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The Who What Wear Podcast
Denim Expert Jane Herman on the 5 Jean Styles to Keep in Your Closet Year-Round, and Her Favorite Silhouette for 2026
00:36:01
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- [00:11]
A
Welcome to the who what Wear? Podcast, your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors and tastemakers who are shaping the ever evolving world of fashion. I'm who what Wears Co founder and Chief Content Officer Hilary Kerr, and today I'm chatting with denim designer and expert expert Jane Herman. You may know Jane from her LA based denim brand, the only Jane, which she founded in 2020 with a single jumpsuit style that has since become a wardrobe essential. She's also the author of a substack newsletter, Jane on Jeans, where she writes about all of her favorite denim pieces and where to find them. Plus, she's one of who what Wears new editors in residence. Jane joins us to give us her predictions on which denim styles are going to be big in 2026 and also shares her expert styling advice and the five essential jean styles you should have in your wardrobe, no matter the season. It's all coming up on who what Where.
- [01:23]
B
Jane Herman, welcome to the pod. I am so excited to have you today. Thank you for joining.
- [01:29]
C
I'm so happy to be here. Hilary. Thank you. Yay.
- [01:32]
B
This is particularly meaningful for me because, just full transparency. Jane and I are very old friends. We have known each other since we were baby assistants at Elle magazine. I have now known you longer than.
- [01:46]
C
I have, not more than half our lives. Yeah.
- [01:49]
B
And I am always so excited to speak with you in an official and work capacity because you are without a doubt the most formidable denim expert I know, from writing about it to making it to wearing it and everything in between. But let's go back and talk a little bit about your background and how you became such an esteemed expert on many things, denim being one of them. You've often said that denim is in your blood. Can you explain that a little bit for our audience?
- [02:19]
C
Yes. It starts for me with my family. I grew up in jeans. That's the best way to put it. My dad is Ron Herman. He owned for decades some of LA's most influential retail stores, and denim and jeans were a really big part of the stores. There was the famous Jean bar, which was in the men's department downstairs that sold all the latest and the greatest from Europe and the US My dad loved jeans and really instilled, instilled in me a deep appreciation for not just the way they look and the way they feel and the way they fit, but also what they mean and their role in culture and style and pop culture. And in high school, I would work in the stores in the summertime. You know, I started in Backstock over the years and over the summers, I slowly graduated to working in that very Jean bar where I learned so much. It was the early 2000s. Premium denim was just started. I became really familiar with all the brands that were the big players then, like Earl and Paper, denim and Cloth. Everyone was wearing Diesel, and it was a really important part of my, like, fashion education, was just working behind the bar and helping people find jeans that made them feel good.
- [03:37]
B
I appreciate you setting the stage because I think that sometimes, much like we forget that sneakers were not go everywhere attire until relatively recently, denim has also really undergone such a transition. And to your point, really, this premium market exploded. And yes, there's always been those heritage and important foundational brands, the Levi's, the Gaps, et cetera. But you had such an interesting seat as this category expanded into what it is today. I mean, no one thinks about a world without denim today, and it's so cool that you actually got to see all of that happening and changing in real time. So. So talk to me a little bit about your experience with denim when you worked for the Gap.
- [04:23]
C
By the time I got to Gap, I had worked at Vogue, and at Vogue, I had an editor who was my boss and who is still a friend. Sally Singer sort of recognize in me what I could bring to a certain category in fashion, which was jeans. Like, there were these big trends that came about during this time when I was at that magazine. Karen Elliott started when I was at Vogue. J Brand started when I was at Vogue. The boyfriend, Jean, the skinny Jean. And Sally was just like, you're from la. You should write the story. And that gave me not only really great experience talking to other designers, but, like, a language to use when writing about them. And I was like, oh, yeah, I am. I'm the girl who, like, grew up in jeans. I should lean into this. So I knew jeans were really this category that I deeply identified with when I went to Gap. And I was so lucky to be there under Patrick Robinson. And I had this incredible job called director of concept, where my job was to just go into the world and find cool things and find inspiration and bring it back and share it with the design team. It was just this, like, dream job. And there I got to work directly with designers in a way that I hadn't before, and on a scale that I just didn't even really know existed until you actually see it and feel it. There's a Europe team and a Japan team and all these global offices, and it was really exciting and inspiring. I learned so much. Oh, My God, I learned so much. Like, I had no idea what a merchant was before I went to work at Gap. I didn't know really how close ended up in the stores. And Gap is a company that's so rooted in denim with a history of the most amazing campaigns. It was really fun.
