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Taking off yet another pair of jeans that simply wouldn’t fit, I was on the verge of tears. Under the harsh glare of the dressing room lights, my reddening face felt even more humiliating as I shimmied myself back into my own clothes. I had dedicated the day to jeans shopping and started it feeling optimistic, but this was quickly waning. This was the sixth store, and the seventh pair I’d tried on. None of them were happening. I question why I’ve spent hours traipsing around Oxford Street, dodging crowds and trying not to get hit by a black cab. Jeans shopping is not fun. It’s a mission. More than three years ago, I swore off jeans for the foreseeable future. At the time, I was practically living in a pair of faded black M&S high-waist, straight-cut jeans that were cropped right above my ankle. The search for those jeans had also been painful, so when I found this perfect pair, I told myself that was it – I was never going to buy jeans again. But at the start of 2023, I was devastated to find my severe lack of a thigh gap had led to a rather large hole being rubbed into the inner thigh of my beloved jeans. I resolved to get the hole fixed and am still planning to do so, but I recently become enamoured by the idea of blue jeans. It’s been a long time since I owned a pair of blue jeans I really liked. Maybe it was time to start the search again? I initially felt buoyed by the knowledge that size ranges are more extensive than ever before. In the jeans section of Asos alone, you can filter the type of denim you want to unprecedented levels of specificity: choose from 17 different styles, over 30 “jeans families”, dozens of brands, colours, and washes, six “body fits” from Curvy to Petite, and sizes up to UK32. It’s a dizzying array of choices, but surely meant that it’d be easier than ever to find what I was looking for. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth for many women, particular those of the larger, curvier variety. I am currently extremely average in size at a UK14. But due to the aforementioned lack of thigh gap, combined with wide hips, a generous posterior and thick, muscly calves, I’ve struggled to find jeans that are both comfortable and flattering. It’s always one problem or another: gapping at the waist, unable to get them up past my hips, too tight to sit down comfortably, too baggy to look good, too long, too suffocating, too unforgiving. Sadly, but unsurprisingly, things are even worse for plus-sized women. A friend of mine, a size UK18, has been burned so often that she was ready to give up. She told me that when she visited Khloe Kardashian’s Good American outpost in Selfridges, she tried on one pair of jeans and nearly walked out when it didn’t fit, thinking none of the others would either. The sales assistant had to stop her and tell her she would help her find something else – and they did. The look on my friend’s face when she showed me the jeans later was priceless, like butter couldn’t melt. It struck me how rare this experience is. Women just want jeans that not only make them feel confident, but are also comfortable and are worth paying a bit more for Sonia Robinson Jones Part of the reason jeans shopping is so demoralising is the lack of consistent sizing in the fashion industry. On social media, some influencers have highlighted this by trying on jeans in the same size in different stores and showing how vastly different the fits are. A UK12 in H&M can fit just right, but a UK12 in Zara might barely zip up. The same size in River Island won’t even get past your thighs, while a pair from Next might be a bit too roomy. Unreliable sizing and poor quality construction makes clothes shopping such a headache, but still the high street brands persist with the status quo. According to Sonia Robinson Jones, associate lecturer in fashion at the University of East London, this is because fast fashion brands “tend to cut their [garment] blocks for the younger body size and grade their sizes up accordingly”, rather than allowing for the fact that women tend to become curvier as we age. “In essence, jeans need to be contoured to a wider selection of body shapes… Women just want jeans that not only make them feel confident, but are also comfortable and are worth paying a bit more for.” Then there is the question of sustainability. I had initially set off with a list of criteria for my perfect jeans: dark blue, high-waisted, no rips, straight leg, preferably from a company with sustainable credentials. My holy grail jeans would have been ELV Denim, which sources unwanted jeans from warehouses around the UK and reconstructs them into entirely new pieces – but at a starting price of £255 per pair, I’d have to save my pennies for another time. Other sustainable brands such as Nudie Jeans and Lucy & Yak were at a more digestible price point, but I wasn’t keen on the idea of returning jeans that didn’t fit and adding to my carbon footprint. Aja Barber, contributing editor at Elle UK and author of Consumed, which explores the effects of fast fashion on the planet, tells me she gets around the horror of it all by shopping for second-hand jeans on eBay. “I have one style that’s my go-to and they’re widely available because the