I used to love Benetton but my relationship with the brand ceased when the Birmingham store closed. Since then it has never really come back onto my radar.
Do you remember all those piles of neatly stacked v-neck jumpers in varying shades that we looked at lovingly in the 1980's? They were so lovely and calming to look at. I am sure that there was a Victoria Wood sketch in which she said that her idea of rebellion was to go into Benetton and mess up the neat piles of jumpers.
So when I was contacted and asked whether I would like to try the new Pin Up Lift Jeans (designed to lift your bottom and lengthen your legs) I was hardly going to say no was I? Who could resist an offer which came with such promises?
The jeans came with us on the girls' weekend to Wales because I thought that a few of us would be able to test them out.
When I held them up in broad daylight I nearly fainted. They didn't look big enough for our 4 year old to get in - let alone me. Remarkably though I could get them on. They were snug but they went on. Just.
Anyway here's my friend, Libby in them. She's 5ft 3" and they looked great on her. In fact we all decided that they were universally flattering. It's something to do with the even colour, the darts, the shape of the yolk and the shape and positioning of the pockets.
This is another friend wearing the same pair and she too totally rocked them. She is 5ft 6" and a size 8 and is headless and nameless only because she thought that some of her patients might recognise her on here. She's never owned a pair of skinny jeans before but needless to say she now does - and they just happen to be these!
Whilst I could get the jeans on - and could just about do them up on a good day, I wouldn't have been able to wear them for any length of time but that's more because I am probably a size 9 in jeans rather than a size 8. I liked the feel of them though and I thought that they looked amazing on the other two ladies.
There's also another fantastic pair of jeans by Benetton which will particularly suit apple shaped ladies. They are the Pin Up Shape and come with a high waist, slight flare to the leg, side zip and a brilliant spanx type panel over the tummy. Genuis!
Benetton also have a slim and regular fit jean, which are great for anyone who is after something in between a skinny and a boot-leg jean. At around the £45 mark, they also have a good price point.
Given that the jeans were such a success for us three ladies, I thought that I would put them back on your radar too - after all we are always after the "perfect" jeans aren't we?
*The pair of jeans that we tried were gifted to me by Benetton but I in turn gifted them to my headless, nameless friend as they looked so great on her.
