How to buy a pair of jeans

For women who are not rolling in money, or do not have Barbie doll proportions, there is a slightly deflated general feeling that fashion in India offers very little.

Designer clothes, strutted on the ramp, are seen as beyond the reach of "ordinary" women, either because they are impractical, or because they're too expensive. Whether or not this last is true, today there appears to be only one item of clothing which has successfully "crossed over" to both segments.

I am talking, of course, of jeans. Whatever your wardrobe, whether you're in the Fabindia-prints-and-long-skirts camp, the immaculate-designer-top-and-capris camp, or even the hot-pants-and-skintight-tigerskin-top camp, you'll probably have a pair of blue jeans in your dresser.

Of course, the term "blue jeans" is misleadingly simplistic, for no two pairs of jeans need ever be the same, especially given the choice we have now, from our very own home-grown Numero Uno and Ruff n Tuff, to the branded indulgences of Levis and Tommy Hilfiger.

And each brand comes with different specifications (boot cut, straight cut, flares, low-rise and so on), which, if you don't know exactly what you're looking for, can make you dizzy with choices, give you a solid migraine and make you want to head for the nearest bar.

So how do you know which is the right pick for you? Here's a very simple guide, depending on body type (this is assuming of course that you're not shaped like Yana Gupta, in which case anything goes "" except possibly tapered jeans, which never have and never will go with anything, ever).

If you're slightly heavy, try and avoid horizontal seams, and go for flares, which will balance you out a little. Also, remember to avoid bulky pockets at the waist, which will just make you look wider "" back pockets, close together, should be better.

If you're short but on the slim side, straight cut jeans are probably for you (boot cuts make your legs look smaller), and take advantage of hipster-style low-rise jeans, since not everyone can pull them off.

If you're short but not on the slim side, I'm afraid you'll have to decide between longer legs or slimmer hips, and go or not go for boot cuts accordingly.

Stretch jeans are also very popular today ""they work because they hug your figure, but not in a wet-suit kind of way, and this will always look smarter, whatever your body type, than a flaccid, droopy pair of jeans. An added bonus: they're also very comfortable.

As for different brands, most will be hard to tell apart, given that all incorporate almost every kind of wash, cut and colour. "There is little to choose from between brands available here in India," says Vijay Singh, a fashion assistant with Arvind Brands,which is responsible for many of the jeans available here, including international brands such as Wrangler, Lee and Tommy Hilfiger.

"There may be slight variations in the fabric used, but when people go for bigger brands, it is mostly for their snob value."

Snob value or not, the early advent of the likes of Pepe, Lee and Wrangler (all priced approximately at Rs 1,199 onwards), and the later arrival of Levis (Rs 999 to over Rs 2,200 for imports) and now Tommy (Rs 1,800-2,000), has probably been a large factor in the stylistic evolution of domestic brands such as Killer (Rs 995-1,295), Numero Uno (Rs 999-1,149) and even the middle and lower segment brands such as the absurdly named Ruff n Tuff, Newport and Rugger (all priced approximately between Rs 399 and 700).

Given that most brands change their material to a slightly lighter denim during summer months, and that the buzz this month, with LIFW upon us, is fashion, now would be the perfect time to get yourself a new pair of jeans.

All you have to do is decide whether you want embroidered jeans, cut-offs, a denim skirt, or just a pair of "simple" blue jeans, regular flared, regular boot-cut, regular straight-cut, comfort straight, loose straight, tight flare, tight straight, mid-high boot cut, low rise tight straight... A drink, anyone?