How to Get Designer Jeans For Less

Before you bid on a pair of designer jeans, contact the eBay seller. Ask them to send you an email with all the information they see in tiny print on the inside label of the designer jeans featured in their listing.

It's important to be specific when requesting information from a seller about their designer jeans listing. Some details you might want to ask for include: item numbers, materials, style, size, cut, country where the jeans were made, tag size, and measurements. Once you get that information, stick it in a Google search and see if your results match the jeans in the auction.

You can also check discussion forums that are devoted entirely to the task of authenticating designer jeans from user-submitted auction links and photos. If you do post in one of these forums, don't automatically trust that the feedback you get is correct.

All of this is common sense and I'm sure you've probably thought of it already... but sometimes we are not at our most rational when shopping.

If you like to try out different brands and styles, I recommend bidding on previously owned designer jeans. To ensure good quality, go for items labeled "EUC" (excellent used condition), "premium," and "authentic" or "auth." When these details are not included the item title, you can usually find them within the eBay listing. If not, you know what to do... contact seller!

Sometimes a used pair of jeans listed on eBay will have been hemmed (professionally or otherwise) to fit the previous owner. If the typical 33-inch inseam is too long and you don't want to have to make any alterations, look for designer jeans that have been hemmed to the right length for you.

To find out your inseam length, measure a pair of jeans you own that fit you well. Start at the point where the crotch meets the inside seam of the leg and measure down the inside seam to the cuff.

Even if you're tall, designer jeans with an inseam of 33-34 inches will usually be long enough. If they aren't, then you probably have the same problem with all jeans, pants, dresses and skirts, so there's nothing I can tell you about designer jeans that will be any different. Have you considered becoming a runway model?

eBay may be your best source for designer jeans that really fit -- if you know how to use it. There are basically two ways to buy designer jeans with short inseams on eBay: look for new pairs in styles designed to fit petites, or bid on used jeans that have been altered to your desired length.

I almost always prefer to bid on used designer jeans, because they are the ideal solution for petite women who haven't got the time or money to have jeans professionally altered. New petite designer jeans are nice, but they rarely have inseams shorter than 31 inches, and that's still too long for most women under 5'4".

I don't know about you, but I am not a seamstress. I can't sew anything more complicated than a button or a patch. I tried embroidery once and it came out looking like a botched surgical procedure. I couldn't even do those knotted friendship bracelets everyone used to make at summer camp.... I think you get my point.

Even the worst DIY hemming job I've ever seen on a pair of used jeans I bought from eBay was better than I could have done. Still, to ensure high quality it's best to bid on jeans that are described as professionally hemmed, altered or shortened.

There are a few different ways to search for designer jeans that will fit both your tag size and your inseam length. You can specify inseam length by "short inseam" or "petite" if you're looking for jeans with inseams shorter than the standard 33 inches, or "long" if you're tall enough to need an inseam longer than 33. This is a good way to search for new pairs of designer jeans that have not been altered to fit a previous owner.

I'm going to use Lucky Brand jeans as an example because their sizing specifies short, regular or long inseam as well as women's (or misses) tag size. This will also show you how to find jeans by women's/misses size, waist size, or both.

So, let's say you want a pair of Lucky jeans. You're 5 feet 11 inches tall and usually wear a women's size 4, which is equivalent to a 27 waist size. You want the jeans to be long enough to wear with those hot four-inch platform sandals you just bought, so your search terms will be "Lucky jeans 4 27 long." For the best search results, always start out entering your jeans size in both women's and waist size numbers.

If you want more listings included in the search results, try modifying your search to include item descriptions as well as titles. You can also substitute your actual inseam length for the search term "long." If you're searching by actual inseam, you will generally get the best results by putting this in the form of [waist size number] x [inseam length]. In our example, the search would be "Lucky jeans 4 27x34" for an inseam of 34 inches.

Including your women's size as well as your waist size will help you avoid listings that specify the actual waist measurement rather than the waist size on the tag. They are almost always different, with the tag size a few inches larger than the actual waistband measurement. That's because most designer jeans are made to sit lower on your hips.

If you're petite and need a shorter inseam, you can search for "Lucky jeans short" -- only you might end up with jean shorts instead of short jeans. But hey, that's fine for warm weather. In the chillier months, a search for "Lucky jeans short inseam" is an effective way to weed out the jean shorts.

We all want to find that perfect pair of blue jeans... you know, the ones that fit like a glove, show off our best features, and minimize flaws. At IndiDenim, that's exactly what you'll get. Provide your measurements and choose your favorite details: style, color, wash, and detailing. Then sit back and let IndiDenim build the jeans of your dreams.