maker over-produces, so I’d rather buy them secondhand than have them become landfill waste, which is what happens to a lot of secondhand clothing that doesn’t get bought,” she explains. “Plus some brands aren’t great on ethics or sustainability and I’d rather not give them my money even if they make my size. Secondhand is a work-around for this.” She also recommends thinking hard about whether you need lots of pairs. “The best route here is to realise you don’t need five pairs of jeans,” she says. “Two pairs max and spend the most you can on getting the best possible pair.” Barber is also an advocate for getting clothes custom-made for a better fit, if it’s within your financial abilities. “I think we shy away from ideas like getting your clothes made because it sounds inaccessible and fancy, but if you’re plus-size like I am, it can be a godsend. I think instead of trying with stuff on the rack, it might be best to take this route.” As for myself, I eventually caved and decided to try buying jeans online from US brand Everlane, which partners with ethical factories and uses recycled materials, organic cotton and less water to create their clothes. I ordered two pairs of jeans from their Curvy collection, knowing that I would not be sending them back, and prayed they would fit. When they eventually arrived, I was ecstatic. The jeans fit. They actually fit! And now, I will never buy another pair of jeans again. Promise. Read More Flip-flops, nudity and ‘up the vajayjay!’: How the red carpet became a platform for protest Women with body hair remain a cultural taboo, and I can’t see it changing Why I’m suspicious of the silver fox Edward Enninful steps down as British Vogue editor-in-chief amid reports of rift Barbie stars Margot Robbie, Issa Rae and Simu Liu react to their own doll replicas Amanda Holden’s most extravagant fashion from the BGT live shows

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We all have our favourite pair of PJs we come back to – time after time. Some of us may even have special pyjamas for lounging around in and feeling comfy when snuggled up with Netflix on the sofa. But because they’re only worn inside the house and for sleeping (well, most of the time), the rules can seem different when it comes to PJ maintenance. So, how often should we be washing them and switching to a clean pair? Do you need to wash your pyjamas daily? “You might be surprised to know the answer is no!” says cleaning and laundry expert Laura Mountford, author of Live, Laugh, Laundry. “Like all of our clothing, many of us may be guilty of washing our pyjamas too frequently, or perhaps not enough. But in reality, pyjamas should be washed after every two or three wears. Washing them after every wear, unless they are actually stained, smelly or sweaty, is unnecessary – a waste of money, water and energy,” Mountford adds. She suggests pyjamas can be left to air between wears, and this should be sufficient for them to freshen up ready for the next night – so putting them under your pillow probably isn’t the best idea. Should you wash them more in the summer? “I wash my pyjamas more in the summer when the nights are hot,” says Mountford, “as sweat can cause bacteria growth, which will make them smell. And nobody wants to snuggle into bed in sweaty pyjamas, do they?” What’s the most hygienic way to wash your pyjamas? Sophie Lane, product training manager at Miele GB, says: “Wash pyjamas at the highest temperature the fabric can cope with – check the garment care label. This will deliver the most hygienic clean. Detergent is also important to achieving good results.” Are different materials more or less hygienic? Natural fabrics like cotton are the most hygienic, suggests Mountford, as they are breathable, so bacteria and sweat builds up less quickly compared to manmade fabrics like polyester. Lane agrees, adding: “Cotton is also extremely durable and can withstand high temperature washes. Bamboo is another good fabric option for pyjamas. It’s very breathable whilst being effective at thermal regulating, to keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It’s also anti-bacterial, hypo-allergenic and odour-resistant.” What happens if you don’t wash pyjamas regularly? Mountford says: “Most of us wear our pyjamas for eight hours each night, so not washing them frequently enough can cause bacteria to grow, making them smelly and unhygienic… not very cosy at all. This may reduce the quality of your sleep,” she adds – noting it could result in “skin irritation” too. Does it make a difference if you shower before bed or in the morning? “Showering before bed keeps your pyjamas and bedding fresher for longer, as you are jumping into bed with a clean body, having already removed the dirt, bacteria and allergens from the day,” says Mountford. “Not showering before bed will cause these particles to be transferred onto your nightwear and bedding, which will cause them to get dirty and smelly more quickly.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Beginner’s guide to buying second-hand furniture These are the best shorter daffodils to plant now for spring – according to RHS trials Do I need to treat my garden furniture before storing it for winter?

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