The Vine: July 13, 2007
Hi Sars,
I have a bit of a problem finding pants that fit me. Let me explain my situation: I’m 5’11”, which isn’t really all that tall, but I’m also a little heavy — meaning that I wear roughly a size 16. Another problem is that I don’t have the small waist and large hips that generally go with my size. This means that if I can find a pair of pants in a length, they generally have tiny waists and large hips. I’m cornered into wearing jeans most of the time because they are one of the few types of pants that come in lengths. The only other type I’ve been lucky with are dress slacks, which just aren’t right for all occasions. I’d really like a pair of casual khaki pants (chino? is that the same thing?) in a variety of shades so that I can break away from wearing jeans all the time.
I’ve tried shopping at a variety of locations, but nothing good has come up. Here are some of the places I’ve looked: Old Navy, New York Company, JC Penney, Torrid, Gottschalk’s, Kohl’s, Mervyn’s, Lane Bryant, Macy’s, Target, Lands End, et cetera.
Do you know of any place (mail order or other) that would sell some long khakis that aren’t large in the hip and small in the waist? I would love the help, since this has always been a problem and I now have a job where I’m not allowed to wear jeans. I’m generally not willing to dish out a ton of money on a pair of pants, so I would say that $50 is my maximum on this (maybe — I’m desperate).
Thanks!
M
Dear M,
Can you get your hands on Sarah Jessica Parker’s new line, Bitten? I know, I know, but I was leafing through a copy of O yesterday and they’d done a heeeyoooge spread on the line, and some of the stuff is super-cute — and it’s all amazingly priced, too (nothing’s more than $19.98). Her whole thing is democratic fashion, at least in sizing, which goes up to 22. (I swear I don’t work for them; I just happened to see that article or I’d have nothing.) You can’t order online, but there’s a locator on the site for the Steve & Barry’s stores where the line is carried.
Other options: hit a big-and-tall store (or Google for one that serves women and/or has a pants-builder tool on the site); shop men’s pants; or put together some money, buy pairs of khakis you like but that are a bit big in the waist, and take them to a tailor for altering. Mass-market fashion is not designed for specific bodies, and it’s worth investing in a tailored fit instead of forever buying things that don’t fit quite right and end up moldering in the closet as a result.
Readers, if you have any suggestions for retail stores or websites besides the ones M already listed, please add them to the comments.
Tags: Ask The Readers retail
I feel like a little old lady suggesting this, but Chico’s (and the many, many, many knockoffs – er, “tributes” – to their style) has made their place in the market by offering knits, knits and more knits. Knits which are actually pretty attractive, have the advantage of forgiving fit, and which, yes, offer the elusive “tall” inseam: http://www.chicos.com/store/shelf.asp?navCatID=5&navItemID=8. Their site appears to be pretty sparse, but eBay is full of the stuff – and, for that matter, might also yield tons of other makers with good possibilities if you use their search wizards. The trick to buying clothing on eBay is to ONLY buy from sellers who specify garment measurements (and who have a minimum 99.5% positive rating).
I’m sitting in the executive suite of a large financial firm right now, wearing Victoria’s Secret knit pants, and they’re probably my favorite pants. Fluid, long, good for casual day or for really dressing up with a blazer and heels. I love tailored looking pants, but a good knit is never a bad idea.
The other advice is to buy the waist to fit and spend $20 to have someone tailor the hips down to your size. I’ve never met anyone who’s done this sort of retrofit (heh) who didn’t rave about it and become a tailoring evangelist.
As I was reading this, I was thinking Bitten as well. They have many different styles and cuts of non-jean-type pants, so you would probably be able to find something that will work for you.
A word of warning though; their sizes are a little off. I have a pair of jeans and a pair of shorts in the size I normally wear that fit great in the dressing room but stretched out once I got them home and wore them. Try your normal size and a size below. If the size below is snug but still fits, go with that; it’ll work out better.
Gap generally classifies all their pants (including their Khakis) into Long, Regular, and Ankle lengths. You might have better luck on their website than in their store for variety of styles and sizes, but it’s probably worth a shot. I figured you already checked them out, but they weren’t mentioned in your list.
I absolutely agree with Diane’s suggestion about tailoring — get the hips tailored, not the waist. nipping in the waist will cost MUCH more than altering the side seams at the hips.
