If You Love Spanx, You Might Like (Some of) Its Jeans

If tight compression is what you’re seeking, these jeans will deliver that. But, as the kids say, at what cost?

Before our testers received their jeans, I asked Spanx’s Gueracague for some considerations they should keep in mind. The first thing she said was, “You got to like shimmy into them a bit.” And she was right. (It was also a tell that the brand sent one size up for every order of the ReDefine Slim Straight Jeans.)

Because of the compression’s yarn-level pressure, testers found putting them on to be laborious. “A snug fit looks good, but you really have to work to get these on,” one tester said, adding that you should expect lots of jumping and sucking in.

Sizing was also an issue with these jeans. While the site recommends going up a size, our testing found that most people, especially those above a size 12, needed to go up two sizes; this largely defeats the purpose of the line having extended sizing. (And it explained why the brand sent one additional size for each tester.)

Our size 18 tester, for example, ended up going with a size 22 to get a comfortable fit. “I think if I’d stuck with the size 20 jeans, they would have gotten uncomfortable,” that tester said. The ReDefine Slim Straight Jeans are also only available in a regular inseam, which testers found to be a problem when it came to the length. During testing, Spanx had only one inseam available for this style, which our tallest tester said resembled “straight-up skinny capris.” However, the brand has now expanded into petite, regular, and tall inseams.

Some testers did find the compression level to be flattering, though. They said the jeans felt supportive, and they enjoyed the butt-lifting and waist-cinching. Still, they raised concerns about prolonged wear, reporting that the material did not feel breathable enough for a full day of wear. One tester said the compression and material limited the time they were able to wear the jeans. “There is just no breathability at all,” they said. Gopinath, from Parsons, credited this to the jeans’ up to 6% polypropylene (aka plastic) composition. “A lot of food containers are made from polypropylene, so you understand what we’re talking about,” she said. And when Gopinath learned that our testers had to go up two sizes, she warned against wearing the jeans for too long.

The compression level also raised a style issue: Testers found that the slim, straight cut more accurately resembled the “skinny jeans of yesteryear.”

Our conclusion? At worst, these are uncomfortable jeans that don’t fit well. At best, they don’t stand out in a crowd. As one tester put it, “If this is a silhouette that you like and works for you, then these jeans are a fine iteration of it.”