- [06:13]
B
I remember when you had the exclusive, you got the scoop on Current Elliot. Because I was talking to Ali Tajman and I wanted to write about Current Elliot for who, what, where, and she's like, well, Vogue's going first. Jane Herman has the exclusive. I was like, ah, of course Jane has it. I was like, yeah, that makes sense. I too would give her the exclusive on it, but I'm going to be number two.
- [06:36]
C
What was so cool about that was that it was a boyfriend gene. It was sleep, it was big in the waist, it was slightly tapered, and you'd cuff it and the stylist put it with a pair of heels for the shoot for Vogue. And it was like, what? Like, we're gonna wear slouchy jeans with high heels? And it just twisted things just enough that it really felt like we were looking at something so fresh. I wore those jeans for years. I still have a pair.
- [07:04]
B
Same.
- [07:05]
C
Yeah, I'm gonna keep them forever.
- [07:07]
B
All of my original first generation Current Elliott. Those aren't going anywhere. I haven't even put some in a long time, but they're still in my closet. Like, hugely prized. Hugely. So in addition to having this incredible editorial foundation and working for brands as well, you then also have started your own brand, which is called the Only Jane. I am wearing one of your pieces right now, which I absolutely love. You started it during the pandemic with a single jumpsuit style and then later expanded to include jeans and jackets and other pieces. I gave one of your bandanas to my sister in law for the holidays. It's amazing, but talk to me about what the impetus was for starting your own brand, how you think about design in general and who you're designing for.
- [07:57]
C
Okay. When I had my daughter in 2018, I'd written about clothes, I'd sold clothes. I knew how to set up E Commerce for clothes. I'd done all these things, but I'd never actually made any clothes. And I felt like it was time for a new challenge. I just thought, okay, if I make them, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to sell them. And I have nice relationships with press and pr, and I have people that I can call to ask for support and help and guidance. And I was living In Los Angeles and New York, kind of going back and forth. And LA has some really great factories. LA has a history of making some of the world's best jeans. So I was not gonna start with jeans because I knew how hard that was. I was going to start with something else that I felt was a little bit more achievable. And I started with one jumpsuit because I wanted to offer one thing, but a whole look. And I also just felt like if I can get the fit right on a jumpsuit, I think I can figure out the rest if I decide to go into other categories. And so that's why I started. Who do I design for? I design for women like myself and women like you who are like, we've lived a little, we know ourselves and we have so many different aspects of our life, right? Like we have our family life, we have work life, we have our friends. So when I'm thinking about making clothes that help us get dressed in a way that is easy and confident and comfortable and also not too driven by trend, I have these two different sides of my mood board. And on one side are these very intimate photographs of women with their children and old eternity ads. They have nothing to do with jeans. They're just life people connecting. And then on the other side of my mood board are pictures of women, mostly my favorite supermodels from the 90s alone and looking incredible in New York City. Both of those things are so much a part of who I am personally. And when I'm making jeans, I'm trying to keep those two people in mind. I remember so well the years I spent in New York, working, living alone, just being really all about myself and my career and my ambitions. And then this other part of myself that's very much present right now, especially, which is really being about and for other people. When I'm trying to conjure an emotion before I start to think about what drives us to buy clothes, it's to satisfy those two things.
- [10:45]
B
And it's also because while we're not in that solo New York moment, currently that woman still resides within us. So I love the duality of that because I agree with you. I think that your clientele, from my understanding, she has that duality. She's multifaceted, she's been lots of different people. She probably even recognizes herself in other people in that didion esque way. So I think that there's something really lovely about that.
- [11:13]
C
What I love about jeans, the thing I like always come back to about jeans, is that they're Just an emotional category. Like we all have a pair of jeans that we keep forever. You mentioned your current Elliott actually. What are the jeans that you've kept forever?
