Its a really good question - why would any woman, particularly a mother raising children, commit to spending $100 or more on one single pair of women's jeans? When the jeans aren't even modelled by a super-model or a rock star? Find out why there was a gap in the market for this brand to emerge into, what the jeans promise to do for the average woman and why the marketing has culminated in massive sales worldwide. By the time you've read this guide, you should have a fair idea of why women will spend this cash and whether its well spent.

The jeans market in the last two decades has reflected the rest of fashions obsession with the 'fashion waif' look. First, there was the explosion of what the media dubbed 'heroin chic' in the 90s, particularly in trend setting London, the town that produced Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell to name just 2 superstars. Think of the models on the Calvin Klein adverts, the Guess jeans adverts, the billboards for Levis women's jeans line. Although there were some changes, such as the introduction of Eva Herzigova's 'Wonderbra look' away from the totally boyish figure, the trend generally continued in both the states and Europe to the point where suddenly we were all reading and talking about whether 'size zero' was an OK Thing or Not. The end result were fashionable jeans designed for that very boyish look, for flat, toned tummies and young behinds, rather than for the range of body sizes real women actually had during any of that era.Many fashion lines are still cut to hang on one (small) figure size then the dimensions are simply scaled up for the larger sizes, with unflattering results.

Cue  the Not Your Daughters Jeans brand in the early naughties, who spotted the yawning chasm in the women's jeans market for jeans that worked well for curvier women. All their jeans and trousers feature one sneaky design gizmo - a criss-crossed type of stitching incorporated into a shaping panel worked directly into the waist and seat fabric of the garments. Et voila, the tummy is shaped, but there's no muffin top spillover, as the waist is high. The behind is given a subtle lift, so the knickers can't come glaring into view when you reach over for something in the supermarket. The design promises comfort as well as shaping ability, as it contains twice the amount of spandex as even most control wear foundation garments (those big control knickers we sometimes wear!). As an antidote for women struggling to reasonably carry off jeans cut for a frankly thinner, flatter figure, they offer a radical alternative but at a price. 

The price tag comes in new at around $100 or more in the US, so around £70 or so GBP. The jeans have two features that account for this. They're made in the USDA, not outsourced to lower costs. They're also featuring that panels, which are patented. Quite simply, no-one else can make a copy-cat product legitimately, although of course, as with any known name there are inferior quality fakes floating around, often from countries where Western copyright laws don't apply. So while there may be endless versions of low rise patterns, from the $30 fast fashion ranges to hundreds of dollars for designer lines, you can only really pick one brand if you want the jeans known as the tummy tuck jeans. With these factors and a commitment to keeping them made in the USA keeping prices above fast fashion levels, you might wonder who would buy this product.

The answer is an older style conscious demographic. Women in their forties, fifties and above  took to the jeans in America where they were launched, probably delighted that finally someone was catering for their needs. Although the company does have that famous advertising tag line that you will drop a dress size by wearing a pair, it was probably simply the sheer overwhelming relief to find they weren't expected to give up on fashionable jeans that drove women to shop for these as though there were about to run out in the first few years. Sales stayed high, fashion press coverage was good and the brand expanded into Europe. Sales are not only due to the older clientele though - these have been discussed in parenting magazines and online forums and have been a hit with women, to help them manage the natural little pads of fat that often develop after having had a baby. Again, not something accommodated really successfully by anything cut originally to fit well on a catwalk-style figure.

With a broad appeal to moms and women in their more dignified years, the brand has come from a cold start in the early naughties to global sales traffic far from their native America. While they may never be seen worn by the younger high fashion models, real women seem to like them. And that's the key to the phenomenon,  they are a simple hit with real women who will certainly pay quite a lot of money above fast fashion prices for something tailored specifically for their wardrobe needs. The price of one might be the same as three pairs of high street low risers, or even regular high waisted styles but women seem to be opting for the fit rather than always for the price tag.