Not everyone can wear knit pants (I can’t, my inner thighs rub together no matter how much time I spend on those obscene-looking thigh machines at the gym), but I’ve seen women in my business casual environment who carry them off quite well.
In terms of stores, I have similar hip-to-waist issues, and I love The Avenue. They are a plus-sized store like Layne Bryant, but their pants are cut very differently. It’s the only place on the planet I can buy pants other than jeans.
Personally, I’ve nearly given up on pants, other than a few pairs from The Avenue. I wear skirts to work almost exclusively, because I can find skirts that fit. I prefer pants, but I also prefer not spending all my time shopping, so I settle for skirts.
I would try Nordstrom’s Caslon line. They are exclusive to Nordstrom, and the inseam is generally 32″ on the pants, which should fit someone who is 5’11”.
I’m not tall, but I have a thicker waist and narrow hips, so I run into the waist-too-small, hips-too-big problem with pants all the time. Two suggestions: The “Martin Fit” at Banana Republic is a bit lower-waisted, which tends to bypass the waist-to-hip ratio problem. They are a bit spendier, but the website shows tall sizes. And this may seem really obvious, but The Gap does do talls, and they do have a mid-rise cut for basic khaki-type pants that works really well on me, and they come in under 50 bucks. You may need to go online to order the right length/cut/size/color combo, though, because each store is kind of a crap shoot when it comes to sizes in stock.
Here are a couple of links:
http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=15698&pid=419044&scid=419044002
http://www.bananarepublic.com/browse/product.do?cid=36764&pid=492670&scid=492670012
I realize that M doesn’t want jeans, but I thought I’d suggest http://www.truejeans.com just for future reference. I have not used this site personally, but I read a glowing review of the site here: http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/archives/2007/05/true_jeans.htm (with follow-up here: http://www.grumperina.com/knitblog/archives/2007/05/true_jeans_foll.htm). You can enter your own measurements and the website has an apparently extraordinary (i.e., very successful) algorithm that will suggest jeans that will fit. In the follow-up post, Grumperina says that True Jeans is working on expanding the range of sizes available, so they may have something that works for M when she’s looking for jeans. They may also have some dark-rinse “trouser” type jeans that might work for her job.
My only suggestion is what I had to do for years until they started making women’s pants longer…
…men’s pants.
I know it sounds bizarre, but at 16 years old and 118 pounds with a 34″ inseam (and I’m only 5’9″), it was the only thing I could buy and not be wearing highwaters. Banana Republic’s flat-fronts are great. The Gap has extra-long sizes online in a variety of fits/styles as well…
Also, tailoring, tailoring, tailoring… cannot stress that enough.
Good luck!
I would try Gap. All of my friends who are very differently shaped go there, including my 6’2″ chick friend (who is a little heavy too) who can only find clothes that fit her there. They are a bit pricey, but I’ve found ti to be worth the cash and if you can find a Gap outlet near you, you cna get some excellent deals.
Lane Bryant has a new line of jeans that are sized according to body shape. the have a fit for hippy women, one for women with no curves, and one for slight curves. Also comes in multiple lengths.
I would echo Kara’s recommendation. Let’s see: M’s quite tall, has hips that are narrow in proportion to her waist – it’s classic shaping for men, which is why jeans tend to fit her well. If she buys men’s khakis, she will probably get better quality trousers, cheaper, than she would if she bought women’s khakis. Land’s End offers trousers in all sorts of inseam lengths, and they offer the option of a long length through the crotch, too, if that’s where she has some of her height.
Well, I’m bemused. What are you talking about, “small waist and large hips”? Where are these pants? Because let me tell you, I’ve got a small waist and large hips, and except for the brief but (shoppingly speaking) blissful period when I was an anorexic 98 pounds, I’ve NEVER found a pair of pants that couldn’t fit an extra cat into the waistband with me in them. And it seems to be getting worse, too; every pair of trousers I try on these days has a waist nearly the same size as the hips, AND weirdly skinny thighs.
Anyway. Men’s pants, thirding the suggestion. Not only are men’s pants (generally) both cheaper AND better made, the shape sounds right, and it’s not like anyone can tell from the outside.
