If there were such a concept as hell on earth, I'm convinced it would involve shopping for jeans in some way. Thus, my strategy is AVOID, AVOID, AVOID. But when you grow a tad too large for all of your existing pairs of denim (oh dear), you're left with no choice.  Graciously, kindly, Beija-Flor, a new collection of Brazilian denim, made my most recent denim experience a tad more tolerable with their bootcut Jennifer Jean.

Portuguese for hummingbird, Beija-Flor literally means “kiss the flower”. The jeans are constructed of a dark-wash, thin stretch denim and contoured to fit a woman's waist - higher in the back and lower in the front.  The Jennifer in particular is a mid-rise style, which is helpful if you have a little tummy action happening like I do. The collection also has straight leg styles and a super cute denim skirt, which I am currently eyeing.

Beija-Flor runs a tad larger than most high end denim lines, so I recommend sizing down.  They're beyond comfortable and quite flattering - in fact, on my first night out in Beija-Flors, I got two great compliments!

The Jennifer Jean retails for $170. Beija-Flor jeans are available in over 100 boutiques nationwide - to find a store or shop online, visit www.ilovethesejeans.com.