Democracy Absolution: The jeans you need to buy
You need a new pair of jeans, don’t you? Do yourself a favor and get a pair of Democracy Absolution jeans. My SIL told me about them last summer, and since I was still losing baby weight, I just bought a pair of the capris at Nordstrom Rack to get through the summer. Two words for you….stretchy waistband. I lived in these suckers. Actually, I lived in yoga crops, but if I left the house, I was probably wearing my Democracy Absolution capris. In addition to the stretchy waistband, they have a mid-rise (to prevent muffin top and killer crack), and perfectly placed back pockets that don’t make your ass look 2 sizes bigger. Seriously…companies have been making women’s jeans for decades, why do so many still place the pockets so far to the outside like a hammerhead shark eyes? Unless you’re under a size 6, there’s way too much space in between the pockets in jeans like that. Pockets can make or break a pair of jeans, and Democracy puts them in the right spot.
In the fall, I’d dropped a little more weight, so I ordered a pair of the Democracy Absolution skinny jeans. Yes, skinny jeans… something I swore I could never pull off. Whether or not I pulled it off, I felt good in them and they are hella comfortable, so that’s what I care about. They work with tall and short boots, but my favorite is with Tom’s. Because, Toms. I know sperry-type slip on shoes and chucks are all the rage right now, but I still love my Tom’s. No matter what the shoe, unless I was wearing yoga pants, I was wearing my Democracy skinnies when I left the house (and an occasional legging with a tunic). I had about 10 pair of jeans in my closet that fit, and I’d bet I only wore a different pair 5 times all winter. Granted, I didn’t leave the house much, but still. I tried to find a picture of me wearing them, but I’m usually the one taking pictures, so it wasn’t easy.
Fast-forward to last month, my skinnies were starting to get loose and I needed to wear a belt with them or tuck in a tank top to hold them up, so I ordered more when I found them BOGO free through the Elder-Beerman website. I ordered a dark pair and medium wash pair of skinnies, a dark pair of the Itty Bitty Bootcut, and a pair of gray jeans. The gray ones didn’t work out, because although they were the Democracy brand, they weren’t the Democracy Absolution line and they didn’t fit the same at all and they were way too big in the waist and not comfortable. I didn’t want to keep 4 pair of jeans, so I was kind of relieved I could return one pair at least. I loved the bootcut too, because they work with tennis shoes, whereas the skinnies don’t look right with tennis shoes that I have. They are worth the full-price of $68 if you need jeans and you’re comfortable paying that much, but I prefer to spend under $50 on jeans, so I just wait for a sale and end up paying closer to $35-$40.
Fast forward to this month and after I went through my multiple bins of clothing in the basement, I found that many of my shorts and capris from prior years are a little big now. I’m not mad. Luckily, Elder-Beerman was having a sale where most of their Democracy jeans, shorts, and capris were 50% off, so I placed a (big) order. I immediately text Lo and warned that I placed a large order, but that I wouldn’t keep everything. I was worried that the shorts would run small and I wouldn’t want them tight on my thighs, so I ordered 2 sizes of each for some of them. There’s an Elder-Beerman at the mall near us (though it doesn’t seem to carry Democracy), so I’ll just return what I don’t want. I felt bad placing such a big order, but knowing that I’ll return some and that I was able to sell some of my older clothing though a local FB group, I’m more ok with it. I didn’t think that Lo would actually mind, but I wanted him to know what the order was when it showed up on the credit card. I’ll probably never shake the guilty feeling of spending money while I don’t have much of an income – though the guilt doesn’t always stop me…it just makes me feel guilty.
I really like the shorts. They are a little longer than I expected, but they can be rolled again, and I may even cut the hem of the distressed shorts because that would fit that style really well. I kept the bigger size in the distressed because I like them more relaxed, but I like the smaller size in the darker wash. They can be cuffed higher, or completely unrolled for more coverage, so there are a lot of length options with each pair. I wouldn’t pay full-price for shorts, which is $58, but if you stalk Amazon and Elder Beerman, you’ll eventually get a sale. The dark wash Democracy shorts are $35 with Amazon Prime right now, though.
I had a little more trouble picking the capris/cropped jeans. My favorite pair of capris is the lightly distressed Democracy AbSolution Crop Jeans, but the waistband had some really scratchy threads that weren’t comfortable – they feel like plastic stitches that are sticking out. I called Nordstrom and asked them to send a new pair so I could return these ones. I got the new pair and was thrilled that the waistband wasn’t scratchy…but they didn’t look the same as the other pair. I compared the length to the scratchy waistband pair and they were a full 2 inches shorter! Two inches can make or break a pair of cropped jeans – they hit me right in the middle of my calf, so they were kind of tight there, but even unrolled they still hit me in the wrong spot. I prefer them unrolled, so I wanted the longer pair. I decided to keep the scratchy waistband pair and deal with it. My only caution about this brand is that sometimes you’ll get a pair with threads on the waistband that poke you…my SIL has some like that too. Its not bad enough to be a deal-breaker for me though. These ones are the first picture below.
The other 2 pair of cropped jeans that I ordered are the dark wash Democracy “Ab”solution Cropped Jeans and the Democracy Destructed Hem Ankle Jeans. I like the way the destructed ones look and feel, but I don’t like how the cuts in the knees are. They are just straight across slits, and I feel like they’ll end up ripping wide open and look TOO destructed. And if I’m sitting down, my knees are just completely sticking out – there are no threads that go across the slits. I love how the hem at the ankle is released though. I haven’t returned these, but I think I’m going to still. I like the dark wash ones just fine…I think I’ll end up keeping these because I need a pair that can be dressed up slightly. I wear a lot of capris/cropped jeans even in the summer, so it’s definitely worth keeping 2 pair. I’d also ordered the dusty blue cropped jeans, but I sized up, and they fit weird. I decided that I didn’t love the color on me anyway, so I returned them. My SIL got them and they look great on her though, so if you’re into colored jeans, go for it. I just haven’t figured out how to pull that off yet.
I feel that the Democracy Absolution line is true to size and they don’t stretch out too much as you wear them, so order your current size and see how they fit. If you’re in between sizes, I’d size down if you don’t want to wear a belt after they stretch a bit. Thanks to the stretchy waistband, you can probably comfortably fit into 2 sizes, but you may need a belt with a bigger size. I’m usually able to wear them 2-3 times before washing before they start to sag (or one of the kids gets something one them). They are snug fitting through the hips/butt/thighs since they are a stretch jean, so if you like a looser fit, they may not be for you, but trust me when I say they’ll look better than other brands you’ve worn.
I know this may sound like a sponsored post – but its not. I paid for all of the Democracy jeans that I have. They are just that comfortable. Buy them wherever you want…Nordstrom Rack (instore or online), Elder-Beerman/Bon-ton, or even Amazon. Nordstrom Rack is usually the cheapest at around $40, but if there’s not one local, you have to pay for shipping and a return shipping fee if you have to return. Elder-Beerman usually runs good sales on Democracy every few weeks, so you check back there for sales. They always seem to offer free shipping codes too, so I’ve never paid for shipping. Through the weekend, Elder-Beerman has some of the capris and shorts are on sale and are eligible for an additional 30% off with the friends and family sale. Amazon has them on sale with Prime shipping occasionally, but it’s really hit or miss on available sizes and Prime shipping availability (free returns if you can get through Prime though).
*Amazon links are affiliate links, but the rest are not.