Oprah's Favorite Jeans

On a recent cover shoot for O, The Oprah Magazine, Oprah made an exciting new discovery. "The perfect jeans for real women with real booties," she says. "For three days straight, I had on the jeans." Even though she calls herself a "hard-core pajama girl," Oprah says she wore the jeans for a five-hour flight—they were that comfortable.

The line is called CJ by Cookie Johnson, and the mastermind behind them is the wife of NBA legend Magic Johnson. "I had a hard time finding a jean to fit me," Cookie says. "Every time I [would] go to the stores, I put the jeans on and I couldn't get them past my thighs. I thought: 'I'm in good shape. I work out. I eat healthy. Why can't I find a jean to fit me?'"

Cookie says she eventually had a realization that changed the course of her career. "I said: 'You know what, it's not me. It's the industry.'" So Cookie decided to take matters into her own hands. "I said: 'That's it. I'm going to create a hot jean for us girls with curves so we can look just as good as that little skinny girl out there.'"

Cookie launched her very own line of jeans, CJ by Cookie Johnson, in early 2009. One of the secrets to the jeans' success, Cookie says, is stretch. "My partner, Michael Glasser, is an expert at fabrics, and he searched all over and found these wonderful fabrics from Europe that had great stretch to them but were so comfortable at the same time," she says. "We put a silk waistband inside the waist so they will be nice and comfortable. There's a lot of different aspects to this jean that go to comfort."

Joy Legging style of CJ by Cookie Johnson Jeans

Model: Amy Lemons

Cookie says there are three questions everyone should ask themselves when they put on a pair of jeans. Are they comfortable to walk in? Are they too tight in the thighs? Do they come up high enough in the back to cover your goods? "If you can sit down and nothing comes out, that's the pair of jeans for you," she says.

To offer a skinny jean to curvy women, Cookie created the Joy legging style. "Leggings are really popular right now," she says. "We decided to create a denim legging."

The Boyfriend style of CJ by Cookie Johnson Jeans

Model: Anansa Sims

Adam Glassman, creative director of O, The Oprah Magazine, says the CJ by Cookie Johnson line wowed him. "We get a lot of jeans in the office, and I make everyone try them on, [women] of all sizes and all ages. These jeans are hip, they're cool and they're sophisticated," he says. "[The women trying on the jeans] have to bend over, they have to squat, and they have to make sure they don't get whale tail. ...Whale tail is when you bend over and your underwear shows. You get that V of your underwear. ... These jeans are perfect."

The Boyfriend style, Oprah's favorite, comes in three colors—dark denim, black and gray. "The boyfriends, I always say are like the new sweatpants," Cookie says. "I throw them on all the time and wear them to the grocery store, wherever."

Faith style of CJ by Cookie Johnson Jeans

Model: Ashley Graham

Since CJ by Cookie Johnson jeans are for a wide range of body shapes, they come in a wide range of sizes. "They start at 24 to 38," Cookie says. "Which translates from size 2 to size 18."

Another reason Adam is such a huge fan is that the jeans have clean lines. "I love that there aren't a lot of doodads on the back pockets," he says. "They don't sag. You can wear them all day long and you still look great in these jeans. And the fabric is not too thick. I think that's the key to jeans."

The Faith jean is the straight-cut option. "That's for the woman who doesn't want to wear the clingy legging but wants a straight leg," Cookie says.

Model: Kate Dillon

In order to make her jeans work for curvy women, Cookie says the jean comes up higher in the back than most jeans do. "I left them stylishly low in the front so they don't come up and you feel like you're wearing your mother's jeans," she says. "They come up high enough that they cover what they need to cover but they still have style.

The Boot Cut is CJ by Cookie Johnson's basic style. "It's a little slimmer on the top and then it flares a little bit at the bottom," Cookie says.

Truth style of CJ by Cookie Johnson Jeans

Model: Lizzie Miller

If you're looking to dress up your jeans, Cookie says the Truth style, which has a high waist and wide leg, is the best bet. "That's the jean you want to wear if you want to go out to a nice dinner or for some of you who can wear jeans to work, you can pair them with a great blazer, put on a heel and go to work.

Though CJ by Cookie Johnson are Oprah's favorite jeans, she says she knows the $141 to $198 price tag is steep. "They're definitely on the high end," Oprah says "A splurge." If you're looking for a more affordable jean that still has Adam Glassman's fashion seal of approval, check out his budget-conscious denim recommendation.

Keep Reading

Oprah's new favorite jeans

The world's best job Video Icon

Delicious vegan recipes