Denim

Denim buying guide

This page brings together every piece of denim we stock, for women and men. The products above are the whole range. The sections below cover how to choose jeans and denim that fit, written from the questions customers ask us most.

Sizing and fit

Jeans are sized by waist and inseam, and every maker cuts a little differently. Measure your natural waist, your hips at the widest point and your inside leg, and check all three against the chart on the listing. Rise matters too: high-rise sits at or above the navel, mid-rise just below, low-rise on the hips.

Stretch denim, with one to three percent elastane, gives and forgives between sizes. Rigid denim has no stretch, so size it exactly and expect it to soften with wear.

Materials and what they demand

Cotton denim is the standard. Stretch denim adds elastane for comfort and a closer fit. Rigid denim holds its shape and lasts longest. Distressed, destroyed-hem and ripped styles are made that way on purpose, and the openings can grow with washing.

Care that preserves it

Wash denim inside out in cold water, and wash it less often than you think. Hot water and the dryer shrink it and fade the colour. Hang it to dry. Wash dark denim separately for the first few washes, because the dye bleeds.

Frequently asked questions about denim

What is the difference between rise and fit? Rise is where the waistband sits; fit is the shape of the leg. A high-rise jean can be skinny, straight or flared.

Will my jeans shrink? Cotton denim can shrink slightly in a hot wash. Wash cold and hang to dry.

Are distressed jeans durable? They are as strong as any denim, but the rips can grow with washing.

Do you carry plus sizes? Yes. Judy Blue cuts full-size ranges, and the listing gives the size run.

Common mistakes when buying denim

Buying by waist alone and ignoring rise and inseam.

Tumble drying stretch denim. Heat breaks down the elastane.

Related categories

If this is not quite what you are after, try Ladies Denim, Men's Denim, Coats & Jackets.

Buying denim from Power Play Studio

Everything in Denim is sourced through authorized US distributors, so what arrives is genuine and any manufacturer warranty applies in full. We do not carry grey-market stock and we do not list products we cannot actually supply.

Our denim comes from labels including Judy Blue, Nocturne, SurelyMine and J Hinton, and the range grows as new pieces come in. Orders ship from US warehouses in plain unbranded packaging with no indication of the contents or the sender.