I Tested 50 Pairs of Size 8 High Street Jeans Ranging from £16 to £75 – Guess Which One Fit Like a Dream!

Table of Contents

• Jeans Shopping Experience
• Wildly Different Sizes
• Jeans Reviews

As Fashion Stylist Emily Regan refined her search for size 8 jeans, she uncovered a deceptive tactic some stores use to make us feel slimmer than we actually are.

I vividly remember being taken jeans shopping by my mother as a child, who was attempting to dress the pickiest seven-year-old imaginable.

Hiding behind the changing-room door, I refused to show her the jeans that wouldn’t even go past my legs.

When she insisted, I reluctantly opened the door to reveal the jeans stuck mid-thigh, which caused uncontrollable laughter from my mother — and several other shoppers. I wished I could disappear.

Fast-forward to today, and jeans continue to be my ultimate shopping adversary, perhaps second only to bras.

After transitioning into adult sizes, I typically wore a size 4 or 6. Being petite meant I often struggled with jeans that gaped at the waist and were far too long.

Wildly Different Sizes

When I turned 25, my hips expanded, making the search for a well-fitting pair of jeans an even greater challenge.

In some stores, I’m now a size 8, while in others I require a 10 or even a 12.

It’s discouraging when your size seems to fluctuate, and nothing fits like it used to.

For instance, one of my best pairs of jeans is a wide-leg style from the teen section — the age 13 size fits me perfectly.

Conversely, I also own a sparkling pair from New Look in an adult size 8 that fits just as well. Same store, vastly different sizes.

Being petite has certainly complicated my search, but the reality is that many of us dread jeans shopping, regardless of our height, shape, or size.

This is a frequent topic of discussion on social media, where frustrated women lament the difficulty of finding well-fitting jeans amidst the various cuts and sizing inconsistencies.

Since jeans are such an essential wardrobe item, I decided to thoroughly test high street denim.

I challenged myself to try on no fewer than 50 pairs of size 8 high street jeans, focusing on my preferred straight-leg style, to determine how many actually fit.

I assessed how the waistband sat, how flattering the style was, whether there was gaping at the waist, and how tight, loose, or long each pair was.

Vanity sizing complicates things — one brand’s size 6 may feel like another’s size 10.

Emily Regan

One of the challenges I encountered was “vanity sizing” — a deliberate tactic where a brand makes clothing slightly larger than its labeled size.

Of course, people generally feel more confident when they fit into a smaller size, even if their actual measurements haven’t changed.

However, vanity sizing complicates matters — one brand’s size 6 may feel like another’s size 10.

It’s crucial to focus on how the clothes make you feel and what is comfortable, rather than fixating on the number on the label.

Finding the perfect pair of jeans is challenging — two-thirds of the pairs I tried on were a definite no — but when you finally find The One, you’ll know it.

George at Asda

£18

I’m usually a fan of supermarket denim, but this pair from George was disappointing. There is hardly any stretch, so I couldn’t even get them past my thighs — a distressing reminder of my childhood.

Tu at Sainsbury’s

£22.50

Supermarket jeans can often be hit or miss, but this pair from Tu exceeded my expectations. They fit well around my waist and thighs without being overly tight, and while they are slightly long, it's not a dealbreaker.

M&S

£25

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