, MAC for incredible stretch and comfort, NYDJ for shaping and support, Brax for its expertise in fit, Red Button for choice and value, Robell for easy comfort and shorter lengths, and Anna Montana for uncomplicated pull-on denim.

Together, they give us options.

And options are what allow us to find your pair.

Two women can be exactly the same dress size and height and look completely different in the same jeans. Your proportions matter. The fabric matters. The rise matters. The leg shape matters.

But most importantly, how you feel when you look in the mirror matters.

So use this guide as your starting point rather than your rulebook.

If you’re shopping online and don’t know which pair to choose, get in touch with us. Tell us your usual size and height, what jeans you already own and love, what you don’t like about your current ones and what you’re hoping to find.

We’ll point you in the right direction.

Or even better, come and see us in store.

We’ll bring the jeans.

You just have to try them on.