My Skinny Jeans Nearly Killed Me

Jane Rylance, 53, had found her dream denims but then her legs began to ache.

- Alison Smith-Squire & Anna Verdon

The perfect pair of jeans can make you feel amazing. When they fit right, they can give you the type of confidence that makes you feel you can take on anything. My problem was that, at 6ft tall with 36in legs, finding the right ones was a nightmare.

Normally, I’d resort to wearing leggings or skirts, but in July 2015, while browsing the internet, I stumbled across an extra-long pair of jeans from a high street store. They were black and high-waisted and, at £28,they weren’t expensive, either. When they arrived they fit me like a dream. And whether I was going out with friends, or going to see my son Marcus, then 20, at university, they were perfect for every occasion.

I’d wear them at least twice a week and would rave about how great they were. But after a few weeks, I noticed my legs were aching a lot, and at night painful cramps would shoot up and down my calf muscles, making it impossible to sleep.

Working all hours

At first, I just put it down to my job. Recently single, I worked as a carer close to my home in Ormskirk, Lancashire, and I’d often be on my feet for 12 hours a day. But soon the aches and pains were happening more frequently.