- [11:28]
B
The elephant bell. Like the bell bottom from the very first current Elliott collection that I, growing up, really loved psychedelia and the protest music of the 60s and always loved a bell bottom. And so those are my comfort jeans still. So it's like I don't wear it necessarily. There's been literally a decade when I've not worn a bell. But those jeans, I mean, they were very much part of the fabric of my life. Whenever I do a closet clean out, they don't even go into storage. They stay. I love them. I will never part with them.
- [12:01]
C
Yeah, they're like timestamps for your life. You can pull them out and remember all the places you were when you wore them and all the people you were with. So that, to me, is what makes jeans different than a lot of other things in our closet.
- [12:15]
B
Yeah, they carry memory in a really amazing way. So one of the things that I also love about this phase of your career is that you still write about denim and do it in such a beautiful way, not only for publications like who Aware, but also for your own substack, Jane on Jeans, which is phenomenal. It's a must read. So in addition to your own brand, what are some of the other denim pieces that you're, like, obsessed with right now that feel very current? What do you love right now in the wonderful world of denim? Like, what is most meaningful to you?
- [12:46]
C
I love boot cut jeans. Right now. I really love wearing boots. They just make me sit differently, they make me walk differently, my stride gets longer. So the boot cuts that I love. And this is one of the better sellers that I've seen. Like, so many people buying this jean is the Buck Mason Roper, which is. Yeah, it's a really good interpretation of the Levi's 517. And it's got a high waist and a gorgeous wash that's a little bit on the sort of dirty dark side, which is really good for, like, a western theme jean. It's a really good gene. I see that jean sell through my substack, and I personally really like it. I would say size down, it definitely runs a little big. It has a very long inseam. Most people have to shorten it. And then the other gene that I really love right now is from a new brand called osu, which is based out of New York, and they have a gene called the Nun, and it's just, just like a really classic high rise straight, slightly tapered leg jean. Looks a little bit like the Valentino jean that came down the Runway from spring 26. It has that kind of taper. You wear it a little longer. It's a very clean wash. They've put a lot of thought into their hardware and that jean I think is really special. I see a lot of people buying Levi's and Levi's makes a really great 90s 501 in selvage denim that is a little pricier than the non selvage, but it's a great jean.
- [14:21]
B
Are you over barrel now at this point or are you still liking it?
- [14:24]
C
I try, yes. I mean I can't ignore it. And I actually have a jean, it's called the Bob that has a little bit of a curved leg and a twisted seam that is barrel adjacent. But the barrels with the darts at the knees and the big sort of exaggerated curved legs are just not for me personally. But I've definitely tried different versions. I like that one that has the panel on the side that give the leg the volume. It's called the Hattie and it's from ag. And then on the weekends I reach for that jean all the time because it's so easy and very comfortable and I can wash it a lot without being too precious about the dead. I don't like to wash my vintage jeans that much because it takes the fade down too quickly and I want that fade to last as long as possible. But my more temporary jeans, I'm less concerned about washing on the regular. And like after a weekend with my kids, I need to wash my jeans.
- [15:19]
B
You've alluded to some of the brands or some of the styles that you're seeing your breedership from your substack by. But like, has that changed at all recently? Like, what's starting to pick up for people? What are some of those like, greatest hits for recommendations that you're seeing through your substack?
- [15:36]
C
I mean, I see jeans getting slimmer and skinnier. It takes an adjustment after all the baggy jeans that we've been in for a while, which I think maybe is why boot cuts. Like, I got a really good response to a post I did on boot cut jeans because a boot cut is kind of a nice transition. It's a bit of a movement away from the barrels and the baggies and the slouchies that we've been seeing for the last couple years towards a little bit more fit around the body and showing a little bit more of the shape of the body. Jeans have been like very anti shape for a long time. And Levi's has a wedgie boot cut style that's really good. They give you like a really sexy perky butt and the boot cut version of that butt together. The combination of that is really cute. You know, I did a story with Old Navy and they have this vintage high rise slim that is a skinny jean in a stretch fabric. And I absolutely love is not easy to make a jean that fits this well. I know from experience and it just fits phenomenally. I wore it out to a birthday party with some friends and my friends were like, jade, oh my God, who is this girl? I like felt really cute. It was a really fun experiment and I really do think that, like, it's gonna take time. Look, there are people who like never stopped wearing skinnies, right? And like all those women are back in the conversation now and I'm so happ happy about it. And it's really nice that there's literally a fit for everyone right now.
