Azure Chic Style Guide

In assisting our customers in investing in a new pair of jeans, our Style guide includes a photographic
walk through of the most common jeans styles on the market, with explanatory notes on each style detailing what it is designed to do, how it does it and for which body shapes it is best suited. It also includes a glossary to help make sense of all the myriad terms used in the denim 'world'.

Flared Leg: On low rise jeans this jean with extra wide flare by the leg while narrow at the knee combo is the most common .

Boot Cut Jeans: These cuts hug the leg until they slightly flare below the knees .

Tight/Skinny: These are a snug fit over the entire leg .

Straight Leg Jeans: These are more the traditional type of cut with a narrow and straight leg that doesn't flare at the ankles.

Bootcut to slight flare: A compromise between the two cuts, with flare not so pronounced.

Cuffed: As an oft added feature by jeans designers to add a sophisticated , or personal edge a fold is created at the bottom of the leg.

Cropped: Usually these jeans are cut, or 'cropped' at almost any length from the knee down to midcalf .

Wide Leg: This jeans cut tapers 'wider' down straight from the hips.

YOKES

This following list of the more common yoke cuts will succinctlydetail how they're used and how they will benefit various body (or posterior ) shapes: (in order left to right)

1. Inverted Arc :This yoke cut will 'fill' out a small rear end .
2. Straight (Horizontal): This line isn't recommended if emphasis on curves is desired as tends to make the waist appear wider.
3. “V” Shape: The most flattering and hence most commonly used .
4. This yoke is excellent for transforming a small rear end as the cut very clearly outlines a heart shape. It's especially good when used in stretch tight jeand as the pants will conform to your figure
5. Often used to create the dropping' pants 'look' by placing the pockets a generous distance below the rear. It isn't terribly flattering to most womens figures but can work on some of us.
6. No yoke: Without the yoke this 'conservative' look is usually put together with pockets and contoured by the use of darts. For women with large rear ends when well fitted can work quite well .

DENIM GLOSSARY:

abraded: Describes the battering jeans go through to achieve a vintage look.

anti-twist: The natural tendency of denim to turn diagonally in relation to the orientation of the weave is corrected.

baking: Treating jeans with a resin, then putting them in an oven so chemicals can merge with fibers to add color, stiffness, and makecreases permanent.

Bleach: A bleaching process with sodium hypochlorite or with potassium permanganate. The latter may add a yellowtone, not all appreciated by the denim purists

broken twill: combines the left- and right-hand twill fabric weaving processes to create more texture and help the fabric retain its shape (read: wear them 20 times and they won't bag in the knees).

Core Dyeing: Typical for good quality denim- the colour penetrates to the interior of the yarn.

fit block: The pattern each designer uses to create his or her signature silhouette.

genova: The original italian name for denim. The city claims to be the birthplace for the indigo canvas often used in jeans.

global sanding: Using hand or power sanding tools to abrade (see above) an individual pair of jeans.

hand: The feel of the denim, from soft to coarse.

hand tacking: Hand sewing tucks and flaps so certain areas fade less during laundering (stitches are removed before sale).

lapped seam: Visible lapped seams are a typical detail of denim wear, as the seams are on the visible side of the garment.

left-hand twill: Fabric woven tothe left, a more intricate process that produces a suppler product than right-hand twill.

mercerised: Treatment of the cotton before dyeing, carried out with corrosive soda so that the colour stays on the surface of the
yarn only and to obtain better fabric density- more resistant totears.

right-hand twill: Fabric woven to the right. More common and easier to manufacture, but often not as soft as left-hand twill .

ring spinning: An older method of machine spinning cotton into yarnwith an emphasis on twisting, not just stretching the fibers; slower and more expensive, but produces stronger cotton.

rinse denim: Raw fabric that has no washing procedure and is simply rinsed before arriving at the store; produces the toughest jeans.

rise: The length of fabric from the crotch seam to the top (or, depending on the maker, sometimes the bottom) of the waistband; one label's seven-inch rise may beslightly higher or lower than the, so always try them on.

rivets: metal fastener used in jeans to fix pockets to the garment. Normally they are placed in the corner of pockets.

sandblasting: A process where industrial grade sand is blastedunder high pressure on to denim garments to give a local ' worn '
look on front and back leg panels.

selvedge: The reinforced edge of a bolt of denim fabric, which is woven so that it won't unravel; this super-durable edging is now highly desirable when making couture jeans.

slubby: A term applied to cotton yarn that is less smooth, more textured with nubs and character.

stitch count: The number of stitches per inch on the jean's seams; 12 stitches per inch takes to sew and uses more thread than, say, 8 stitches per inch, but makes the seam stronger.

stone wash: Stones (usually pumice stones) put in the wash to soften the fabric.

sundries: Extras like metal rivets,Swarovski crystals and decorative stitching on the back pocket

tapered: the legs of the jeans get smaller towards the ankle.

tear-and-repair: An aging technique that involves taking a  screwdriver or other tool and  tearing small holes in the jeans then sewing them closed.

wash: The color and texture produced by the finishing process  of washing the jean; creates  varying results, such as an aged appearance or enhanced softness and can include applying colored dye and resin.

weight: The lightness or heaviness of the denim. Approximately 8 ounces is a breezy, cotton-y fabric; 14 ounces is on the hefty side.

whiskers: The flattering wrinkles around the crotch of the jeans. Sometimes behind the knees, too; called a "moustache" in Europe.

Follow your instincts before you follow trends. Feeling comfortable in your skin-and -clothes-is crucial.So instead of wearing something you like on someone else, find pieces that look amazing on you."You need to play to your strengths." ~ Fashion Stylist.