Not Your Daughter's Jeans promise to make you drop a dress size, get rid of your muffin-top and make you look svelte. But are they worth the premium price? Having tried them for a month, I'd have to say - yes.

I confess, the first time I tried them on, I was disappointed. Yes, they sucked me in around the middle, but my thighs looked as thunder-y as ever. As for my rear view - well, I don't look at that unless I have to, but it didn't look all that good to me.

A month later, I've had to rethink - because every time I wear my NYDJ's, people say things like, "Hey! You've lost weight!" or "Those jeans look great, where did you get them?". As for my rear view, my husband thinks my butt looks cute (if you'd seen my butt, you'd know it's way bigger than cute....).

So I'd have to agree that I look better in my NYDJ's than in any of my other jeans. They're well-made in a good quality fabric, so they look like they're going to last. And they're definitely the most comfortable jeans I've worn in years.

But let's look in more detail at what they can and can't do - that way if you're going to buy a pair, you'll have more realistic expectations than I did!

NYDJ jeans say they'll banish your muffin top. There's no magic in that - NYDJ's are not low rise, in fact they fasten right up at your natural waistline.  Any waist-high jeans will prevent muffin-top, as anyone will know who grew up in the days when all skirts and pants sat on the waist.  In those days, we didn't even know what it was!

A muffin top happens when fat you didn't know you had is squidged upwards by a tight fastening at hip level. Raise the fastening to your real waist, where you carry less fat, and there's no overflow (or at least it's a heck of a lot smaller).

Of course,the downside is that you may be reluctant to tuck a shirt into your NYDJ's, because you may feel the high waist is too Nana. Personally, I wear most of tops tucked out so it hasn't been an issue.

However, I think they've missed an opportunity. Considering you're not likely to tuck in a blouse anyway, why not make the jeans literally high-waisted, i.e. coming right up over the ribs like a pair of Spanx? That way you would get a really slim shape, and the only fat that could escape would be the back fat that's already billowing over your bra band - so what's the diff?

These are called Tummy Tuck jeans for a reason!   The front of the jeans is very firm and definitely makes you feel pulled in.  Obviously, that's part of the reason they come up to the waist, so they can cover the whole stomach.

Once again, I can 't help wishing they were really high-waisted, because I'm sure I'm not the only menopausal woman whose belly fat is sneaking up on to her ribs...

This is where I was in for a disappointment. Not Your Daughter's Jeans have more spandex than other jeans (4% as opposed to 1% or 2%), but most of it is in the (very firm) tummy area, because they hardly seem to hold in my thighs at all.

If you feel you need more thigh control, then you may be better off buying any old pair of jeans and a pair of Spanx thigh-shapers to wear under them.

I think I'll stick with my NYDJ's, personally. They may not minimize my thighs, but they don't draw unwanted attention to them either.

Have you ever bought tight stretch jeans that squeeze your thighs beautifully when you first put them on, but when you start moving, they develop unflattering horizontal wrinkles? That just makes it more obvious you've squeezed your thunder thighs into a size too small. NYDJ's don't do that - they don't hold you in much, but they stay smo-o-o-th. And they don't cut off your circulation!

I've seen several websites recommending you buy your NYDJ's a size smaller than your regular size.

I disagree!

My rhinestone NYDJ's are cut slim in the leg. Their cut works best on apple-shaped women i.e. women who carry weight on their belly and butt, but have great legs.

I'm a pear shaped size 12, and there's no way I could wear a size 10 in that style. I can get the smaller size on, and even do them up (eventually) - and they give me an impressively flat stomach. But because they don't hold in the thighs, my saddle bags look worse than ever in contrast to my squashed-flat bum and tummy.

The size 12 fits me very nicely. thank you. They don't hold my tummy in as much as a smaller size would, but they give me a smooth body line, so I think I made the right choice.

I probably would have been more sensible to buy a style with a more relaxed-fit leg - but there was just something about those rhinestones I couldn't resist...

Most women become more apple-shaped around menopause, so I guess it's not surprising that Not Your Daughter's Jeans have been designed to suit that figure. Unfortunately, I'm one of those who has collected a belly without losing the thigh fat!

So my advice would be - if you're an apple, you may want to try the "one size smaller" trick (if you're buying online, check the Returns policy first!). But if you're a pear, stick to your regular size, unless you suit a wide-leg style.

Either way, choose a pair that fits snugly when you try them on - it should be a bit of a struggle to zip them up, but not lying-down-on-the-floor-with-a-coat-hanger-tight (if you wore jeans in the '70's, you'll know what I mean!). They will give somewhat with washing and wearing.

Get ready to say goodbye to your tummy!

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All text copyright Marisa Wright.  Photo thanks to Size8jeans on Flickr.