It’s time for the ultimate white jeans showdown! One of the hardest things for me to shop for is white jeans at an affordable price, so I bought 5 pairs of white jeans from different retailers to find the best white jeans for under $50.
The Best White Jeans Under $50
The contenders are… (in no particular order)
1. Old Navy Mid-Rise Rockstar Skinny Jeans
2. LOFT Modern Double Frayed Slim Pocket Skinny Jeans
3. Wal Mart Time and Tru Women’s High Rise Sculpted Ankle Jegging
4. J.Crew Factory 10″ Highest-Rise Skinny Jeans in White Denim
5. American Eagle Ne(X)t Level Jegging
I will be judging the white jeans on 4 criteria: price, fit, quality, and see-through ability.
Old Navy Mid-Rise Rockstar Skinny Jeans
Starting off is the Old Navy Mid-Rise Rockstar Skinny Jeans. I would like to disclose that I have had these jeans since last year but believe the style has not changed from what is currently available. Overall I have worn these jeans many times and they do hold up nicely and are breathable.
Price: $34.99 $29.00
Old Navy is pretty much always having a sale, so even though they still well under the $50 mark you can often time find them for an even better deal.
Fit
I found the fit of this style to run slightly smaller than true to size, but I do find that they stretch over wear so even though your normal size might be tight they do loosen over time.
They also have slight bunching around the knee and ankle area. I am 5’2″ wearing the regular fit so someone slightly taller would not have an issue at all.
Quality
Overall the quality is average for the price. One thing that does bother me is the material is more like a jeggings material with a lot of stretch rather than traditional denim. I’m not sure why Old Navy has the fabric change from their regular denim to their white denim, but the makeup is definitely different at 91% cotton, 8% polyester, 1% spandex compared to the style equivalent blue denim makeup of 70% cotton, 28% polyester, 2% Lycra.
See-Through Ability
This pair is what you would expect in a white jean. They are slightly see through but when wearing nude undergarments it is not an issue. The outside of the front pockets is a khaki color material so it gives you a little more coverage.
LOFT Modern Double Frayed Slim Pocket Skinny Jeans
Next is the LOFT Modern Double Frayed Slim Pocket Skinny Jeans. Similar to the Old Navy pair, I did buy these last season and have had a whole year wearing them, but the style is still available. When looking at just the Old Navy pair and this pair, this pair is not even on the same playing field. These have been my go-to jeans for the past year. I really love the frayed detail, it adds a little more detail to plain pair of white jeans and looks like a double ruffle from afar. The fray also looks great when showing off cute summer shoes!
Price: $79.50 $49.50
In my mind, Loft is the clothing equivalent to Hobby Lobby everything is always 40% off. I have a full blog post on how to shop the best deals at Loft but NEVER buy anything full price. Over the next few months, you’ll see these jeans go on and off sale, but definitely wait until they are on sale if you decide to pull the trigger.
Fit
I love the fit of these jeans. I have a curvy body type and these jeans suck me and are very flattering. My only complaint with these jeans is I wish they were a higher rise, I would consider them a low to mid-rise fit.
I also like a little ankle showing, so I like the inseam length. I am wearing the regular length so if you are taller than 5’2″ it might be more of a Capri length.
Quality
Unlike the Old Navy pair and others these are a true denim, not a jegging material, so that makes quality right off the bat better. Because of the denim material they hold their shape and do not stretch out over time.
All of the pockets are functional.
See-Through Ability
This would be the 2nd most coverage style as far as a see-through ability. The fabric is very thick, however, I do still wear nude undergarments to be safe.
Wal-Mart Time and Tru Women’s High Rise Sculpted Ankle Jegging
This pair was the one I had the highest hopes for and was disappointed in the most. Y’all know I live in Wal-Mart country, so I was really rooting for this pair hoping Wal-Mart would come out with a win. I actually bought this pair from a blogger friend because she raved about them, however, they just did not work out for me.
Price: $17.84
Wal-Mart is known for every day low prices, so for $17.84, you can’t beat that. I do believe these are an online exclusive though.
Fit
This is where this pair really let me down. Normally in dresses, I am a sizes 2 and tops I am an XS/S, but in jeans, I am a true 4/26. I ordered a normal 4 but they ran super small. They fit in the hip region, but the waist was not proportional at all. The waistband was digging into me horribly. I thought at first it might be manageable, but there was no stretch at all and would not be comfortable to wear.
If you are considering I would definitely recommend going up a size.
I also want to call out that the jeans did come cuffed when I took them out of the package. I thought they were tacked, but actually, they were just folded so it was an easy fix.
Quality
Despite the fit not working out for me, I was also disappointed in the quality. For $17 I can’t be too picky, but these jeans did not have functional pockets in the front, so it gave a jegging like feel.
