The Vine: February 29, 2008
Hi Sars,
My annual hunt for jeans, which always leaves me dissatisfied and homicidal, is about to start again. I think you and I have a similar shape, and I was wondering which brands you’ve found fit you the best. I’ve got a slight apple thing going on, and I’m looking for something that maximizes the butt and minimizes the muffin top.
Thanks,
Finally Accepted That I Might Have To Shell Out More Than $30
Dear Thirty,
Maybe, maybe not. I have several pairs of jeans that work for me; I’ll also include any other types of casual pants. For reference, I have an apple-ish shape too: size 14 in the front porch, size 8 in the backyard, size 10/11 in the middle.
1. “Straight” jeans from the Gap. You may want to try on a bunch of pairs, because the fit can vary wildly in the thighs, and the rinse is not the greatest. Very comfortable, but buy ’em a little tight, or you’ll get diaper ass.
2. Old Navy petal-pocket cords. I don’t see them on the ON website anymore, which is a shame; the pockets give your patoot a nice curve, and they’re really soft.
3. Joe’s Jeans. I have the Cigarette style; not everyone loves the slim leg, but if your butt and hips are boyish enough, they look great. This is where you have to spend some money — mine were $140, and I felt kind of grossed out at myself for dropping that much, but I wear the hell out of them (cuffed, they make really cute capris).
4. Boden. I don’t have any of their jeans, but the skirts and chinos fit pretty narrowly in the hips.
5. Louie pants. I have a pair of uncut-corduroy pants of theirs that hang just right; I’ve worn them probably once a week for two years, the hems are just about shot, and I’m sad, because I can’t find any suitable replacements. I bought mine at Anthropologie; you might have some luck on eBay.
Allegedly, both Seven For All Mankind and Lucky Brand “should” look good on my body type, but both of them bunch around the crotch and give me boy box. No good.
Tags: Ask The Readers health and beauty retail
Well, I don’t know if this applies to the original poster, but for plus size girls, Lane Bryant now carries what they call Right Fit jeans.
I must say, they are quite the awesome!
They have 3 different categories and the sizing is a little wonky, so you DO have to go in a try them on.
Like, I’m a US size 20 in jeans usually, but in the Right Fits, I’m a 4.
Anyway, the apple shaped girls usually fit into the Yellow category. Sometimes Red. You just have to try them on. But, they are wonderful when you find your color and size.
DKNY Jeans – Ludlow or Soho stretch. They don’t LOOK like they’re cheesy stretch jeans, but they fit perfectly on my apple-shaped body (start a size or two lower than you usually would. I wear an 8-10 in these, but usual pant/jean size is a 12. $49 at Macy’s, available readily online, too.
Apple shaped here – I have two brands I love…
Low end – GAP’s Curvy low-rise. They are high enough in the waist to do away with muffin top but still super flattering. Warning – I had to go down TWO sizes from my normal size to get a slimmish fit that didn’t bag out the next week
High end – still can’t beat Citizens of Humanity ‘Faye’ – specificially because they have a vertical trouser seam at the back pockets that makes all the difference in the world.
The slightly-stretchy “Nox” jeans by Royal Robbins (on sale here: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/,19527_Royal-Robbins-Nox-Jeans-For-Women.html) are perfect for my apple-shape. I found that they are actually “apple-y” enough that I was able to go down a size, and achieve a (IMHO) sexy, butt-hugging fit. (They have several different versions of these jeans – I can only vouch for the ones I linked to here, which i liked enough that I bought them in both rinses).
Big*Star (available at the Buckle) has discontinued the most perfect style, known as Flary. They came in extremely long inseams — so long, even I of the stilts-for-legs clan, had to roll them to wear with flats. You can still find a few Flarys on eBay.
Allegedly, the Big*Star has replaced them with a comparable fit, but I haven’t tried those, so I can’t say for sure.
Just learned of a site called http://www.truejeans.com that lets you put in measurements and info about body shape (curves, where your butt and tummy sit, thigh shape, etc), and it recommends brands for you. I haven’t tried out the results but it seems pretty slick.
BIG LOVE on the Old Navy petal-pocket cords. I’m pretty curvy and the pockets are placed just right to make the caboose look round and not bulbous. How cool that they work on a totally different shape, too! They are just great — esp. in the gorgeous iris color I found.
David Kahn’s “Lauren” jean:http://www.shopbellen.com/david_kahn_lauren_in_newport.htm.
They’re a good mid-rise jean, and the cut makes your butt look nice and round but not too wide. They’re expensive but totally worth it for me. I work in a pretty casual place, so I wear them 2-3 times a week and they still look great almost two years later. You can also get them at Nordstrom’s.