- [17:17]
B
Speaking of which, is it because we're older and we care less or is it because the industry has changed? Because it felt like when we were in our 20s and even in our 30s, like there was very much hive mind. Like everyone's wearing this, everyone's wearing this. And now it feels so open. There's any style anyway that kind of feels a little bit anything goes. Is that your perception as well?
- [17:41]
C
I think, as you said, anything goes. And I think part of that is due to the fact that jeans are now an acceptable thing to wear for all occasions of our lives. Right? So you can have a very dressed up, tailored, trouser pocketed, wide leg jean. And then you can also have a really comfortable, relaxed barrel jean for the weekend. Right. It's not just a casual category. So it outfits like all aspects, all points of our lives because we wear jeans also when we go to work.
- [18:11]
B
Speaking of work, thinking of like a wardrobe and work jeans, et cetera, et cetera, how many pairs of jeans do you think the average person should own? If you were building a capsule jean wardrobe for someone, what styles do you think that they should own?
- [18:27]
C
I'm not going to speak to quantity because you can have multiple versions of the styles, I think, but there are five. I've thought about this. You need a high rise straight leg jean of some kind. Something that is like the archetype of a pair of jeans. Right. When you close your eyes, you think of a five pocket jean in its most like classic form. Not too Complicated wash, but that's just clean and like a very good foundation for almost anything. Then you need a really relaxed fit that you can do errands in. That's maybe a barrel for a lot of people. It could be a slouchy or wide leg style. Could be something that just is loose and that you could actually sit and read a book in.
- [19:10]
B
A sitting jean?
- [19:11]
C
Yes, a sitting jean. Or like a run after your kids in the playground jean.
- [19:16]
B
A travel jean.
- [19:18]
C
Travel jean, yes. Something that you feel super comfortable in and that doesn't get in the way of how you need to move. And then I think it's very good to have a black jean in your closet. And I personally like my black jeans to have some stretch.
- [19:35]
B
You call these night jeans, right?
- [19:37]
C
I call them night jeans. Whatever you're going to wear at night with your people out. So I do like these to have stretch. It should fit the body somewhere. If it's a wide leg style, then I would like to see a really clean top block, meaning it's fitted in the waist, it's nice in the butt. It's not hanging off of you in any kind of way. Okay, so that's number three then. I think it's a good idea to have a summery jean in your wardrobe, which is something that's like very lightwashed, maybe has a frayed edge. I don't like my jeans to have unfinished hems, except for in the summer. I feel like a frayed hem on a somewhat cropped, very light wash jean.
- [20:23]
B
A beach jean.
- [20:25]
C
It's a beach jean. Thank you. Yes, it's a jean that you wear in the summer that's like really lightweight and that you wear with sandals and that has holes in it. And who cares? And you don't have to worry about being cold with holes in your jeans. And then the last pair of jeans I think you can have is something that's like a little bit more playful, that has some kind of embellishment or quirk to it. Like, I have a pair of Stella McCartney jeans. I'm actually wearing them right now. They have these corduroy inserts, and so they're slightly belled. They're very like hippie ish. The corduroy is navy and so super luscious and soft and that the denim is really soft. And they're just fun. They're different. You know, something with studs down the out seam or something with a embellished or embroidered cuff around the hem. Like, I think it's nice to have a jean in your Closet that isn't just denim.
- [21:17]
B
So a classic jean, a sitting slash travel play jean, a night jean, a beach jean, and a personality jean. I like that.
- [21:28]
C
Yeah.
- [21:29]
B
And also, like, that's a really thoughtful way of framing all of it. It's like what you do in the jean, not what the style of the jean is necessarily. Talk to me about shoes, because there is nothing worse than bringing home a pair of jeans and then you're doing the thing where you're like, oh, my gosh, I don't know what shoes I'm going to wear with these jeans. I don't have anything that work with them. So I'm always interested in shoes that you think work really well, like what you would recommend for the style. So I feel like I know the answer to boot cut, but let's start with bootcut. What shoe do you think is great with a boot cut?
