I found the BEST white jeans ever (after trying on 15 brands!!!)

I tried on 15 different pairs of skinny white jeans before I found the keeper. Now I have 3 different styles from the same brand. 

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I’ve always thought that white jeans looked SO cute – on other people.

Year after year, I would try on a pair in the spring and feel so frustrated since they looked AWFUL on me. I couldn’t figure it out! They made me look MUCH heavier than I actually was, showed every imperfection or just looked frumpy. They all looked terrible, even the ones from brands that I typically loved. So I made it my mission a few years ago to find the very best pair of white jeans (at the time, I was only looking for skinny jeans).

Naturally, I ordered FIFTEEN pairs to try on and compare. (Only from places with good return policies of course!!!) And I finally found a WINNER–– and now, years later, I have multiple pairs of white jeans (in multiple styles!) from that same winning brand for some variety (and because the styles I first bought are no longer made). Today I’m sharing the styles I have and recommend. So without further ado, here we go.

And the Best White Jeans Ever award goes to… MADEWELL!

I’m a hug fan of Madewell’s other clothes too, but this post is all about their white jeans.

Best White Skinny Jeans

The best white skinny jeans on the market (and I can say this, since I tried 15 others on!), is the Madewell version. The style they have this year is a the Stovepipe Jeans in Pure White. While they are not the skinniest skinny jeans ever, they’re the closest option to a skinny jean that Madewell has in a white wash this spring (the ankle is slightly relaxed at the bottom rather than skin tight). The wash is a pure white, which is always what I’m looking for when it comes to a white skinny jean. The high-rise style is super flattering with cropped shirts and blouses.

This pair is $128, and the original pair I bought from Madewell has lasted years, so I feel confident these will too. The length is cropped just above the ankle bone, which is super flattering, since this is usually the smallest point of your leg. If you are petite (5’4″ and below) I suggest the petite inseam.

I wear a size 25 Petite in this style, and they fit TTS. They’re stretchy, but they don’t look sloppy and loose by the end of the day. Winner, winner!

Why I love the Madewell Stovepipe Jeans

The Madewell Stovepipe Jeans in Pure White are the perfect shade of white, not too tight, not too loose, not too thin and not see through (which was shockingly common with many pairs, yikes).

Honestly, they’re just the most flattering white jeans I’ve found. I love that they are stretchy and easy to wear throughout an entire day, but they don’t stretch out and loose their shape, which is a common issue I’ve found with other jeans. These look great from the minute I put them on until the minute I take them off! They’re made with organic cotton, so you can feel great about how they’re made too.

The photos below are last year’s version of the Madewell White Skinny Jean for reference.

Kick Out Crop Jeans in Pure White

The next style of white jeans is similar to the skinny jeans, but with a small flare at the bottom, called the Kick Out Crop Jeans. The pure white color is a bright white, which feels super crisp and clean. I love this shade for the warmer months. For this pair, Madewell brought back the exact same style as last year, and I’m so glad.

These are slim fitting through the hip and top of the leg, then cropped and have a slight flare at the bottom. The cropped kick flare style is all over the fashion world right now, and for good reason. These are easy to style with sneakers, loafers, flats, and heels, and they feel more casual than the skinny jeans.

This style is as a mid-rise, which is super comfortable. I wear a size 25 Petite in this style, and they’re SUPER stretchy and comfortable (this is due to their Cone denim, which hugs your legs, and doesn’t get saggy by the afternoon). While the website listing says to size down, I found that my true size fit best.

Why I Love the Kick Out Crop Jeans

The Kick Out Crop jeans are a little trendier right now, for good reason! Skinny jeans are classic, but this cropped style is super flattering, especially on someone petite like me! I actually found lots of non-skinny jeans I love last year. These are similar to flare jeans, but with a crop at the ankle, making them different than traditional bootcut styles. They’re a sort of hybrid between a cropped flare and boot cut, which is currently my favorite style of jeans (and seems to be the trend now too). They have a slim straight fit through the top which widens towards the bottom.