I can personally vouch for this site: I ordered a pair for myself, and the fit really is amazing. I wear my custom jeans all the time, and they were worth every penny I paid.

In warmer weather, you want your designer jeans air-conditioned. Take a break from heavyweight, full-length jeans and try out this season's spring and summer designer denim trends.

I'm happy to witness the return of cutoffs, cuffed jeans, and boyfriend styles. In general, it seems like designer denim is chilling out a little. Designer denim fashion trends are moving away from stiff and skinny styles in the ubiquitous dark blue (boring!) wash.

What we're seeing instead: lots of distressed and faded low rise denim shorts, some with the insides of the front pockets peeking out from underneath deliberately frayed edges. I've always loved short shorts like the Lucky Brand ones above, but if you want something a little more modest, check out the latest designer denim bermuda shorts.

And, of course: cropped designer jeans and capris in every style and cut, from wide leg to skinny.

Citizens of Humanity jean fits range from skinny to wide-leg with lots of options in between, but all of the styles that I've tried on have been small in the waist and roomier down below.

My favorite Citizens jean is the classic Ingrid Low Waist Flair: slim in the waist and hips, low rise (but not too low), and a flared leg. The flare means they can accommodate all the hardware and bulk of my gorgeous tough-chick boots by Harley-Davidson, which is a huge bonus.

Cotton/spandex Citizens are true to size. For 100% cotton styles, you may want order a size up because they don't stretch. I wear a 25 in the Ingrid and Naomi stretch Citizens jeans, but in the all-cotton Ingrid I need a 26.

If you've got the figure often associated with athletes and dancers (narrow hips, muscular legs and a curvy catlike booty), the cut of Paper Denim & Cloth designer jeans is likely to be a good match for your body type. A lot of Paper Denim jean cuts run very small, but in my experience the "Mod" cut fits true to size. Paper Denim Mod jeans come in different washes, but they all have a low rise and flared legs.

I had a pair of factory-destroyed Paper Denim jeans in a faded light blue wash. They had white paint spatters and artfully placed destruction in the thighs, knees and back pockets. The style was Mod Ripper. They no longer fit, so I sold them.

Paper Denims are extremely comfortable; the cotton is just amazing. You could sleep in these jeans (well, I could anyway... and I have). In case anyone wants to buy me another pair of Mod Rippers, I wear a size 25. Maybe you should write that down...

Retail prices for Antik Denim designer jeans range from around $220 to $400, so unless you've somehow avoided being hit by the recession, you'll need to get them at a significant discount.

There are a lot of fake Antik jeans listed on eBay... like, tons. I really have only one important piece of advice on how to handle the authenticity issue when it comes to this designer brand: if the seller does not accept returns or has "return policy not specified" on their page, don't even think about bidding.

If you like the look of Antik Denim, I recommend creating a saved search in your eBay account for Antik jeans in your size and within your price range. Antik Denim jeans really are exquisite designer clothing masterpieces. Each pair is unique. This brand has a slim fit, similar to the more figure-hugging styles in Citizens.

The Blue Cult designer jeans label has quite the celebrity following. The cut of this brand is not quite right for me, but I've noticed that their jeans look fantastic on women who are tall, thin and willowy. Hence their popularity among models and actresses, I suppose.

If you haven't got much booty, many designer denim styles will sag in the rear. This is a tragedy. Your problem with most designer jeans is that when they fit you in the waist, they bag and sag everywhere else. Your womanly shape is completely obscured by flattened back pockets and excess room through the hips and thighs.

Not to worry, my curve-challenged fashionistas: Blue Cult to the rescue!

Not only are Blue Cult designer jeans slim-fitting enough to show off long thin legs, but they also provide a bit of lift and definition in the rear... so that cute little caboose of yours can finally get the attention it deserves.

Daniella Clarke, the designer behind Frankie B., used to cut the waistbands off her jeans (I remember Mariah Carey doing the same thing). Frankie B. jeans follow Clarke's personal preference, featuring a very low rise and a sexy spirit of adventure.

Some Frankie B. designer jeans have interesting materials incorporated in the detailing, like silk and wool. This is the brand that started the whole low-rise trend in designer jeans; they're very chic, sleek and hip.

Most Frankie B. designer jeans are meant to fit skintight. They are similar in cut to Blue Cult jeans. This brand runs small, so consider ordering a size up.