A couple months ago I wrote up a review of the Agolde 90’s jeans, and ever since then I’ve been on a quest for the perfect mom jeans (the problem with the Agolde ones were that they were a tad too small and even though I tried a size up, they still didn’t fit right. You can read all about it in my update in the Agolde jeans review). So I recently decided to try the Levi’s Ribcage Straight Ankle Jeans as a more affordable alternative to the Agolde jeans.
{Please note this section where I talk about size, I also talk about weight.} First off, I went with a size 29 in these jeans, which I think is true to size. But it’s hard to say these days since my weight is kind of all over the place (thanks to pandemic weight gain—but I don’t know how much longer I can use that as an excuse 🤷🏻♀️), so I don’t really know what is my true size anymore. These days instead of keeping pants that are too small and continually work to lose weight, I decided to just embrace my larger size and buy the pants that fit my body. So I would say gauging from my recent try-ons I’m about a 29-30. In the Agolde 90’s jeans (which fits larger) I’m a size 28 comfortably.
I actually really love these rib cage jeans (though the majority of you guys did not when I did an insta-poll 😭). Lol, that’s fine, I’m still sticking with these jeans. I love that these jeans have such a high rise (12”) and a nice straight fit. (Also just to note, the Agolde 90’s jeans have a rise of 11.5”). Both jeans have a button-closure which I used to find annoying, but these days don’t mind as much. I think when it’s such a high-rise, having a button-closure feels more comfortable. I also love that the inseam on the Levi’s (27”) are shorter than the Agolde ones so that I don’t have to cuff these Levi’s (though on my 5’4” frame they’re not ankle length but rather full length). Also unlike the 100% cotton Agolde jeans, the Levi’s have 1% elastane which provides the ever-so-slight stretch that I need. And even though the thicker denim fabric of the Agolde jeans denotes a higher quality jean (and thus a higher price tag), I actually prefer the slightly thinner denim of the Levi’s (heck, I’m a fan of the super thin, soft stretchy skinny jeans of years past). And lastly I like that I don’t get that baggy-V crotch problem on the Levi’s that I do on the Agolde jeans (which I talked about in my Agolde review).
Levi’s ribcage straight ankle on the left, Agolde mid rise 90’s jeans on the right
Some of the things I liked about the Agolde 90’s jeans over the Levi’s ribcage jeans include the slightly narrower leg of the Agolde jeans compared to the leg of the Levi’s (though you can’t really tell in these pictures), and the slightly less whiskering of the Snapshot wash of the Agolde compared to the Middle Road wash of the Levi’s (I also like the slightly more muted blue of the Agolde vs. the Levi’s wash). But overall I prefer the Levi’s for the better fit and the less expensive price tag ($98 compared to $198).
So I think if you’re looking for a good pair of high-waisted jeans the Levi’s ribcage straight ankle jean is a great pair for a reasonable price. I’m trying to get back into jeans (ugh hard pants 😭) these days so be prepared to see me wear these repeatedly for the rest of the year! The Levi’s ribcage jeans are great mom jeans for my new mom-bod 😁.