Now that I finally banned my pre-preggers skinny jeans from my closet, I had to try a new brand that Oprah is nuts for: CJ (short for Cookie Johnson) jeans, made for the “fit but curvy” woman, according to Magic Johnson’s wife.

I ordered the Joy legging style jeans in dark rinse from Nordstrom.  Per a client’s recommendation, I ordered them one size down from my current size (a lady never tells…)

I am happy to report that the Joy jeans are a good fit, they are comfortable, not overly low rise, and I love the dark wash.  So for both comfort and looks, I give them a 4.5 on a scale of 5.

As for the sucking-in factor (SIF for short), they don’t quite hit the mark like my all-time favorite jean leggings from Maternal America, but hey, they don’t have the telling 5-inch pregnancy band around the waist either.  The material is not as substantial as the Maternal America leggings, so I give it a 3.5 for SIF.  I make up for it by wearing my Spanx tights underneath, since it is winter (and no, I don’t get a kick-back from Spanx).  Overall, the Joy legging style jeans are well made and good looking, but they are also $145, so I will give it at 3 out of 5 for value.  Citizens, by comparison, run $200, and the Maternal Americas are $100.

Any comments, recommendations, to help the size/transition challenged ladies find a great jean?  Post them here.