White Out

I've been looking for the perfect pair of white jeans for months now. I've probably tried on close to 20 pairs but never found the one. My criteria are: not too sheer, doesn't make me look fat, mostly cotton, under $100, and with a 28" to 29" inseam. I would love to get this pair (thanks cobalt for the recommendation!), but they're currently backordered, and $115 is a little steep for pants that I'm worried about staining. So I kept looking for other options. Here are a few of my recent try-ons. (Sorry about the poor picture quality. Our indoor lighting is pretty terrible, so none of my pictures turned out well. I thought they were better than nothing though.)

For reference, I'm 5' 4" and 110 lbs. My measurements are 32C-26-34. I usually wear between size 25 and 26 for jeans, most often 25. 

Articles of Society Sarah Skinny Jeans (White 25)

Jean posted about this pair of white skinny jeans a while back, so I thought I would give them a whirl. They were better than I expected, especially for the low full price of $54. I like how affordable they are, but some of the other options out there are actually cheaper on sale. With Nordstrom, you may have to wait for a while before anything gets marked down. As for the jeans themselves, they were definitely sort of sheer, although not the most sheer I've ever seen. I would wear nude seamless underwear for sure. The length was on the longer side at 29" and the legs weren't sausage-casing tight, but the waist was too big, so I would recommend sizing down (unless you have athletic legs). The material (65% cotton, 33% viscose, 2% spandex) felt a little thin and cheap. Also, the front pockets aren't real, which is inconvenient but does prevent those unsightly pocket outlines. Overall, not the best option out there.

Verdict: Thin and somewhat sheer. Large in the waist.

J.Crew Stretch Toothpick Cone Denim Jean in White

(White 26)

Last month I tried on these jeans in my usual size 25, but they were too tight and made me feel fat. At the time I just blamed the fit, so I didn't even bother trying on a larger size. Recently these same jeans were on promo with an additional discount, so I decided to try them again in size 26. This time I liked them much better. By sizing up, the leg transformed from super skinny into skinny-straight, which was more slimming visually. The pockets were very shallow (more like half pockets), so they weren't too bulky and it was hard to see their outlines. The waist felt fine (maybe a hair loose), and the length was reasonable at 28". My one complaint is that although the denim felt quite thick (90% cotton, 8% polyester, 2% spandex), it still somehow showed the color of my underwear. Also, they're a little expensive at full price ($115), but they're a good value if you can pick them up for under $60.

Verdict: Like. Still a little sheer though. Size up.

LOFT Modern Skinny Jeans in White (White 26P)

LOFT currently has a wide selection of white jeans, but sizes sell out pretty quickly during the season so if you're interested, be sure to buy sooner rather than later during one of their frequent 40% off sales. I had high hopes for this skinny jean, because the fabric is my ideal blend of 98% cotton and 2% stretch. I was a little worried about the fit though since LOFT jeans traditionally don't fit me well, especially in the waist. Like most LOFT jeans, the waist on this pair was a little big, but the overall fit through the thigh was decent. As you can see in the pictures above, the leg was quite skinny, so you can make out the outline of my knees. Also the pictures don't capture how the fabric didn't move well with my body. Wrinkles appeared along the seams whenever I moved. Furthermore the pocket outlines were pretty visible. However, the saving grace is that this is the most opaque pair of white jeans I have seen in a while. Of course, if you really looked very closely, you could still see my underwear color, but it's about as close to opaque as you can get for white jeans.

Verdict: Like. Mostly true to size, but a little big in the waist.

Now that you've seen the pictures and read the reviews, I could really use your advice! Should I keep the J.Crew jeans, the LOFT jeans, or return both and keep looking? I got them for around the same price ($45). Neither pair is perfect, but they're both good enough. Please let me know in the comments!