Bizarrely, I’ve found myself that men’s pants are the best solution to my opposite problem (shortness and extreme hourglass), except for being way too freakin’ long; I buy them in a waist size to hang off my “low rise” area, and there I am. Comfy and perfect.
I’m 6’2″, so I’ve had this project for a while. Although you didn’t mention your inseam length, I use a site called longelegantlegs.com, which may be worth a shot. They have pants in 36″ and 39″ inseams, and while length isn’t your primary issue, it may be worth a shot. Also, I don’t know where you live, but Tall Girl has some cute stuff depending on season. They have a website at tallgirlshop.com, and they’re in a bunch of cities. Good luck!
I’m 6’1″, so M, I feel you. J. Crew has some great pants that come in long sizes, and if you hit their website during a sale, you can get $20 khakis.
There’s also tallgirlshop.com. I’m not sure what city you live in, but they do have a bunch of stores in the US.
I know you say you don’t want to spend a lot of money, but it could be rewarding to look past the price tag to find one or two pairs of well-made pants that fit great. Spending $100 on the perfect pants makes more sense than buying 2 pairs of mediocre, $50, I-guess-these-will-do pants. Some of the more expensive things in my closet I’ve been wearing for over 12 years, because they’re well-made, have classic styling and great fit.
Ann Taylor Loft has reasonable prices and good quality, the long pants have a 35″ inseam (with a rise that’s proportioned to the longer length), they carry up to size 18, and there are three different pant fits, a low-rise (Marisa), a medium rise (Ann), and a medium rise curvy fit (Julie). Plus, their sizes tend to run a bit bigger than other places, so you might be able to wear a 14 long.
I’ve linked the 16 long pants for you:
http://www.anntaylorloft.com/catalog/category.jsp?Ne=1300001&pCategoryId=199&Ns=CATEGORY_SEQ_207&N=1200008+1300076&Nty=1&categoryId=207
Eddie Bauer. I know, I know, but they’ve really expanded their styles. I have several pairs of their cotton stretch chinos, and love ’em to death. And I — at over 6′ tall — have balked at their “long” because they’re really…um, long. I’m not sure about the waist situation. Like Katharine, I’ve never really noticed a ‘small waist/large hip’ issue with pants, so don’t know if that means what works for me wouldn’t work for you. I don’t like super-low rise, but the lower rises *have* meant less of the floating waistband. The lower rises actively avoid coming back in to the waist, so maybe that’d be helpful to you?
I just went to http://www.eddiebauer.com It looks like they don’t still carry the kind of chinos I have and love (in fact, I’ve been finding them at the local outlet store, so they’re probably on their way out), but they do have plenty of other options. They have several different cuts, and some are better for wide waists than others. They also have terry and other loungey-type fabrics.
And in passing, I’ll second Chico, tentatively. I just wandered into their store a few weeks ago, and was thrilled to find shirts that actually fit, and such an interesting sizing philosophy. So if I were advising a friend, that’d be the second place I’d point them.
And thirdly, yeah, Gap and Old Navy go up into the 20s, so they’re a decent bet.
Good luck!!
This may sound really obvious, but I’ve figured out how to buy pants when they only have long lengths on the website, and not in the store (Banana, Gap, Old Navy — I’m looking at all of you). Try on the regular ones in the store until you find something that works except for the length. Then go order that in long on-line.
It does also sounds like men’s pants might be a good option, and those come in all kinds of waist/leg size combinations.
As a 6’1″ size 14/16 I feel your pain. I recommend the Gap, I usually go in to the store, try on the pants, then order them in extra long from online.
Another brand that works for me for pants is Tommy Hilfiger. I’m not a huge fan of most of his clothing, but he has some really nice and simple pants.
Men’s pants also work great, but I personally only Men’s jeans, again at the Gap or Diesel (my hubby is about my size and I steal his jeans all the time since the women’s pants there don’t fit me at all)
You’ve tried Lane Bryant…on line? http://lanebryant.charmingshoppes.com/pagebuilder/
How about Coldwater Creek? (in my experience, the stores cater to smaller folks, but catalog/website has plenty of appropriate stuff)
http://www.coldwatercreek.com/W07/Cats/100NewLooks.aspx?TrendCategory=167&ProductsPerPage=12&Page=1
Catherine’s tends to cater to workwear-separates (or as I like to think of them, grownup garanimals), but it’s worth a shot: http://catherines.charmingshoppes.com/pagebuilder/product_thumbnail_image?cgid1=206
I don’t know if you have a Peter Harris near you –they may be only regional.