Okay, this sounds stupid, but bear with me…
I am very straight through the hips (apples FTW!) and VERY tall (6’1″) and the jeans that fit me THE BEST are the 13L from the Juniors department at… Kohl’s. And I’m talking the house brand, not the Levi’s stuff. Yes, in with the tacky crap, I know. They are shaped well, they are LONG enough, and they almost all have stretch. Best part? They’re often on sale for less than $15 bucks.
Now, caveat, like all cheap clothes, they are batch cut (ie, cut in stacks, so the patterns cut from teh top may fit slightly different from those at the bottom) but if you try a few pairs on, you will probably find some that work. Juniors seems like a weird section to shop for a 28 year old, but for pants? When you’re built like an adolescent boy with no ass or hips? It totally works.
I second truejeans.com!
I could not be more apple-shaped and the best jeans ever are Levi’s 515 Bootcut Misses Stretch jeans. They sell them at Kohl’s, and they’re frequently on sale. They are available in Short, Regular, and Tall lengths. I bought a pair one time and immediately went to Ebay and bought every pair I could find.
They are awesome. I’ve never had compliments on jeans before but I’ve had many compliments on my many pairs of these jeans. Usually I have to buy big in the waist which means big on the butt/legs, or they fit my butt/legs and the waist is WAY TOO TIGHT, a recipe for muffintop. These fit in both places, though the lower (not super low) rise means I usually wear a belt so I don’t have to hitch them up all of the time.
The Gap has been letting me down lately and I haven’t felt like shelling out the cash for “good” jeans (in-between sizes, needed a pair for vacation, cheap, etc.) so I bought a pair of Stella boot cut from Express last week. Haven’t shopped there since high school eons ago but I like them, they don’t gape at the waist and the stretch does it’s job – the clerk put me a size down because of the stretch and so far, so good.
Trying Juniors doesn’t sound stupid at all. Can’ t recommend particular brands of jeans this year but I have no hips at all, and last year I got so fed up looking at capris with zips one inch long that I tried men’s capris in Muji. Worked a treat.
When my waist disappeared after 40, (and in fact, thickened up considerably) I switched to men’s Levis. They have so many different cuts available now, that I can always find something that looks good.
So I have no idea what an apple shape even is, but I second the Kohl’s wholeheartedly. I bought what are apparently the most magic pair of gray pants there and though I wear them shamefully often they are, as mentioned above, magic: they minimize my big ass and make my thighs look smaller. I do not know how, as they are not even black, but yes. Magic. It’s gotten to the point where I am seriously considering taking them to a tailor to have them cloned in every color of the rainbow.
So: don’t rule out Kohl’s just because…it’s Kohl’s?
I think it was more shame about shopping in the juniors department rather than Kohl’s.
Also, FWIW, apple shaped vs. pear shaped = where you gain weight. Pear shaped women gain weight in their boobs and hips but their waists stay small. Apple shaped women gain weight around their waists and belly, as well as back. There’s a great book called “Apples and Pears” by… a doctor whose name I can’t remember… that gives great exercise and nutritional advice for both body types.
Sadly, us apple shaped women who gain weight like men (belly and waist weight) tend to die at a higher rate of things that usually kill men (heart disease, heart attack, stroke…) Has to do with the difference in what KIND of fat you put on (visceral in apples vs. subcutaneous in pears.)
OH my god, I’m such a nerd. Sorry.
I’ve had a good experience with makeyourownjeans.com. For around $65 (that includes shipping) you can give them the exact measurements you want and they’ll make a pair of jeans specifically for you. They also have a clone-a-pair option where you can send them your favorite pair of jeans and they’ll make an exact duplicate. The site is cheesy-looking and their english is comically lousy but their products are good and very reasonable.
http://www.makeyourownjeans.com might be worth a try – they do exactly what the URL suggests: you send in your measurements, making sure they’re very precise, and they make your jeans in India and ship ’em to you – mine arrived in about 10 days to the UK.
I’ve had 2 pairs so far (I have weird boxy hips) and while I had to do a minor adjustment on one pair, they’re excellent – and the prices are pretty good too!
I’m around a size 12, more apple than pear-shaped, and my favorite jeans are the Lucky Brand Classic Rider ($94). They’re mid-rise, which eliminates some of the muffin top problem that I get with low-rise, but they also aren’t so high-waisted that they look like momjeans. Nice butt shape in them, too, and they’ve got a good dark blue wash so they are easy to dress up or down.
I’m with Kim on the Levi’s 515s; I’ve also had good luck with the Levi’s 545s — both are mid-rise, boot cut, and good for those of us with thicker waists and narrower hips. Best of all, you can get ’em pretty cheap at Kohl’s (for the 545s) or sometimes Target (for the 515s). The 545s do not have the stretch and are a heavier denim, the 515s are lighter weight.
Oops… I have to correct my earlier post. the 515s and the 545s are both from Kohl’s. It was the Levi’s Signature that I found at Target, and that is made from the lighter-weight denim. I don’t know if Target carries them anymore, but if they do, check them out — they fit well and they’re CHEAP.
