Everlane Way-High Jean Review – On a Size 30

Everlane Way-High Jean Review in a Size 30

Everlane recently released their Way-High Jeans with their typical “this changes everything” advertising flourish.

Boasting a 12 1/8″ rise, the Way-High Jean – both the straight leg and a skinny version – is certainly higher rise than Everlane’s other options, but they don’t break records. As I’ve mentioned before, I need a really high rise to get a true, belly-button skimming effect, so most of Everlane’s “high rise” denim fits more like mid-rise.

I was interested in trying out and reviewing these jeans for two reasons:

1. Half of the denim I own is Everlane, so I was anxious to see if they had finally made jeans that would precisely suit my pear shape and long torso.
2. The only thorough reviews I’ve seen for the Way-High Jean are modeled by women who are a size 26 or 27. Jeans in particular can look and feel very different on different-sized bodies, so I thought I’d use myself as a guinea pig as a “mid-size” person.

I purchased these jeans myself (using store credit generated from old referral links before my account was deleted). Initially I ordered a size 31 based on my hip measurement, but the waist was gaping by several inches, so I sized down to my usual size 30.

I have to admit that I thought this would be a favorable review based on the proportions of the size 31. But even though the 30 fits better in the waist, the proportion is still just wrong enough to be rather uncomfortable. Plus, due to my recent debacle with Everlane, I likely won’t be reviewing their products anymore.

Fabric

The Way-High Jean is made with a medium weight, rigid-ish denim. There’s a small amount of stretch, but I would not put this in a stretch denim or jegging category by any means. This color way has been softly distressed to mimic the look of a classic pair of vintage Wranglers from the 1970s. You can see an intentional crease mark along the front. While the weight and quality of denim mean these will likely last a long time without stretching or warping, the rigidity does reduce comfort.

Fit

I guess these have a higher waist than other Everlane jeans? I mean, I can tell that it’s higher in the front, but my “curvy” body type disrupts the waistline on my backside, and you can see quite a bit of a wedgie effect, which is not at all what I expected from a truly high waist jean. Everlane still doesn’t seem to understand what a curvy body looks like, or particularly care to cater to us.

Additionally, the rigidity of the denim doesn’t offer a lot of give in the waist, hips, or leg, so it’s harder to get a good fit than it would be with a stretchier pair of jeans.

Look

I don’t mind the look of these jeans on me, but I will say that they look considerably wider through the leg in a size 30 than they do in a size 27. I’m 5’7″, but I think this style makes me look short. That being said, they pair well with the vintage sweater and shoes I’m wearing in these photos.

Recommend?

I would not recommend the Way-High Jean if you have a curvier frame. My all-time favorite jeans from Everlane are the discontinued Authentic Stretch Cigarette Jean. You can sometimes find them on Poshmark or Ebay (in fact, I found two pair just last week).

For more denim options for curvy frames, see my recent guide.

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