Have you tried Jessica London? They’re the slightly larger sister of Chadwick’s of Boston:
http://www.jessicalondon.com/plus-size-Pants-and-Skirts.aspx?DeptId=10297
Finally, there’s Roamans, which is geared toward the older pantsuit crowd, but I’ve had good luck with tan jeans from them: http://www.roamans.com/plus-size-Pants.aspx?DeptId=9837
good luck in your quest!
I’ve seen a store called Tall Girl; here’s their website. They seem to have both “regular fit” and “junior fit” pants; the junior fit might be useful since the waist-to-hip ratio is smaller.
Also, the Gap now offers wide/straight/curvy/skinny pants; perhaps the straight cut might work well for you.
I’m not sure what your inseam is but at 5’11” it could be pretty long. My mom and I have had luck with these two stores for tall women:
http://www.tallgirlshop.com/catalog/index.php
http://www.tallwomen.com/
The nice thing is that both of them have a really large range of sizes, especially the second site, so you might have better luck with something proportioned for a larger, tall woman. Good luck! Even if they run too long and you have to get them hemmed, the rest of the proportions might still work out well.
I agree with Kara. I’m 5’9″ and need at least a 34″ inseam if I want to wear anything but flip flops. You might not be all legs, but still. At least 34″ for you, maybe 36″ to look right. And like Kara said, Gap does the occassional extra long. I just get “long”, which is 34″ I believe. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s frickin not-long-enough pants.
Also, the whole buying the right waist size and tailoring the hips is very Stacy and Clinton. Fantastic tip. :o)
I’ve got a similar problem, and I finally gave up on buying pants off the rack entirely. I now buy almost exclusively from Land’s End custom-made lines. I’ve only bought jeans from them so far, but they have chinos now (and shirts, too! yay!). Pricey, but the jeans have been well worth it. link.
I’m going in with the Gap suggestion — try on in-store, buy online in the right length.
Men’s pants never work for me because I am short-hipped(? I guess? Usually anything marked “low-rise” hits the bottom of my bellybutton) and men’s pants have long…uh…zippers. That look awkward. Especially when I sit down.
Still, if you have to get them tailored anyway, it’s probably fixable and I’m just too lazy to do it with my own pants.
I want to second Ann Taylor Loft. I’m about the same size as the questioner (5’10 and size 14/16) and I’ve had good luck with pants from there. The 3 different waist options are also nice, and I believe on their website you can search by waist style and size. Also, they have sales fairly often, and if you hit a sale, you should be able to stay well within your $50 budget.
I’m 5’10” and not overweight, but I’m kind of hourglass-y and I usually take a 14 or so, or a 16 depending on the cut. (Damn those hips.) And I’m all legs, so that means a 34 to 36-inch inseam (again, depending on the styling.)
Since I’m very “hippy”, I have the opposite problem that M does, but as a general rule: Among many retailers, among all price ranges, I’ve noticed that a “Misses” size 14 tends to be cut leaner in the hip and rear area than a “Women’s” size 14.
New York and Company usually has a good selection of tall sizes, up to 18, and they’re usually juuuuuust about long enough for me. I bought several pairs of dress pants in 14 Tall that had cuffs at the hems. I just let out the cuff and ironed it out and the length was perfect. Priced competitively, too.
Now if I could just find more shoe stores that sell size 12s. Zappos is pretty awesome for that, but I wish I could just find a brick-and-mortar store that would love on my big feet.
I’m with Katharine — where is the writer finding these small-waist curvy-hips pants? My waist measurement is 13″ smaller than my hip measurement, so it’s nearly impossible to find the pants she describes.
Another recommendation for men’s tailored pants. My roommate is nearly 6′ tall and has a larger waist measurement than hip measurement, and she has had luck with men’s flat-front pants…and she likes having pockets!
Khaki vs. chinos: Both are a color, both are a fabric. Khaki is lighter weight, used for military uniforms, chino is a heavier twill, more like denim.
