Local women find the right denim at three price points

It used to be so easy — you bought a pair of red-tag Levi's, threw them in the wash half a dozen times so you could actually move in them, and called it an outfit. Presto! Cool jeans.

No such luck these days. Now you've got your skinny legs. Your boot cuts. Mid-rise. Low-rise. Black, gray, indigo. $20 jeans. $750 jeans. Stonewashed denim, raw denim, selvage denim. Boutique brands in specialty stores, designer brands in department stores and — thank God for this one constant in life — good old Levi's just about everywhere.

How's a chic modern girl to choose?

The encouraging news is, there probably is a pair of jeans that will look good on you, no matter what your budget.

Look — we'll prove it.

We sent two readers out into the daunting world of denim to be professionally fitted in a pair of lower-priced jeans (at Wal-Mart) and a pair of high-end jeans (at Riveted, a specialty-denim store in Seattle). Then we had the women use what they had learned to select a pair of mid-priced designer jeans (on us).

Here are their inspiring finds:

Daniella Kalaw, 20, of Renton, a receptionist.

Size: 12-14

What she wanted: "I have a horrible time with jeans," Kalaw says. "Big girls aren't supposed to wear tight jeans." Take that, dopey "supposed-to" rules. Kalaw wanted hot jeans. "I was looking for whatever looked the sexiest," she says. "But they have to be comfortable, because it's just not sexy when you're so uncomfortable you're picking at your jeans."

The lower-priced jeans: Darker-wash Levi Strauss Misses low-rise, slim-fit, boot-cut, from Wal-Mart. $19.68.

Their appeal: Levi's are classic, "so popular among so many people," says Corey Keefer, assistant manager, Everett Wal-Mart.

Why they work: "She wanted something that would be comfortable when she first gets it on, and boot-cut, because she was going to wear high heels," says Wal-Mart's Verlin Leedy. "They looked very good on her. They fit her really well around the waist."

Why she likes them: "I like them right at my belly button," she says, also praising the fact that they don't flatten her butt.

The higher-priced jeans: Sacuma jeans from Pine IV, from Riveted. $195.

Their appeal: Pine IV jeans are made from high-end Japanese denim, known for its sophisticated washes and high-quality yarn. And unlike a lot of other specialty brands, Pine IVs come in sizes for a curvy girl. (Its parent company is Redmond's own Simply Blue Inc.)

Why they work: "They're very flattering through the thigh" and the backside works, too, says Riveted co-owner Allison Cornia: "Not everybody can wear a flap pocket well." The cut not only lengthens Kalaw's body, but, "The flat pocket is kind of a young, fun thing, too. It's good for her age."

Why she likes them: "I like the way they fit my thighs. I have a bad time if something fits my waist but not my thighs."

Kalaw's pick for a mid-priced jean: Calvin Klein Stretch Calvin Flair, below waist, slim fit, flare leg, from Macy's. $69.

Verdict: She chose them because she liked the color and "they didn't look like your average 'cheap' jean." Riveted co-owner Lex Petras: "Where they hit her in the waist is nice. They're the right rise, and the leg width is good."

Linda Kim, 42, of Everett, an administrative assistant for the Mukilteo School District.

Size: 6.

What she wanted: Something vastly different from her usual "mom jeans."

The lower-priced jeans: Light-wash Levi Strauss Misses low-rise, slim-fit, boot-cut, from Wal-Mart. $19.68.

Why they work: The cut of these jeans, the same style as Kalaw's but with a lighter wash, is very slimming, Keefer says; "she's got nice stomach definition, which the low-rise accentuates."

Why she likes them: "They're not 'painted on'... they feel worn, they don't feel stiff. They're like an old friend."

The higher-priced jeans: Stronghold jeans, from Riveted. $250.

Their appeal: Thanks to the intensive labor and material that go into each pair, "These are the Cadillac of jeans," says Riveted's Cornia . The material is selvage denim, which, according to Stronghold, is the superior-quality, narrow woven edge of denim produced on vintage, narrow looms.

Why they work: The legs are skinnier than a boot-leg cut, but not all-out pegged, co-owner Petras says — a nice "transitional" jean that's totally suited to, say, a woman.

Why she likes them: "They're a little more slim through the thighs, but they feel good. They don't even feel like jeans."

Kim's pick for a mid-priced jean: DKNY Greenwich Jean, low-rise, slim fit, flare, from Macy's. $79.

Verdict: "I like that they're long and I like the boot cut." She followed the Riveted fitters' preference for low-rise and dark wash. Petras says: "I like what it's doing at the knee. You can see her leg muscles."