Outfit: Replay Luz Hyperflex skinnies and biker boots

Cropped turtle neck sweater: OASAP - top: Pimkie - skinnies: c/o Replay Hyperflex Luz - biker boots: Avance - handbag: & Other Stories - coat: H&M - watch: Daniel Wellington

pics by Krizia

I'm always surprised at how infrequently I share an outfit with you guys where I'm wearing pants. I feel like I wear pants all the time these (cold) days, and yet, my trousers and pairs of denim rarely make it onto the blog. Maybe I just wear them so much that I feel like I should try something different whenever I meet up with someone to snap outfit pictures.

These jeans are special, though. I was offered a pair of Replay Hyperflex denim to review, and when I read the sales pitch I was basically already hooked. The Replay Hyperflex jeans claim to be the closest you'll get to the feeling of super stretchy leggings while still having the thick fabric, 5 pocket look of actual denim. Many super stretchy pairs of jeans feel great, but actually look like a legging - twill trouser hybrid rather than denim, sacrificing some style, ruggedness and flattering qualities for comfort. OR SO THEY CLAIM. Well, I'm about to share my expert opinion with you guys. I've tried my share of super stretchy denim, since it's the only way denim ever works for me - I have a straight waist and narrow hips, so non-stretch denim (or high waisted denim) gives me major muffintop when it fits my bum and hips. Additionally, my skinny calfs make many pairs of not-so-stretchy skinnies actually fit more like a pair of straight legged jeans would (I'm looking at you, Levi's), so stretchy skinnies it is! Anyway, back to the point: do these Replay Hyperflex skinnies make good on their claim?

Absolutely. If it weren't for the buttons, I could sleep in these jeans. The Hyperflex comes in three styles: mid rise skinnies Luz (which I ended up picking), straight legged Vicki and low rise, biker inspired detailed Alanies. I tried on all three styles in store, and noticed that the lightest wash is the softest and the most stretchy. The dark wash is the most rigid, and the mid blue wash is, well, somewhere in the middle. The saleslady told me that the reason the fabric is so stretchy (and in four directions rather than just horizontally!) while maintaining its shape after each wear, is that with most lycra-blend denims, the thread is cotton envelopped by lycra, while with the Hyperflex skinnies, the lycra is the core of the thread, and it's envelopped by polyester and cotton. This makes all the difference, because the cotton and polyester protect the lycra from losing its shape by wear or by washing and drying, and because the cotton outer layer of the thread ensures the thick denim fabric look.

Also, the design has a bum-lifting effect, apparently (proof here!), and Kate Moss loves them. I know, I sound like a deranged sales p(/b)itch, but when you get to the more high end part of the denim market, it's worth it to know what you're actually paying for. And according to my humble opinion, the Replay Hyperflex really is top notch, especially when your body shape isn't usually flattered by denim cuts.

All three Hyperflex styles retail at 159.90€.