I agree with Kara…men’s pants. They fit me better than any of the women’s styles. I get a TON of compliments when I wear my army-surplus khakis & no one has guessed that they’re $9 uniform pants! They stay up, they don’t bind, they make my butt look good, and hey! cool! Pockets in abundance! (I like the camo flight pants too!)
Thanks for all the tips, everyone!!! YOU ROCK!!!
(And thanks for asking this, M!)
I have to second Eddie Bauer. If there is an Eddie Bauer store near you, go into the store, try on the regular pants to see if you can establish the best fit. Use their in store phone to order from the catalog/website and have it delivered to the store. They’ll call you when it comes in; you go there, try it on and if it doesn’t fit, they send it back so you don’t have to pay shipping either way.
Take another look at EDDIE BAUER. The Vashon fit and Mercer fit pants have waistbands that are very close to hip size. Because of this I almost gave up on them until they introduced the Blakely fit – the waist is one size smaller than the hips. Still too big but…close. And their chinos are on sale right now! BTW, where were these pants when I was in junior high and high school? Six years of feeling like a complete freakshow.
I’ve had similar issues with pants in the past, and just wanted to second the recommendation of J. Crew chinos for tall women. Those in trouser styles tend to be cut slimmer in the hips, come with inseams up to 35″, and are fairly well made to boot. They do exceed your $50 limit, but not by too much.
I was shaped like that for a very long time and I had a hell of a time finding pants that fit. Tall Girl was just about the only place I ever had luck with dress pants, and even with pants from there I had to take the hips in a little. Lane Bryant was also mostly tailored to curviness but their low-rise jeans tended to fit better. In general, pants with a lower waist seem to be slimmer in the hips. As an added bonus they make your legs look super-long (which, if you’re built like me, they are probably super-long to begin with, but still…).
I’m not sure how high Uniqlo’s sizes go, but their pants come in several different rises and 34-inch inseams and are generally very well-made and cheap cheap.
I work around the corner from the Manhattan Steve and Barry’s, and the other day I tried on some of the clothes in the Bitten line. What few pants there are don’t seem to come in inseams longer than a 32, unfortunately (or maybe I wasn’t looking hard enough?)…but there is some really darn cute stuff in there, so it’s worth checking out. Caveats: it’s all going to fall apart in a dozen washes, and you’re going to have to wait in line for at least 15 minutes to buy anything. (Also, the women’s Starbury shoes make size-10 feet look like either skis or walking casts. But there’s no end to cute clothes there.)
I have trouble finding pants that fit (although my problems are the opposite of yours – I’m short, hippy, and have a waist), and I’ve been happy with Target to a T custom jeans. I can’t vouch for the chinos because I haven’t bought them, but the jeans have worked out well. And they’re affordable!
http://target.com/custom-order/custom.jhtml
Just put in your measurements, pick your style preferences, and then wait by the mailbox.
I’m 6′, but quite a bit heavier than you (and not quite so square-shaped), so while I do quite a bit of my shopping at Lane Bryant I’m not surprised that it’s not working for you.
The ladies over at http://community.livejournal.com/tallchicksrock/ will probably have some good suggestions for you (or you can look through back posts) – people are always posting about new stores they find.
I am built similar to the way you describe yourself, and found an excellent pair of jeans at alloy.com. I know, I know, you’re not looking for jeans, but they have all kinds of pants, and some of them come in lengths.
Good luck!
I second the Target custom-made pants. I have bought both jeans and chinos from them and have been very happy!
If you are about as big in the stomach as you are in the hips, you may want to look for places that carry Women’s/Plus sizes in numbers, that also carries 16 as a plus size. A 16W tends to be cut differently than a 16 (misses)… 16W being less about the mondo hips and wee waist, and more about a ‘big girl’ figure all over.
I don’t think anyone’s said LL Bean. I would try the men’s pants – and although this is like, the opposite of the point – I have some tan men’s jeans from them that fit me like a glove, and I’m hippy and slightly hour-glassy. I have no idea what man they would look good on or why. I can’t wear any of their women’s pants, but their men’s stuff works really well, without making me look less girly. Even their women’s stuff comes in lengths, and their website lets you build a model of yourself and try your clothes on your … um … avatar? (it hasn’t given me the best results, but it’s kind of cool…)
http://www.llbean.com/
Victoria’s Secret online has all kinds of pants, in long lengths. I don’t know which fit (they have four) would be best for the writer’s hip/waist ratio, but surely one of them will work.
