Shop Beija-Flor | Flattering, Comfortable Denim

Shopping for denim is one of my least favorite things to do (right next to shopping for swimwear.) I've got long long legs, a big booty, and I hate feeling like a knife is going through my stomach when I sit down. Is that being a tad dramatic? Maybe... but really comfortable jeans are hard to find. Then you have ill fitting jeans that fit in the waist but sag in the front or gape in the back. It's just not cute, and maybe it's just me, but it seems like finding a quality, comfortable, flattering pair of denim shouldn't be all that hard to find.

If you've been around my blog for any amount of time, you know that I love affordable fashion, but if there's one article of clothing that I'm willing to splurge on, it's a good pair of jeans. They're the most versatile item in my wardrobe, I wear them the most, and let's face it, if you're dressing casual, you want to be COMFORTABLE but still look good, and that's not always easy to accomplish with a cheap pair of denim.

A few years back, a friend of mine told me that she had a pair of Beija-Flor jeans, and she raved about how great they were. I've been in the Beija-Flor shop a few times to browse, but I hadn't tried on a pair of their denim just yet. A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to shop at their store and get a pair of their jeans for myself, and I thought I'd bring you along and tell you all about the company and their denim!

Beija-Flor is a Greenville, SC based denim company, and it was started by a mother and daughter team, Kathy Moca and Emilie Whitaker. Kathy married a man from Brazil, and the two were inspired by the figure-flattering styles they saw while living in Brazil, and started their own denim company based in Greenville. Their website says, that they "created Beija-Flor's line to work with a woman's curves, rather than against them." They've received great press since starting their company, and even Oprah wears their jeans!

Fun fact - Emilie Whitaker, the owners daughter, ran a half marathon in a pair of their denim. If that doesn't say comfortable, I'm not sure what does! You can read more about that here.

What I love most about Beija-Flor is that they have different styles for different body types. I headed to downtown Greenville on Monday afternoon and met Gina, the Beija-Flor stylist who would be helping me. She started off by giving me an overview of Beija-Flor, and she also gave me the run down on all of the different styles. She then grabbed me a pair from each of their main styles and brought them to my dressing room to let me try them on to see which worked best for me.

I highly recommend taking the time to work with a stylist to find a style that works best for your body. I can be really indecisive, so it was nice to have Gina give me her opinion on what worked best. When I first found out that I was given the opportunity to work with Beija-Flor, I assumed whatever pair of denim they gifted me would not be long enough for my 5'9" physique. If I want my jeans to be long enough, I definitely have to order special tall sizes, otherwise they're just ankle jeans on me. But boy was I wrong. I actually found a pair that was long enough for me, and fit me perfectly. But more on that in another post where I'll share which Beija-Flor style I went with and how I styled it!

Beija-Flor has beautiful tops, denim skirts, and t-shirts to shop from as well! I found that everything in their store was so unique and definitely boutique quality! 

I also that it was really interesting that they offer jewelry made by local artisans. I love supporting local businesses, so I thought that was really nice that they also support fellow local makers!

I also loved their Vanuza Costa jewelry line made in Brazil. It's made out of that golden grass you see in the right corner of the Vanuza Costa sign. It's really exquisite, unique, and I found it to be quite affordable.

I wanted to write this post as the first part of my "Shop Greenville" section that I will have on the Everyday Emily Blog. I want a central location for Greenville natives or tourists alike to reference when they plan to shop our little southern city. So here's a CliffsNotes version of what you need to remember if you visit:

• Beija-Flor jeans are pricey. If you're looking for Old Navy prices, you're not going to find them there. You're also not going to get Old Navy quality. Simply put, you get what you pay for, and if you want well-fitting, high quality denim that makes you look and feel good, look no further than Beija-Flor.
• Be sure to size down. Gina told me from the beginning that you will most likely wear one size down from your original size. 
• Try out different styles. Some of the styles I tried on did nothing for me. Others, I absolutely loved! 
• Be sure to check out the unique jewelry while your there. It's truly beautiful! 
• Ask the stylists to help you. They know the denim better than anyone else, and you should utilize their knowledge and help. 

Whether you're a Greenville native, or you're visiting and plan to stop by Beija-Flor, I hope you find this "shop with me" helpful! Thanks for following along!