“I gained about 8 pounds (which I am totally fine with, BTW), but one thing that is annoying me is the fact that my skinniestjeans simply won’t button anymore. I can get them on and since they have a bit of stretch they look fine on my legs, but no amount of twisting and turning and laying on my back will allow me to button them. Is there anything I can do to get them to fit again. You know, besides losing weight?”—Rebecca

Actually Rebecca, we suspect you’re not all alone out there. A couple of suggestions, after the jump ...

President Obama gave fashion critics something to talk about when he displayed a pair of “mom jeans” at a baseball game, Nicolas Sarkozy and his lovely wife Carla both donned denim for a recent trip to Egypt, and the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, chose jeans for a dinner date with Obama. Steve Jobs kept his fashion taste simple through the years—a black turtleneck and a pair of Levi’s 501s.

Suddenly, jeans are the new power look. 

Many boys wear bad jeans. Not always, but it happens. Next time your boy goes denim shopping, tag along and keep him from making the same mistakes once again. Whether that boy is your boyfriend, your dad or any other male with whom you spend any amount of time, they’ll resent you at the time but appreciate it once they realize it no longer looks like their asses are eating their pants.

1. Boys shouldn’t wear skinny jeans. Period. Next.
2. Avoid pockets that are too big, small, low or embellished at all costs. There’s really no reason to have a rhinestone-encrusted tiger on your ass.

INTERIOR, A NIGHT CLUB:

An obviously dorky, wallflower-like girl, Stacey, stands alone awkwardly at the bar. Her ultra-hot friend, Tracy, walks up and joins her, sweaty from the dance floor. The music is blaring.

Stacey: Tracy, you get so many guys. I just don’t know how you do it! I can’t even get a dude to look at me.
Tracy: You know what your problem is, Stacey?
Stacey: I barely fill out an A-cup and become too invested after sex?
Tracy: No. They don’t look at you because they can’t see you. Literally. That’s why I wear these (points to pants), Diesel‘s glow-in-the-dark jeans.
Stacey: Oooh, you’re glowing and you’re not even pregnant!
Tracy: Uh, right. Anyhow, they’re part of the fall 2009 collection, and they’re painted with a special coating which lights up under UV lights. Some of the jeans come with stitching or graphics that show up in the dark. This way, guys can pick me out of a crowd in a dark club.
Stacey: Right on! You glow, girl! [Nitrolicious]

Forever 21 has just released a pair of dark wash, one-percent stretch skinny jeans for $9.50. Yes, $9.50. (I’ve been known to spend more on lunch!) Got to say, they’ve got the right amount of spandex stretch to be flattering, are in a great, go-anywhere wash and, on the model at least, look to be the best length for all the insane heels we’re crushing on these days. What do you think, too good to be true? If anyone hits up Forever 21, I’m begging you to try ‘em on and report back! [Lucky via Racked]

It goes without saying—the one item in your closet that’s older than the latest “High School Musical” star? Probably your favorite pair of jeans. A new survey from the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, England finds that Brits hang on to their jeans longer than any other piece of clothing, and that nearly two million people have pairs they bought as much as 40 years ago.

Hole-y jeans!

I think we can all agree that we’re so over the $300 price tag that certain denim companies shamelessly attach to plain old jeans. Not that we wouldn’t pay a significant amount of money for the perfect pair of jeans that we’ll wear everyday, but still, it’s cotton people! Those profits must be amazing! That’s why we’re kind of feeling the newish company, Recession Denim, which makes very high-quality jeans that are designed to last a lifetime, which if we’re paying more than $75, is all we’re asking for, ya know? They feature plenty of cuts and styles, but the prices are a little more reasonable. (Personally, we’re loving the new Motorcycle model with sewn-in paneling, $98, in black.) They just started selling at Bloomingdale’s, and check their site for more stores.

We’ve seen the grab-able booty wrought by Huit lingerie’s padded butt panties. But never before have we seen denim that claims to give you a more voluptuous tush just from the fabric alone! Behold: Innovativa push-up jeans. They promise Beyoncé‘s booty at only $99 a pop! The Innovativa site sells lots of different cute, tight pairs of jeans, each looking more liable to cut off circulation to your legs than the last. We’re wondering, though, if there’s not padding in the seat of those pants? Does the fabric just cantilever your butt up in order to make the cheeks look perkier? But how can a lady sit without ripping anything? Vaguely terrifying. True, this array of be-denimed butts is infinitely enticingly spankable, but if you want a badonkadonk, ladies, I’ve got a better idea. Just come ‘round The Frisky office and I will generously offer to trade asses with you! [Guanabee]

They say ya gotta have a gimmick, and eco-designer Patricia Ordonez certainly has one down: Send her two pair of your ex’s jeans and she will craft them (along with burlap and broadcloth) into a custom-made tote bag ($90) or duffel ($125). Kind of funny, but we’re not sure we’d want to advertise all of that baggage. Would you? [Patty O Designs]

