Over the many decades of my life as my body grew and changed shape I have tried on hundreds of pairs of jeans in search of the illusive perfect fit. In the sixties our choices were limited to hard-as-canvas Levis that required us to sit in a tub of scalding, salted water wearing our jeans in a futile attempt to break them in. Today, we have an infinite choice of cuts, shades, colours, manufacturers, price points, and styles.

My vast experience in trying on jeans has narrowed my personal choice down to one single brand—NYDJ—Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. Without fail, I can always count on being able to find a style, fabric finish and colour that agree with what I’m looking for and are totally within my budget. I don’t have to mortgage the house or blow a month’s grocery budget on a new pair.

One thing I like in particular is the fact they are cut for baby boomer waists—you know what I mean. Instead of having the extra inches at the back where useless fabric just sticks out, the extra inches are built into the front zipper and closure where we need it most. And, NYD Jeans also have a built-in tummy panel that helps control muffin top, particularly if you select high-waisted styles, which I assume most boomer women prefer.

I’m now 5’2″ tall (having shrunk nearly two inches in recent years) so I prefer their petite sizes. The ankle-length regular sizes usually fit me perfectly as long jeans. I have jeans in sizes ranging from size six to size twelve. I’ll never understand how there can so much discrepancy in sizing, but there you have it.

My favourite cut is Sheri Slim and I have several pairs in different shades of blue, as well as a raw-hem pair of white jeans which I love to wear in the summer. I also have a pair of lighter-weight white skinny jeans that I wear under tunics and long tops. The regular stretch denim is sometimes too hot for summer wear and the light-weight skinny ones look better proportionally with bigger tops.

Once upon a time when I could still buy and wear size 27 jeans, I owned a gently distressed pair of ankle-length jeans with red metal zippers at the ankles. I purchased those jeans at a store in Bayview Village in Toronto called Friends which went out of business decades ago. I absolutely loved those jeans and still mourn their loss, not to mention the body that once wore them. Those days are long gone.

It’s hard to find a good selection of NYDJ in Canada so I usually restock when I’m in the U.S.A. Dillard’s carries a great selection and I can often get them on sale but even at the regular price, they are still so affordable compared with Frame, Paige or other pricey brands. Hudson’s Bay carries a limited selection of NYDJ and they’re also available on Amazon.

If you’ve never worn NYDJ then I strongly suggest you give them a try. Nowadays I don’t even look at another brand as NYDJ fit this old boomer body the best and they always have the latest styles. They’re my go-to brand. You will need to try them on for size, though just to be on the safe side.

Here’s a link to NYDJ on Amazon if you would like to take a look.