The word “curvy” is often used as a blanket term to describe women who may in fact have actual curves or, truth be told, may need to drop a little weight. It gets bandied about so often that when clothing is designed to specifically address curvy girl issues, it’s hard to tell sometimes if the term truly fits. Cookie Johnson’s denim collection for curvy girls truly hits the mark and with good reason. She’s one of them.

As the wife of NBA great Magic Johnson, Cookie Johnson could have any pair of jeans she wanted, if only she could find a pair that fit. For years, she attempted to slip her toned, curvy body in jeans that she saw other women wearing. Once Johnson found a pair that fit her backside, the waistband swallowed her.

“Nobody was really addressing this problem and I knew I wasn’t alone,” Johnson said. “Curvy women should be able to wear stylish, contemporary premium denim.” Johnson knew she had ideas for a jean line, so she approached premium denim designer Michael Glasser, the man behind Seven For All Mankind, Citizens For Humanity and Rich & Skinny. Together, the duo worked with fit models to create CJ by Cookie Johnson.

“We used two models, one curvy and one less curvy and then we met in the middle, incorporating design elements of both into the jeans. We brought the back up in the middle, so you can move and bend without exposing too much and we added silk waistband for comfort. The jeans had to have stretch and be made from a comfortable fabric that’s lightweight,” Johnson said.

Johnson also wanted them to be stylish, so women would have lots of options. There’re bootcut styles in various washes, the Boyfriend jean, the straight leg stretch and capri jeans, including a white pair for spring. As with other premium denim lines, sizes revolve around the waist starting with a 25 (a size 2), but unlike other lines, the CJ jeans go up to a 38 or size 18.

“There really aren’t jeans for that size range and I wanted there to be. Those girls are stylish too,” Johnson said. Petite and more plus sizes are on the horizon for CJ jeans. Also new for the line? Lower prices. Many styles run under $115 for a pair as opposed to prices closer to the $150 mark.

Johnson knew she was on the right track when she invited her girlfriends over to her house to try on the jeans.

“I had them spread out all over my bathroom and we were trying them on and dancing around. I didn’t realize how emotional this could be, but I have women tell me all the time how happy they are wearing my jeans,” Johnson said.

She does have quite a few fans, including Oprah Winfrey. At a recent appearance at Nordstrom, women anxiously gathered to meet Johnson and have her style for them. Friendly and approachable, Johnson was happy to do interviews, but even more eager to meet the real women wearing her jeans.

“This has been absolutely amazing and I just want to keep on doing it so I can be the best at what I do,” Johnson said.

Early Bird Gets the Shopping Spree

It seems like a dream sequence from a chick-flick, but shoppers who arrive early at the new Nordstrom Rack store at the Centre at Post Oak Thursday (Feb. 25) will be cheered on by a tunnel of Nordstrom Rack employees when entering the store. Even more movie-like is the chance for a lucky winner to zip through the 30,000-square-foot space during Race Through the Rack, a 90-second $2,000 shopping spree. Registration for Race Through the Rack starts at 7 a.m. and the drawing is at 8:45 a.m.

To prep for the big day, peruse Nordstrom Rack’s Facebook page for information about new merchandise hitting the stores and other special events. After a quick look at the page I discovered Nordstrom rack matches prices (if a competitor is offering the same item at a lower price, they match it) and if a shopper is looking for something specific, they can leave a message on the Facebook page and someone from the Nordstrom Rack public relations team answers it.

Spread Your Wings at Papillon Trunk Show

Have Spring fever yet? Get ready for the fresh new season at Abejas Boutique Wednesday at the Papillon trunk show from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Texas native, world traveler and former Gurej boutique owner Heather Harrison mixes feminine charm with Bohemian prints, creating dresses and tops that are effortless and breathtaking.

Harrison will also introduce the newest tie dye dresses and for the first 10 people in the store after 5 p.m. there will be swag bags, a $25 gift card, a pair of metallic flip-flops, a metallic leather cuff and other goodies.