The idea of spending so much on jeans seemed daunting to me, but I gave them a go. Here's what my experience has been like:

1) I normally wear a size 12, and on advice of others I ordered a size 10P (I'm 5'5"). The jeans were the perfect length for me, but initially I had trouble buttoning them. After wearing them for a while, they did relax around my middle.  I haven't yet washed them, but when I do I'll use cold water.

2) When I looked in a full-length mirror, what amazed me was how great my stomach area looked. It really pulls it in, but comfortably.  In profile, I do think I look slimmer.

3) The dark color is very nice and flattering, as well as versatile.

4) The jeans themselves feel very well made, like they will last a while if I take care of them.

I'm happy with the purchase and I expect these will become my go-to jeans if they survive the wash. I don't know that the price feels reasonable, but I found myself going to the website to look at other styles. I hope Amazon sells more styles someday.