- [22:02]
C
Yes, let's get specific. Because it's not just a boot, it's anything with a heel. And also it has to be a hard soled shoe, meaning no sneakers, no flip flops, nothing that has like a rubbery bottom.
- [22:13]
B
You mean like a fry? Like a classic.
- [22:15]
C
A fry is a great example. When I think of a hard sole, I think of a sole that's made also of leather, not rubber. I think a lug sole is not really great with a boot cut. Je and like the big sort of, you know, Steve Jobs New balance sneaker. Like, not good with a boot cut. Jean, there are always exceptions to the rules, right? You don't only have to wear it with boots. They look really good with heels too. And that could be a high heel or a block heel, but it needs to be a shoe that's not for sport, like athletic sport, I think, personally.
- [22:50]
B
Let's go wide leg next.
- [22:52]
C
Wide leg. Depends a little bit on the inseam. So if you're wearing a really long wide leg, for example, one that hits the floor and goes all the way down, or that's even longer and that you want to wear with heels. And I think it's nice with a pointy toe. Some kind of shoe with a pointy toe.
- [23:08]
B
Because otherwise you look like you're on stilts.
- [23:10]
C
Right. If the toe is too round, then you lose the foot inside the leg of the jean. If it's a shorter wide leg, like Jessie Cam Sailor Pant, I wear in denim and it's a little bit shorter in the leg. There's also a favorite daughter jean that I wear that's a little bit shorter in the leg. I think you can change the rules a little bit. Like, you could wear that with a Chelsea boot if it has a pointier toe. I really like the Jamie Holler Lenin boot, which has a low heel and a pointy toe. But you could also wear that fit with a clog. And I think, like, a clog with a wide leg that's a little bit cropped, so you can see the ankle, and you can see the whole shoe. As long as the front foot's not getting swallowed by the leg of the jean. A clog is nice.
- [24:00]
B
Yeah. Skinny or slim?
- [24:02]
C
You can wear any shoe almost with a skinny or slim jean because you can see the shoe. So this is an opportunity to, like, wear something that has some embellishment, you know, special in some way. There's not really a shoe that you can't wear with a skinny or slim. Sneakers, I think, are great with skinny and slim jeans. Personally, I like a flatter sneaker, like the classic Nikes.
- [24:27]
B
What about a flare jean?
- [24:28]
C
I feel like I want to turn this one on you because I don't wear flares. So I have opinions, but I would like to hear what you think, because you're a flare girl.
- [24:36]
B
Historically, I liked some sort of platform, chunkier shoe with it because that just gave me more height, which I like to minimize the amount of hemming that has to happen on a flare jean, especially if it's really exaggerated, because then you're taking away the shape of it. So I always liked more of a disco shoe with it. Something that felt like there was a little platform, a chunkier heel. You end up not seeing that much of it. So that was always something that kind of felt more like late 60s, early 70s to go with it.
- [25:08]
C
Historically, I think height with a flare is a very good idea in general, unless, of course, it's cropped. But a slight cropped flare can be very cute.
- [25:19]
B
That's a moccasin for me.
- [25:21]
C
Oh, cute. Or like a loafer. Yes. I love moccasins. I like the Emmy Parsons moccasin a lot also. It would be good as, like, the dance shoe.
- [25:29]
B
Yeah.
- [25:30]
C
Like the Capezio Rios that are happening right now. Like, that kind of shoe that makes you want to, like, leap a little bit.
- [25:37]
B
What about a barrel? What do you like best with barrels? I guess it depends on the hem.
- [25:41]
C
Okay. I like barrels long, but most people don't. And long or short? I like a loafer with a barrel. I love the Jamie Haller loafer. It's a perfect loafer. If your barrels are a little cropped and you have, like, a very pretty sock. I also really love specialty socks or a metallic sock like the ones that Maria de la Rosa makes that are laminated and so shiny. I love that sock with a loafer kind of peeking out from a barrel because it just makes it feel a little dressier. It's surprising.
