James Jeans

Nowadays, denim duds go most anywhere, any time. Ask Gina Nigrelli to describe what she's wearing for her wedding in the Caribbean's St. Lucia on Jan. 15 and she answers, "A dress."

Ask her to describe the jeans she's wearing on any given day, and she details the make, model and stitching on the pockets. She elaborates on the weight of the denim ("Something heavier like 13 ounces sucks you in but isn't as comfortable"), the rinse of the denim ("I have `Hushes' in six different washes from Diesel") and the length in inches of the inseam ("30s are for flip-flops in summer or Uggs in winter").

"I'm a denim freak. I probably have about 50 pairs," said Nigrelli, 26, fashion director of Pistil magazine and director of marketing for Chicago Fashionista, a Web-based organization that reports on and sponsors fashion events.

These days, denim's a girl's best friend -- and a guy's, too. A cocktail of sewing tricks, wash treatments and stretch fabric contours the legs, lifts the caboose and makes peeping thongs an indelicacy of the past. "We often say the most important thing in our jeans is you," said Thomas George, owner of E Street Denim in Highland Park, Ill.

A tracker of brands from Levi's to True Religion, Julia Kim believes in that philosophy.

"I have no butt, none whatsoever," said Kim, who is publisher of Handsblue, a new denim-lifestyle Web magazine in New York. "I have to stand in a certain obscure pose" to simulate curves, she said, laughing. So one of her favorite brands is Miss Sixty, which the Smashing Pumpkins' former Guitarist Melissa auf der Maur and assorted models and rock stars also wear.

"They're not the trendiest but they make your legs look really long," she said. "If you're really slender and don't have bumps, then your legs had better be eight miles (long)."

Those seething with envy at Kim's plight might find consolation in James Preserved Denim, Seven for All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity, which aren't tailored to the slight of rear -- James jeans, in particular, Kim found. "I looked like a pancake (in them)," she said. "But people with a little fuller figure, it contours nicely. They love it."

Like other denimistas, what Kim and Nigrelli don't emphasize is price. These aficionados hardly hesitate to pay $130 to $150 these days for "basics" such as Seven for All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity, and $175 to $190 for blue-hot brands like True Religion and Chip & Pepper.

The giddily anticipated Notify line hit stores with a price range of $220 to $350. Even Wrangler has gotten in on the premium market, with a $500 entry.

The next question might be: Isn't that a little much?

Nigrelli has a detailed response to that, too.

"I don't even feel guilty buying jeans. I only wear jeans. Different jeans, some tuck under your butt differently, or give you that cute puffy butt cheek. Jeans can totally suck in your inner thigh. There aren't other textiles that can do that for your body.

"The only thing about jeans is if you gain and lose weight, it's really noticeable. But that's good because they set the bar. My 27 Hushes are really tight on me right now. Those are sitting on the chair always. Every time I get dressed my fiancé says, `Are you putting those on again?' I say, `I have to fit into these by the wedding. I'm going to wear them on the plane.' "

DENIM DIAGNOSIS

Denim trackers and testers helped us decode the DNA of blue-hot brands of jeans. From experience with her Seven for All Mankind jeans, first-grade teacher Monica MacKenzie believes in spending more on a single pair that fits great vs. buying a bunch of cheaper ones. Electrical engineer Karl Brummel believes in "a hybrid approach." He wears Gap and Levi's jeans casually and a John Varvatos pair for nights out. They each tried on several other trendy brands. The owners of Chicago stores Krista K and Jake chimed in with their expertise, and Julia Kim from the denim-lifestyle Web site Handsblue.com filled us in on a couple of other premium types:

• Rogan jeans "are like a backstage pass" for men, and they're gaining popularity with women, Kim said. "You can be wearing a Fruit of the Loom T-shirt but as long as you're wearing the latest Rogan, you're fine." (Men's and women's are $240 to $300.)
• Habitual is another favorite of the denim cognoscenti, known for impeccable fit and wearability. "Women for spring are rebelling against the uber-low jean," said Jake's Lance Lawson.

WENDY DONAHUE
Chicago Tribune