The wash is the same perfect shade of white (not cream, ecru, or ivory..if you’re looking for off-white jeans, these are not the pair for you) as the skinny pair, not too tight in the thigh or in general, not too loose, not too thin and also not see through. If you are petite (5’4″ and below) I suggest the petite inseam, here. I like my cropped straight leg jeans to hit above my ankle. This is currently my favorite pair of jeans in my closet because they’re a stretch denim that feels great all day.

The ’90s Straight Jean in Vintage Canvas

The third pair of white jeans I own (and LOVE) is the The ’90s Straight Jean in Vintage Canvas. I believe they were called the Perfect Vintage Straight Jean in Tile White last year, but from everything I can tell, they are the same. These are a true straight leg style, which is much looser than the Skinny Jean and Kick Out Crop. The other difference is the wash. While the two pairs of jeans above are a pure white, the ’90s Straight Jean is not. It’s an off-white, which I’m currently very into. They feel more laid back and casual, which is really fun.

The style feels very ’90’s (hence the name), and the waist is a really flattering high rise. Since the fit is much looser down the leg, the flattering waist is the key to making these such a flattering style. Unlike the two styles above, this pair of jeans is not quite as stretchy. That’s not to say they aren’t comfortable (they really are), but they aren’t as stretchy as the others. I appreciate the more “true denim” feel.

Why I love the perfect vintage straight jeans

The main reason I love the ’90s Straight Jean so much is because I started to get really tired of my fitted jeans over the past two years. I was craving something more laid back, and a little trendier too. This style felt a little bold to me at first (baggier jeans feel SO weird when you’re used to a fitted style), but they grew on me instantly.

Since the other two styles feel a little more polished, I really appreciate the fun, laid back look of this straight leg style. I wear a size 25P, my true size.

And now to the older Madewell Jeans I’ve bought and loved.

Since Madewell is pretty well known for their white jeans, they do a great job updating their styles just a little each season to make them better. The styles above are the 2023 versions, but I wanted to share an other (older) style, since they’re discounted, and you can still find them at some retailers like Nordstrom Rack.

High-Rise Skinny Jeans in Pure White

The High-Rise Skinny Jean in Pure White was the pair that sold me on Madewell. It makes me a little nostalgic thinking back to that spring when I discovered these jeans because it felt like I had hit a gold mine! The only difference between this pair and the skinny jeans linked above is the inseam. This older style has a 10″ inseam, making them a true “high-rise”. I was able to find one size available at Nordstrom Rack.

Here are a few photos of this pair (isn’t baby Thomas cute?).

How to style white jeans

I feel like white jeans are just as versatile as dark jeans. They’re cute with sweaters, blouses, patterned tanks, a chambray, or even paired with a white tank for an all-white look. I don’t typically pair them with a fitted top (and I’m not really a crop top girl), and find I’m more drawn to flowy or loose blouses. But, experiment and see what you like best!

In fact, I was about to give my skinny jeans away since I was rarely wearing them, and in a last ditch effort decided to style them. I ended up loving the outfit so much, I decided to keep the jeans, ha! See the reel where I did that here!

These are all the brands of white jeans I ordered and tried on:

1. Madewell
2. Gap
3. J.Crew
4. Joe’s
5. Hudson
6. 7 for All Mankind
7. Levi’s
8. Boden
9. Frame
10. Articles of Society
11. DL 1961
12. J. Brand (not made anymore!)
13. Paige
14. AG

I currently own or have owned denim pants from all of these brands in the past so I knew I loved them, but it took trying a bunch of white jeans to find a pair that worked for me. I’m petite at 5’1″ and curvier than most petite frames since I have decent sized quads and glutes from running & lifting. So it was hard to find a pair that fit me well.

If you struggle to find cute white jeans for women, I highly recommend trying on a BUNCH. There was a clear winner in my book. (I ordered the majority from Nordstrom since they have an amazing return policy and we don’t have a Nordstrom in Winston. And some I bought directly from the site, including Gap, J.Crew and Boden.)

Before I finish, I did want to note a few brands that I did NOT try, but I’ve recently loved in other washes. I’d love to try MOTHER Denim’s white jeans, since I love their other styles. I’d also like to try this pair of effortlessly cool Spanx pants. I LOVE Spanx, so I have a feeling I’d love these.

What’s your favorite brand of white jeans? And am I the only one who seriously struggled to find a good pair?!?

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