The material is similar to the Old Navy style, more like a stretchy fabric than a true denim.
See-Through Ability
These jeans were the most see-through out of all of them. Not only could you see color underneath, but you could see every outline of my underwear (likely because they were too small, but I did want to call it out). This pair was also the thinnest material out of all 5.
J.Crew Factory 10″ Highest-Rise Skinny Jeans in White Denim
I had high expectations for the J.Crew Factory 10″ Highest-Rise Skinny Jeans in White Denim because J.Crew Factory is one of my favorite retailers, but J.Crew Factory came through and did not disappoint. This was my first pair of pants from J.Crew Factory and I was pleasantly surprised.
Price: $79.50 $46.50
The price above reflects the price of jeans at the time of me writing this post. When I actually purchased these they were having a BOGO on pants, so it was almost like 50% off because you go two pants for the price of one. However, similar to LOFT they always have sales so never buy full price.
Tip: One tip I learned when working on J.Crew as a client during my agency days is on the banner with the promotions you can click the “details” button and find when the promo ends so if you know to wait or not.
Fit
The fit of these jeans was exactly what I expected. They run true to size and the inseam was a perfect length for me.
Additionally, these are a 10″ rise, which I prefer to really keep everything sucked in, so I really love the high rise element to these jeans while still being able to wear them every day comfortably.
According to their website, they feature (new!) reinforced-stretch-pocket technology for a smooth, holds-you-in look while being fitted through hip and thigh, with a superskinny, straight leg.
Quality
As far as quality, I don’t think I would be able to tell a difference between these and the full price J.Crew ones.
They are a true denim with a traditional 5 pocket style. I really enjoy that they fit like a normal pair of jeans but in white.
See-Through Ability
The jeans are not see through at all. By nature, I still wear light colored undergarments, but because of the high quality, it’s not a concern.
MISC
Two notes I wanted to call out on these jeans that don’t fall in the categories above.
1. They are slightly off white, which doesn’t bother me but compared to other jeans they are slightly less white.
2. They do feature a fairly large brand label on the back right hip. Most tops will cover this, but it may be something of interest to you.
American Eagle Ne(X)t Level Jegging
Last but not least, the American Eagle Ne(X)t Level Jegging. I have not shopped at American Eagle in years, but before I made the Madewell denim switch it’s all I ever wore. AE is known for its denim and according to their website, they are very proud of these jeans. We’ll see how they compare…
Price: $49.95
This was the highest price point of the 5, assuming you are buying the Loft and J.Crew Factory pairs on sale.
Fit
The fit of these jeans overall was average. The waist fit true to size, but the legs felt pretty tight, however, there is some stretch. I felt like there was an unusual amount of bumps and wrinkles by the zipper and thighs.
In true typical American Eagle fashion, they do feature stitching on the back pockets which I don’t prefer because I feel like it is not flattering to the behind.
Additionally, these are a low rise fit style. This is not something I prefer, but I liked the fit of these better than the Wal-Mart pair.
Quality
I was very disappointed to see they weren’t a true denim, but a spandex jeggings style which was advertised in the product title, but for $49.95 they feel like a jegging. Additionally, the front pockets are not functional which I think cheapens the quality.
The quality is fair, however, given the higher price point, I do not think these are the best bang for your book and would not recommend this pair.
See-Through Ability
The see-through ability fell right in the middle of the scale. They weren’t see-through but they also weren’t completely full coverage given the thinner jegging material.
MISC
Similar to the J.Crew Factory pair these also feature a brand label on the back right hip. This is much smaller than the J.Crew Factory label and one cool feature was this was customizable. You could choose between different colors and patterns to make them your own.
Final Thoughts
Below are my rankings in order of favorite to least favorite.
1. J.Crew Factory 10″ Highest-Rise Skinny Jeans in White Denim
2. LOFT Modern Double Frayed Slim Pocket Skinny Jeans
3. Old Navy Mid-Rise Rockstar Skinny Jeans
4. Wal-Mart Time and Tru Women’s High Rise Sculpted Ankle Jegging
5. American Eagle Ne(X)t Level Jegging
The J.Crew Factory pair was my absolute favorite pair and will become my go-to white jeans in the coming weeks. I feel comfortable wearing these to church, work and out without worrying that you can see through them or being too tight and not flattering.
I also really like the LOFT pair and will rotate these in for something a little more detailed with the frayed hem.
The Old Navy ones are comfortable, but definitely not the best quality. These will be perfect for going to baseball games, outdoor festivals or concerts or running errands.
I put the Wal-Mart pair in 4th because given the price they are fair, but I definitely recommend going up a size.
And lastly is the American Eagle Ne(X)t Level Jegging. The price is not a reflection of these pants at all. They are way overpriced, the fit is not flattering and quality is disappointing.
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