Shopping for jeans is one of the most traumatic shopping experience a woman will ever have (right up there with shopping for bras and swimwear). Forget all the choices regarding rise, rinse, cut, and length, just finding a pair that fit properly is stressful enough. Top that off with an average price tag of $180 per pair, and it is enough to make you crawl back into your Juicy Couture sweats.

Levi’s is attempting to alleviate this stress with their new line of Totally Slimming jeans. Available at Wal-Mart stores, these jeans cost under $20, and are made with stretch denim and a tummy control panel (yes, that means the rise is pretty normal - sits at the waist. I’m no fan of Wal-Mart, but in my quest for the perfect fit I am willing to try nearly anything.

Sadly, these jeans are not the end of that search. The stretch denim is comfortable; I’ll give them that. But I don’t notice any tummy flattening. In fact, I think it made my hips look wider. And the thin denim gave me a VPL.

I have swallowed my pride and decided to put up photos of me in these jeans. Please be kind.