- [26:15]
B
It's a little personality flair. Speaking of which, you just did a story for sub sack. 25 Things I Loved wearing with jeans. What are some of the other, like, things that you found yourself reaching for the most to wear with jeans this year?
- [26:30]
C
This white T shirt that I'm wearing that I wear every day, is that.
- [26:34]
B
The one that you made us all buy?
- [26:36]
C
Yes, I made everyone buy it. Yes.
- [26:39]
B
Perfect. Yes, I did. I follow instruction well.
- [26:42]
C
It's such a good T shirt. It is by Maid Revival. It was designed by the guy. His name is Stefan Bravko, and he runs the shop in front of denim Revival on 3rd street in Los Angeles. And he is a vintage aficionado. But he made this T shirt to really fit with a pair of jeans. And so the length of it is a little bit shorter than most other T shirts on the market right now. But it's great because you don't have to tuck it in, but it hits the top of your waistband, and it's roomy enough around the middle so it stands out in the back in this way that's just really cute and shows the curve of your body. It's just a very good white T shirt. And he now makes them in gray and black, too. I'm not being paid to say this. I just really love this T shirt, and I have seven of them for every day of the week. I pretty much put it on and then I put on whatever else I'm going to put on over it, which is like a sweater from Ann daughter. I love the Ann daughter sweaters, as I said in my substack. Like, they're everything and nothing. Like, they're so uncomplicated when you look at them, but you put them on and they do so much without making a scene. I love wearing with jeans. The violet FR lip nectar is like my new favorite thing.
- [27:52]
B
I just think what she does is amazing.
- [27:54]
C
I was so blown away. I wear it in Batiste. I think it's really nice. Like a raspberry lip with denim is just such a good combination. What else? I'm working on a story right now about blazers because I have not felt like I want to wear any kind of a jacket. I just haven't wanted to wear one. In a really long time. I also think part of the reason we haven't wanted to wear blazers of late is because our jeans have been so big and baggy and like a really baggy jean with a blazer. Just not me.
- [28:30]
B
It's a hat on a hat. There's too much going on. Right.
- [28:33]
C
But to bring up the Valentino show again, these jackets that button all the way up, they don't necessarily have lapels. They are a little longer. They're more like tunic kind of shapes. I thought, oh, that's kind of interesting. Maybe there's a way to do that, Because I think that's like, the direction I'm headed in and for 2026, is like getting back to a T shirt with a really nice jacket and a pair of jeans.
- [28:59]
B
Okay. I like it. So one of the many things that I loved on your sub sack this past year is showing how to make jeans that are perhaps a little bit too big, functional, and chic, by the way that you thread your bandana through the belt loop. And I loved the fact that I saw so many people pick that story up and run with it and show their own version of it. Talk to me a little bit about this technique. What made you think about it and why you like it with a bandana?
- [29:24]
C
Okay. Tying a bandana around your waist is not necessarily a new idea. The first time I ever saw someone do this was Adam Selman when I photographed him for Jean Stories. The jeans were so baggy, they were still hanging down, and the bandana was, like, tied up there. And the whole thing wasn't necessarily cinching the jeans, but changing the shape of them. So when I saw him do that, I was like, God, that's brilliant. In fact, every time I walk out of the house and I do that, some lady will stop me. It happened recently at the salon. The lady was like, I used to do that back when I was your age.
- [29:59]
B
Everyone has a DIY moment of it.
- [30:01]
C
But I think this particular how to came about because I had these jeans that I bought because the wash was so beautiful on them. They were vintage Levi, early 80s. So belts are primarily made of leather with the belt through all the loops of this jean, because it was so big, it was just, like, too much cinch. Like, I couldn't get the belt to actually hook. There was too much fabric. But with the bandana, you could put it through only a couple of loops. And what I did is I put it through the three loops that you have on one side of your jeans. So there's a loop right next to the button, and then there's one on your side, and then there's one that's sort of in the back. And I just strung the bandana through all those three loops and then back around through the second loop again, and then tied it in a bow, and I could get the full cinch, but it wasn't too much fabric. And this other side of your jean, meanwhile, lays just flat on your body, which is really nice. I mean, it's very lopsided with some personality. Yes. And I think if you embrace the mess of it, it really works. You have to embrace a certain level of, like, chaos in this.