Whoever came up with the phrase “so wrong it’s right” was totally inspired by these jeans. The half-denim, half-nylon hybrid by Siwy is available online for an outrageous $242. Because we know you’re so interested in buying these. [The Cut]

A few weeks ago these hilarious “winking pants” went viral on the Internet, and everyone had a good laugh. Apparently, however, people actually want to wear Winkers and have their butts adorned with the cheeky eye prints. William Jones, the Washington state-based inventor of the pants, has been barraged with an onslaught of orders, and received a quarter million hits on his website. (We like to think our post about it added to Winkers’ success.)

Unfortunately, customers probably won’t be receiving their orders within the blink of an eye—the 73-year-old artist makes each pair by hand. [King5.com]

No offense to Mr. Jones, but we have to wonder who is buying these. Would you order a pair?

Australian jeans company Jeanswest has started installing cameras or “butt cams” in their dressing rooms, so women can figure out for themselves if their behinds look big in the jeans they’re considering buying. Personally, I’ve never seen anything wrong with having a big butt, but this technology could come in handy. Most women would have to be contortionists to accurately see their backsides from all angles while in the fitting room (because, let’s face it, those three-sided mirrors don’t cut it). Jeanswest, however, has placed the cameras in the communal area of their dressing rooms, and they broadcast a live view on a screen. Don’t worry; they claim the camera doesn’t record any images. Jeanswest says it is the first to use this technology in Australia, and we certainly haven’t seen it in the U.S., save for the kind of similar Diesel 360 mirror. So if you know of any retailers offering this luxury let us know in the comments—we’re on a never-ending search for the perfect jeans. [Reuters]

Do you guys remember when Guess jeans cost, like, $40 and your mom was all, “Sorry kid, I’m not made of money, forget about it,” and stuff? Around the same time, jeans of the hole-y on purpose, paint splattered and bleached variety started popping up? Newspapers like The Daily Mail, Houston Chronicle and the Washington Times have all recently confirmed what fashion insiders knew already: the new old jean is back (or something like that).

We’re fine with the ‘80s being all totally awesome again, but the fact that all this distressed denim is way more expensive than ever makes us feel barfy. It’s absurd!

Elle UK has huge trend news for you: Everyone is wearing denim shorts right now! Umm, yeah, because it’s summer. And people wear denim shorts pretty much every summer. Know what else people do with denim shorts on an annual basis? Look terrible in them. Too often, the styling is off and they’re either too wannabe sexy (with pointy pumps and a corset, for example, blech) or the thought process seems to be “Hell, this is denim, who cares if I look homeless?” Well, we care. So we’re going to help you get denim shorts right.

Have them expanded. (Like I was going to recommend some newfangled diet or exercise mumbo-jumbo!) A company called Denim Therapy has just launched a service where you send them the jeans that no longer fit and they, well, make ‘em work for your body. Wondering how they give you more room? Check it out…

Your search for the perfect pair of jeans is over! Want to know who makes ‘em? You! indiDenim, a “virtual denim” brand, gives you the power to design your own pair. We aren’t talking about picking dark blue over light; we’re talking details from start to finish. The “design” process is pretty intense and starts with you selecting your ideal fabric (lightweight or thick), rise (high, mid, or low waist), leg, and hem, before delving into other details like belt-loop and stitching.

Here’s my problem with luxury denim these days: I’m tired of the same old brands, but I’m also not likely to go and drop half a paycheck on couture Alexander McQueen jeans, nor buy into the latest celeb line either. Finally, here’s a pair I can truly covet—Paul & Joe’s new collaboration with Citizens of Humanity creates the perfect chic boyfriend jean. Why? For starters, the heart-winning French favorite, Paul & Joe, is now bringing you something you can wear everyday (as opposed to the specialty purchase you’d probably make). And thanks to the comfy cut and fading details brought by U.S. cult classic and a brand you already trust, Citizens of Humanity, the look is stylish-casual. The styles come out in London next week (check Paul & Joe website for details), and we can guess that like most luxe denim designs, they’ll cost the average whopper. Yet, to perfectly blend Euro style with West Coast fashion? We’re so there. And they say the French and the Americans don’t get along… [Vogue UK]

I own 14 pairs of jeans and can pretty much sort those pairs into two piles: the fat jeans and the skinny ones. Of course, I never actually get rid of the latter because there’s always the eternal hope that I will one day fit back into them. Rag & Bone has now come out with these handy numbers, which allow you to combine your piles into one. Feeling chunky? Leave ‘em unzipped. Just recovered from a week-long stomach flu? Zip ‘em up skinny style. [$287.40, Shopconfederacy.com via NY Mag]