It’s now time to really talk FIT. Nine times out of ten, women walk out of the dressing room and say,”These are too tight!” Today’s jean has a different look and feel. Consider the stretch factor. If you find a size that works, go down ONE size just to compare. Think booty, hip, thigh. Waist can be altered. Beware of relaxed cuts that are too roomy in the thighs.
- Go slowly when you shop. Quality time in the fitting room—45 minutes to an hour—pays off. Be patient, ASK for help and know there is a pair for you!
- Sit or squat while you’re trying on jeans to check “spill over” or ”reveal” (also to gauge comfort level).
- It’s all in the rise! This is the entire area from waistband to crotch to side seams. A good fit means: NO bunching, puckering or any EXTRA fabric in this area. It might say low rise, but hit you mid-rise. Don’t rule out a low rise as it depends on your body (torso/leg line). Remember you can measure the rise to help you decide before trying.
- Buy two pairs when you find great jeans—one to hem for heels, the other to hem for flats.
- Choose a dark wash which is the most flattering and also can be dressed up/down. Special fabric treatments (whiskering) make sense only on areas of the body you want to spotlight.
- Think wardrobe. Three to five pairs are the minimum: one or two for dressier occasions or work if your dress code allows (dark, straight-legged denim looks most polished)Wear with a heel. One or two for weekends with flats or sneakers (NOT running shoes) Find a pair (perhaps less expensive) with more stretch for days when are feeling heavier.
- Alterations are key if jeans aren’t precisely right. Fit largest part of body and tailor from there.
- Prevent fade-out by washing dark jeans inside out in cold water.
- Shop online –can be helpful for background info. Check out all the sites below. Lots of great info from Stacy London on the Riders site and video from The Gap.
- Do NOT Hem your jeans too short. This is one of the biggest mistakes women make. They should be 1/2 inch from the floor–one inch at the most! You want the longest leg line possible. Try with a heel–even 1-1/2 inches; you will see a significant difference. You will be taller, look thinner and feel ”leggy”. Trust me on this one. I have short legs and this works wonders.
A good sales person will be able to guide you to the correct brands if you are very specific about what you want. It will eliminate brands and save time. A seasoned sales person has seen jeans on many women. Fit patterns develop. Here are a few things I’ve found that you may like starting with lower price points and moving up. If you want to stay low, I still recommend going to a higher end store first so you learn about proper fit.
Riders by Lee Old Navy Sweetheart Gap Curvy Bootcut
Riders available at Walmart and K-mart: 19.99. Old Navy (prices vary) Ok, so I haven’t tried Gap jeans in years. The minute I got them on, they were a hit. Soft, comfortable fabric, good rise (8.5 and they said LOW rise) and overall a great fit. The best part–the Regular Length was perfect with my heels-no hemming. I do not remember the last time I haven’t had to hem jeans. They even had X long. Price: 59.50/69.50. I also happened to choose a certain Wednesday where they offered 40% off ONE item. What a deal!
Next price range: Kut from the Kloth Jag Not Your Daughter’s Jeans
$79-109. Nordstrom, Macy’s and other department stores. They go on sale and can be found at the Nordstrom Rack. I like all three. Boot-cut is shown in all pictures, but most of these brands have a straight cut, some a skinny cut and trouser is gaining popularity in many brands. Plus/Petite sizes available.
More on brands and fabric next week. Let me know if you hit the stores and what you liked.
Thanks for the tips . . . I’m getting a little nervous about the skinny jean style, seems like boot cut is much more flattering?? Any thoughts?
thank you! Great tips. I love the Kut khaki jeans we bought at Nordstrom Rack, they are super comfy even though they look like they are pretty form fitting, they don’t feel that way. I think they were only $34 too. Yet another blog post I must share on FB!
I found that I love Kut and Jag, they fit me well and are long enough for my tall body type. You must be in the right frame of mind to try on jeans because they all fit so different and the sizes are all over the board. Nice when you find brands that fit, I tend to go back to those because I know they will fit well. Will have to try the Gap jean, have not been in that store since my daughter was in high school. thanks for the great tips
I recently bought a pair of the Old Navy sweetheart style jeans in a dark wash. I am 5’3 so I bought them in “short”. Now I wish I had tried on the regular ones. I feel like the short ones are maybe a tad too short, or I am just used to wearing my jeans so long that they hang over my foot more. Despite the length, I really like the rise, not too high, not too low. I have the “mommy-belly” and I don’t like the muffin top effect, I don’t have that with these jeans. I wanted a cheap pair of jeans because I was moving down in size and wanted something to hold me over until I get where I want to be. These will do for awile. I really want to purchase a couople of high-end pairs of jeans once I get to whatever size I end up being at the end of my journey.
I can’t thank you enough for writing about jeans!
I LOVED that you said it takes at least 45 min. to an hour in the dressing room! My family teases me about how long it takes me to try on jeans. Finally some validation! It’s easy for teenage boy who has no bu__ to walk into and out of the dressing room in 30 sec. and make a purchase.=)
So glad to help out Paula! However, I think that you could wear almost anything!
I’m loving the info on the jeans. I can attest to the fact that a longer length jean helps out us short people. I do need more pairs though. I really do love the soft stretchy fabric ones I have now.