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A few weeks ago, I entered a contest over at Blissfully Domestic for a pair of jeans from Alias and actually won. That never happens. After I recovered from the shock of actually winning something, I waited with baited breath for the arrival of the jeans.

Jeans have always been a hard thing for me. They shouldn't be. Everybody owns jeans, and just about everybody looks good in jeans. I look good in jeans, but -- here's the catch --only certain kinds of jeans.

I have a figure like a weight-lifting hobbit. Although my driver's license says 5'1", I'm actually just shy of 5 foot even. Most clothing manufacturers believe that when you are this vertically challenged, you are either a pre-pubescent girl, or an adult version of a Chinese gymnast. I am neither.

I have no hips to speak of. As I write this, I am watching Stacey and Clinton talk about a woman's "hourglass shape". Stacey and Clinton have never met me. I have more of an inverse triangle shape. Broader shoulders, wide rib cage, narrow pelvis. Sometimes I think that I am made up of various parts of different skeletons thrown together in a whimsical fashion.

Despite my ridiculously narrow hips, I got a pretty high, round booty. And significant thighs. This is probably my own fault, since the more I work out, the bigger my thighs and butt become. And I have my eyes on a half ironman at the end of the summer. So finding a pair of jeans that take into account the non-existent hips, big butt, solid thighs, and short legs is near impossible.

The last time I went jeans shopping was around 7 years ago. Loose fitting jeans were in style then. I bought four pair which I rotate through on a regular basis. Of course now, I have iron-on flower patches on the back pockets to cover the little holes that have been forming over the past seven years. It really is time for new jeans.

I almost felt bad for Alias denim. They sent a free pair of jeans to a crazy person who has 7 years of jeans baggage to overcome. (I once walked out of a Gap and yelled "All I want is a pair of jeans that will contain more than 50% of my pelvis! Is that too much to ask?") That's an awful lot for one pair of jeans to live up to.

SO how did they look?

I am very happy to report that for the first time in years, I had a pleasant jeans experience. They arrived in the mail all tied up with a cute little hot pink tie. The jeans are 98% denim and 2% "stretch" (which I'm assuming is lycra.) Just enough for a little bit of "give" in all the right places. The jeans come in a dark wash, which is super nice, as I have been looking for a dark wash jean. (Good for nights out with the girls or to see a band) They look pretty well made, too. Rivets at the corner of the front pockets, good sized belt loops, nice smooth-working zipper.

And how did they fit?

You know? Pretty frickin' well! The "2% stretch" allows for a bit of expansion around the thighs and booty. But they never felt tight. Just comfy. The denim is just stiff enough to support that "inside cuff" without falling down. The only area where I had a bit of a problem was the hip area, where I was afraid falling debris could fly right down the back of my pants, perhaps doing damage. So I got a bit creative. One small nip tuck on either side of the waistband, strategically hidden behind the belt loops, and I was safe.

Most importantly, how did they perform?

I wore them out last weekend to a friend's birthday celebration at a bar. The low rise cut took a bit of getting used to, since all my 7 year old babies are medium rise. Once I got past the urge to pull them up every two seconds, I was rockin'! The comfy, stretchy material allowed me to gallop all over the dance floor and to sit on a bar stool with equal comfort. Better still, I got 5 (that's right FIVE) compliments on the booty that night.

For that reason alone, I'm sold.

I definitely do think I'll visit the Alias website for jeans in the future. And I'm hoping for a medium rise model to come out soon!