Bringing up the rear -- jeans that are supposed to give you a lift

By SUSAN PHINNEY SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER "Butt Lifter jeans." That sweet little phrase literally popped off the page. Could it be possible to defy gravity without surgical intervention, exercise, or heaven forbid, dieting? At the end of the press release announcing the wonders of these special Blue Cult denims was an offer to "test drive" a pair. I was on the phone in a flash. Anonymous tests cheeks adorned in standard Blue Cult Five-Pocket Denim Jeans. "Of course we'd love to send you a pair," cooed Karen Webb from Los Angeles. "What size?" When told a size 12 should be perfect, there was a loooong pause on the other end of the line. Then Webb went into a spiel about how the sizes run terribly small, and their largest size, a 32, was really more of a size 10. She didn't have to tell me my bum didn't make the cut, so to speak. It was time to tap those friends who have volunteered to test everything from thong panties to faux suntans over the years. I found one who is a fan of the Blue Cult label, but she made it very clear that bad things would happen to me if any details of her identity or posterior were published. She even volunteered her Blue Cult size, 28 -- a number that indicated it was probably a 6 in real life. This was a number Webb could understand. She put the blues in the mail. Before handing them over for their test drive, however, I tried them on -- or at least I tried to try them on. They stopped just over my knees. That was the last possible point where they could be buttoned. Humiliating! I couldn't wait to give them to the official tester. While her tiny tush was road-testing the pants, I hit the phone and Internet to find out if butt-lifting jeans were just another niche market for denim, or a full-blown trend that had escaped my fashion radar. Anonymous' cheeks sporting Blue Cult Butt Lifters. Agnes Munala, spokeswoman for Seattle-based International News, reported that their Mecca Femme division of women's denims doesn't include any behind-enhancing styles. "We think all our styles are flattering to women's bodies, so there's no need for a special lifting feature," she explained. An Internet search indicated that Blue Cult seemed to have the lifter market cornered, but Lee Jeans advertised something called One True Fit -- a denim for women that offered a "lifted rear, thinner thighs and no back gap." They were available in a large range of sizes (2-16 missy and 18-24 plus). I was on the phone in a flash to learn more. Liz Cahill, spokeswoman for the company, said One True Fit jeans aren't considered "butt-lifters," but they do give that impression. "They have a backover riser detail, a construction term that means the seam above the pockets is sewn higher to draw the eye upward. It has to do with tricks of the eye," she explained of jeans that flatter. And that isn't the only tromp l'oeil trick built into these pants. Cahill talked about side seams that are closer to the center of the thigh for a slimmer leg look and pocket tops slightly angled-in to give the backside an "upward" look. Would I like to try a pair? Knowing that they'd probably have an appropriate size, I volunteered, and the next morning a package containing sizes 9/10 and 11/12 landed on my desk. "Nice wash," noted a colleague as she inspected the faded blues. Just for fun, the smaller size was tried first. And they fit! They could bend, sit, squat. I didn't have to lie on the floor in order to get them buttoned and zipped. Exhilaration drowned out humiliation in a flash. The tag said they were a combo of cotton and polyester with a dash of spandex. They were $40 and available at JCPenney and Mervyn's stores. Cahill said these jeans have been on the market for two years and are "selling incredibly well." I could feel the attraction. The friend testing the Blue Cult butt-lifter model, meanwhile, was taking the job seriously. Very seriously. "If I had a style philosophy (which I don't), dressing in garments meant to draw attention to my backside would not be among my preferences," she wrote. "It's not that I wish to obscure my behind. Rather, I aspire to dress it (and the rest of me) in things that fit well. Also, I believe strongly that the only two creatures on this Earth who ought to consciously emphasize their bums are female baboons and G-string models of both sexes. The rest of us, I feel, would do just fine to simply wear clean, comfortable clothes that perhaps reflect a little something about who we are. "So left to my own devices, I would not try on, let alone purchase, Blue Cult's Butt Lifter jeans." Once she got that off her chest, she went on to note that she only agreed to test the butt-lifter jeans because her other two models of Blue Cult jeans were highly favored and almost worn to death. Her final analysis? "Despite being the same size as my other Blue Cults, these bad boys seemed to have a narrower fit. The fabric seemed to soften within a few minutes of wearing the jeans, so they didn't feel quite as stiff. "The placement of the pockets (high) seemed to suggest that my bum was closer to my lower back than nature intended, but the pants didn't seem to seriously accentuate anything. I did notice, however, that the narrower fit in the seat is what pushed each cheek up -- kind of like a push-up bra for one's buttocks. Adding to the effect are the longer, narrower legs, with only a slightest of flares below the knees, " the tester said. Those who want to personally test these $150 jeans can find them at Mercer in University Village. With old and newer jeans from assorted manufacturers hanging in my closet, it wasn't as easy for me to evaluate the One Sure Fit jeans. They seemed tighter than others, but they did seem to flatter my bum and my resident critic approved. I was a little put off by the flared legs, however. As a survivor of the 1970s bell-bottom boom, flapping pant legs have lost their appeal. "Women are never going to understand what's really going on, they just want to look in the mirror, take a butt check and think it looks great. We want women to feel good about themselves in their jeans," Cahill said. FINDING JEANS THAT FIT No matter how many "how to buy jeans that fit and flatter" articles are published, or how many television hours are devoted to the subject, the best solution is to take several styles in several sizes from assorted manufacturers into a dressing room. Start trying them on and let the three-way mirror be your guide. The try-on should include sitting, squatting and bending from the waist to check for mobility and comfort. The online StyleMaven shopping guide (www.stylemaven.com) recently rated three brands of jeans for three body types (all are priced around $150 each): For a tall body or long torso -- Blue Cult's Butt Lifter For average height and less curvy body -- Citizens of Humanity stretch-style Ingrid pant For short or curvy body types -- The Honey Jean from Joe's Jeans Teen People magazine's latest issue contains "The Ultimate Denim Guide" for finding the perfect pair of jeans. Samples tested included everything from a cropped style from Unionbay ($34) to a Rock and Republic trouser for $210, with most selling for under $100. Its recommendations include cropped styles for talls; jeans with a higher waist and trouser styling for "pear" shapes; skinny jeans with narrow legs for petites; flared legs with a fitted waist for those with well-developed hips; comfortable, relaxed styles for athletes. The best all-round style? Boot-cut jeans, especially for women with curves. "This universally flattering style is for most body types because the slight flare leg visually balances out the width of your hips, thighs and butt." P-I reporter Susan Phinney can be reached at 206-448-8397 or susanphinney@seattlepi.com