I’ll throw in another nod for http://www.truejeans.com. I’ve used them and being able to throw in your specific parameters (waist, hip, inseam, plus body shape) and get a bunch of results to consider is great. They provide jeans in a wide range of prices and they have very good customer service.
And, for what it’s worth, I think that for first-time customers, they provide free shipping (at least, they did when I ordered). I ordered a bunch of jeans, tried them all on at home, and kept the ones I liked and sent back the ones I didn’t. It was very convenient.
I was amazed to get jeans from Banana Republic from the bf for chanukkah. I’m a very apple-y 14, but these relatively low cut jeans make my ass look like buttah. I thought this store was just for stick insects, but I’ll try more in the future.
I’m a total pear, so no help on the actual recs, but I will say this.
Try on MULTIPLE PAIRS of the same cut/size/style.
Because they cut the fabric 20 pieces at a time, not all jeans the same size are actually the same. It’s like when you cut 10 sheets of paper all at once, and the top one is much smaller than the bottom. This is especially true if you’ve found a pair that are almost – but not quite – right.
@Maggirat: I’m a stick insect and thus can second your recommendation for Banana Republic, which to me runs a little large and apple-y, which I am neither (awkward sentence structure FTW!). Glad you found some buttah-ass jeans! It’s like a frickin’ revelation when that happens, isn’t it?
Also I add another vote for truejeans.com, even though I can’t afford most of what they recommend.
http://www.cennev.com/ actually sell their jeans in two cuts – apple and pear! Never tried them though because they are spendy, so i’d be interested if anyone else has tried them?
Tisha is right. For plus-size, you can’t beat Lane Bryant’s Right Fit line. You can order them online, as I did. Just make sure you measure yourself with a tape measure. I am extremely apple-y and wear the Yellow line. My mom, upon viewing me in the jeans for the first time, said, “Who knew that you had a butt?” Get them in a dark rinse in bootcut and they will work wonders, especially if you’re short.
Wherever you go, I suggest mentally preparing to try on 8 million things and be brutal about discarding jeans. Do not stand around lamenting how the jeans don’t fit you and why. Put them on, if they don’t fit, immediately take them off. Don’t fret about it, just chuck ’em. Keep a pile of fit-okays if you find any and try them on again and give them scrutiny. The fit of women’s jeans is a crap shoot.
My bf recently marveled at how two different styles of men’s jeans in the same size/brand fit differently. I stared at him and asked if that was unusual because all women’s jeans in all kinds/styles/sizes/etc fit differently.
The only thing I have to add to this is be careful with the Gap – their quality has really gone downhill lately. I bought a pair of jeans & within a month, they had started pilling in between the legs. That’s when I realized I had 3 pairs of Gap jeans that wore out within a month in the same spot – and only one pair was more than a year old. Their quality has really deteriorated.
I’m a manager at Old Navy, and we don’t have any cords right now. Try the Sweetheart cut jeans, they seem to work on most people I give them to.
Stephanie K., I too love the DKNY Soho jeans. However, I am a total pear-shape with a big butt. I’m surprised to hear that they work for some apple shapes too. Maybe they only work for apple-shapes that have some booty going on as well as a tummy?
I’d say the gap curvy low rise as well, but they do pill on the legs. I’m glad that someone else mentioned that because I thought it was just me. They do, however, fit incredibly well and they make your butt look nice. Despite the name, they aren’t too low-cut. I wear low rise undies and neither my undies or any unnecessary skin show in those jeans.
They’re expensive, but if you buy them at an outlet store, you’ll save a lot of money.
I love this. I love the heaps of advise coming from people who have my exact body type – it’s hard to find.
Anyway, I have one pair of die-hard winners from (ugh) Steve & Barry. I don’t know the cut of name, there wasn’t one on the label and I bought them used, but there are tons of tiny metal grommets around the front of the beltline. They are soft but faded in color pretty quickly; they look better on me than any jeans ever have. They do not gap in the back, I am not hitching them up but they are not mom jeans. My butt looks great in them. I think new jeans at S&B are no more than $25. Good luck!
Love this thread! I’m an apple with a large belly, so finding jeans is a challenge. I’m also cheap, so I recommend the Levi’s Signature jeans, as well. Each pair does seem to fit differently, but they’re only $20 at WalMart, and you can order them online. I’m not positive what is exactly low cut, but I believe they have about a 9″ rise, which on me almost hits my belly button. They’re big enough in the waist but fit my butt and legs correctly, as well. I also wear Levi’s 545s from Kohls. Their rise is lower. I like the Kohl’s web site because each pair’s description includes inseam length AND rise. Why don’t all web sites include that vital information?
I LOVE http://www.cennev.com. They make two cuts, one for an apple shape and one for a pear. They are the first jeans that actually fit and look great. I call them my magic ass jeans. Try the casual premium jeans-they are worth the money!