- [31:13]
B
A little wabi sabi.
- [31:14]
C
I love it. I also like tying a bandana through the back two loops only. And I also like tying it through just the front two loops, which I've done, but just, like, pick two or three loops. String a bandana. Don't think too much about it. Tie it as tight as you can. Get one of these T shirts that, like, hits the top of your waistband perfectly. You're not adding any mess to your waistline. It's really fun.
- [31:36]
B
And then it's. I also like the fact that it feels very like one of a kind. It could be a scarf. There are lots of things that you have lying around your house already that you could use for this, and then it's yours. And I think personalizing something that's already very personal is lovely.
- [31:50]
C
I think, you know, if you want to, like, personalize your jeans is cutting them into jean shorts. And my hack for this is that you want to cut your jeans not straight across the leg, but actually pitch them up so that the out seam is a little higher and shorter than the inseam. And if you do that, it just gives your jean shorts, like, a little bit of a kick. If you do a very subtle angle, then they'll just look straight. But if you went just straight across, your jean shorts kind of bring you down. If you pitch your cut up a little bit towards the out seam, then you see a little bit more leg on the outside, too. And that's cute.
- [32:32]
B
I love it. Okay, what are you looking forward to when it comes to all things jeans for 2026? Like, what are you looking forward to wearing?
- [32:40]
C
I'm really excited to wear the Brandon Maxwell jeans from the spring. I thought those jeans looked so great.
- [32:48]
B
Yeah.
- [32:49]
C
And really it's a jean with holes in the knees. I think, like, some distressing is going to be nice to wear come spring and summer. There's a Lot of colored jeans out there right now. Not brightly colored, but like neutral colored jeans that are really nice. I don't know. What are you excited to wear?
- [33:06]
B
When it comes to jeans specifically, I dress for my body, not for trends. So I pay attention to trends for work, but I don't pay attention to them for myself because 90% of my jeans are black.
- [33:20]
C
What jeans do you like to wear?
- [33:22]
B
Kate.
- [33:22]
C
Kate.
- [33:23]
B
Like there is the Kate. There's like a slightly wider leg that's higher waisted. That's my night jean. I love it because I have a lot of cropped jackets and so like the faux fur jacket from outer that I wear all the time, that's like a beige and black crazy puffy fur. Like, that's sort of my comfort zone there. It's just a simple black jean with a slightly wider leg. It's perfect. I love how it fits. I have it in multiple sizes because I like to wear it in different ways depending. And then my travel jean is also black. You and I have discussed this. Maybe it's the Mason Jean.
- [33:53]
C
Mason. Yeah, it's the Mason.
- [33:56]
B
That thing sells like hotcakes. They feel like soft pants, but are technically hard pants. So, like, it looks professional and polished, but, like, comfortable enough that you can wear them for a road trip or on a plane or whatever. It's always comfortable. I don't love a stretched jean, but it's a little bit thicker, so I like that part of it. So those are the two jeans that I probably wear the most right now.
- [34:14]
C
I hope I get to see you in them soon.
- [34:16]
B
I know. Let's make a date so that we can go wear our night jeans together.
- [34:19]
C
Yes, let's go have a night jean date together.
- [34:22]
B
Jane, thank you so much for taking all of this time to chat with me about all things genes. I feel so lucky to have benefited from being able to pick your brain and borrow ideas from you for all of these years. This was such a treat and a pleasure and I'm so glad that our audience is going to be so enriched by all of your knowledge.
- [34:41]
C
It's been an honor to be here. Thank you.
- [34:58]
A
A huge thank you to denim designer and expert Jane Herman. Make sure to subscribe to our show wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode. And while you're there, I'd also be so grateful if you'd rate and review us. If you have any guest suggestions or any other feedback, drop us a line at podcastwhowhatware.com or you can find us on social Whowhat? Where? See you next Wednesday on the who what Where? Podcast. This episode was produced by Hilary Kerr, Summer Hammeris and Natalie Thurman. Our production assistant is Raven Yamamoto. Our editor is Ko Takasuki Chernovin. Our audio engineers are at Glen Canyon Audio and our music is by Jonathan Leahy.