A few weeks ago I published a guide to the different styles of jeans found at RIVER ISLAND using myself as a model. Me being the self-critical person that I am found this quite a hard experience and I offered one reader to chance to share my burden, as long as she owned a body shape different to my own pear. Interestingly enough, all the emails I received, and there quite a few, were all from skinny, skinny girls with no hips or bum. Whilst very skinny is a different shape to mine, I preferred using someone who has a bit more of a shape.
Michela Mallia, who is actually a model, is straight shaped and very thin but she has one thing that's a bit different - she owns a somewhat muscular, very toned body and a lovely, round bum. So here's part 2 to the RIVER ISLAND DENIM guide with Michela Mallia as your guide.
Just like in the first guide - the first order of business is the FLARED pair. I liked myself in them and I like them on Michela. I think both the shape and dark wash is super flattering for all body shapes. Michela's comment was that she could get used to them, she thinks they made her look tall and thin but she's simply not used to this style of trousers.
Now, let's focus on the skinny jeans styles. Michela's long slim legs make her a perfect candidate for skinny jeans, she carries them very, very well.
First up, we've got the skinnier than skinny TUBE PANTS. Great figure or not, in my opinion these are still too tight, still too much like under clothes rather than stand-alone trousers.
Michela felt the same way and described them as making her feel naked, they didn't get her vote. 
Next up is MOLLY JEGGINGS - similar to the previous tube pants in style and fit but with a big improvement - a less revealing nature. Michela loved these and described them as comfortable and easy to both style and wear.
Next up is MOLLY JEGGINGS - similar to the previous tube pants in style and fit but with a big improvement - a less revealing nature. Michela loved these and described them as comfortable and easy to both style and wear.
EVA CIGARETE - If you recall, as I mentioned in my first guide, cigarette pants differ from skinny jeans - mainly in terms of the leg opening - it's wider and therefore adds a bit of height illusion. The fit is also slightly looser than skinny jeans.
The patches on this pair are still original, I find them really striking. Michela loved the fit and enjoyed wearing them very much. She also commented on the fact that she liked the way they made her bum look.
The patches on this pair are still original, I find them really striking. Michela loved the fit and enjoyed wearing them very much. She also commented on the fact that she liked the way they made her bum look.
A new skinny style - CARA SUPER SKINNY. I have to start by mentioning the triangle detail at the side which helps to slim down the side of the leg. I was quite excited when I saw it. They also have a really nice bum lift and I love the knee cap torn detail. They do hug the thighs a bit too much for my liking but this would probably loosen after just the first wear. Michela gave these a thumbs up and declared them an all-round pleaser.
AMELIA super skinny is another new style of skinny jeans and possibly one of the most flattering ones. The pockets are positioned at a great angle and the bum is very well supported. I liked the fact that the legs and thighs aren't pinched and Michela commented on them being very comfortable. I'm also a fan of this particular wash.
The next one up is a brand new style ULTIMATE BOYFRIEND - Michela has the perfect figure for this style of jeans and they look simply great on her. She declared them to be super comfortable and fun to wear and I think she was kinda contemplating not removing them and forfeiting the rest of the guide at one point.
A standalone pair - MOM VINTAGE SLIM - my personal fave and the one I chose to give a home to. I still love the fact that they've got a few torn patches in the front, the turn up at the hem, the crotch is a bit loose, it's high waisted and the little v at the back. These get points for fit, comfort and originality.
However, moment of truth - I wasn't so sure I liked them as much on Michela. I honestly think that these jeans might look a bit better on someone with a bit more curves, I felt that they should tug a little more around the hips and not just hang there. As it were, I felt they weren't really that flattering and didn't really do much for her body.
EVA GIRLFRIEND - I had quite liked these ones when I wore them - I had found them to have a general good fit in all areas with just the right amount of looseness versus form-flattering.
Michela's pair are in a different, lighter wash and this particular pair, in this wash, are not really that flattering on her. The whiskers positioned themselves exactly along the widest part of her hip, making them appear wider than they actually are. Without these whiskers though, or had the whiskers found themselves elsewhere (this might happen on a shorter person) they would have fit perfectly and her bum actually looks fantastic in them. Michela herself finds the straighter, not-so-skinny fit a bit strange but that's just a matter of getting accustomed to seeing something different to skinny, skinny jeans
JENNA STRAIGHT - In my guide I mentioned that I thought these needed a girl with small hips but could work with a round bum and in fact they fit Michela perfectly. They flatter her, they enhance her curves perfectly, they don't hug the wrong places - love them!
DAISY SLIM - Whilst these aren't ill-fitting so to speak they aren't the best of the lot. I had mentioned that they did something weird to my bum but in Michela's case it's more the legs I'm not a huge fan of and neither was she.
Hope you've enjoyed both these jeans guides (if you missed my original guide check it out) - & let me know if there's any other guide to any other fashion item you wish !!!
All Photos by KURT PARIS