DISCLAIMER/EXCLAMATION: I am a huge cheap-ass. I can’t stand spending much more than $20 on any article of clothing, unless it kicks a serious amount of ass.
I adore Target. LOVE that place. Gush about Target to anyone (and their cat). My crush is well-documented and spans more than a decade. That said? Just give up. Their Mossimo jeans are there only to make you cry, I promise. They’re evil and sadistic and no good can come from trying them on. No, you don’t actually wear a size 20 jeans, I swear.
Honestly? Keep trying the same-old places. (Except Target). Here’s why:
These places LIE. The pants are lying liars and are untrustworthy. I promise. I’m 5’7″ which should put me solidly in the ‘average’ category, but I have petite, average, and tall jeans – all from Lane Bryant. It doesn’t stop at jeans, either. I bought a pair of khaki-colored wide-leg pants that were *supposed* to fall mid-calf… put them on, and they’ve just grazed my ankles. (FYI, they’re a size 18 so they’re bigger than you need, but have beltloops so they can be cinched-in, so if you’re interested, e-mail me – maahcy@bitchinmona.com – and I’ll send them along. I just took the tags off this morning in a misguided plan to actually wear them before discovering that they fell to my ankles).
Their more expensive pants – I think it’s the Seven line or something – are only sold in tall and average, but their ‘average’ seemed like ‘extra-tall’ when tried on by someone who’s 5’9″.
Also, I have the same mixed-bag luck at places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls, actually. Just like my experiences at Lane Bryant, I’ve found that the petite/average/tall labels don’t always have much basis in reality. Also, sometimes the clothes end up in places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls not because they’re fugly (though sometimes that’s EXACTLY why they’re there) but because the fit is ‘off’. Perfect example? I have a pair of DKNY pants – drawstring black slacks – that I got at one of the two stores for $25. I only wear them with these 4″ boots or 4″ platform flip-flops I have because, despite being ‘average’ (or at least having no indication that they were ‘tall’) I can’t wear them with flat shoes or I’d be walking on a good 2-3″ of the legs.
One more trick I’d recommend is to go with some guys’ pants. Old Navy, for example, has some nice khaki and cargos that are unisex enough to pass, and I wear them sometimes. The thinner fabric ones are great, and sometimes have the little tassles at the bottom… they go up to like a 34″ or 36″ inseam and usually up to a 40″ waist (and I think it goes to 46″ or 48″ on their website) so you can either get them long enough or get them a bit shorter and wear them as capris. The thinner fabric ones aren’t boxy like many mens’ pants, either, and they accommodate for mens’ larger legs… so it snugs up against your hips (yay?) while billowing nicely around your legs, which is great with a fitted shirt. You may find similar luck with GAP in this regard.
Finally, if you’re close to some outlet stores, it may be a good idea to hit those places. Clothes are sent to different areas based on what the company thinks the needs of that particular location will be. For example, when I lived in MI, I noticed that the stores (Lane Bryant, for example) would sell out of the largest sizes first… and at that time, I was wearing a 26/28. So I asked “wtf” and they told me that the company would send them only about 1/3 as many of the larger sizes as they would of the ‘middle’ sizes because they thought that’s what the region represented… but that if I contacted a store in Texas, I might have a harder time getting an 18/20 because the majority of the sizes they receive are in 24/26/28. This is where the outlets come in… when there are leftovers, they are returned to the company and are sold in outlet stores. You save a ton of money and can find sizes you may not have had access to locally. Word of advice, though? Lane Bryant outlet SUCKS. Badly. Avoid like the bird flu.
One other suggestion. When you do find some pants that fit right, let a seamstress use them for a pattern for future pants. Voila! all the pants you in any color, material, etc. that you could want.
My mom sewed all my clothes growing up and I always had well fitting, nicely tailored clothing.
I tried the SJP Bitten line over the weekend and I found the sizing to be completely off. I tried on a few pair of jeans in my normal size and I couldn’t get them over my hips. I was disappointed because some of the stuff was super cute!
I hate to sound like a poor relation, but Wal-Mart carries Riders made by Lee. These are mid-weight twill that stretches. They come in Petite, Medium, and Long lengths. They have basic black, a khaki color, and several mild patterns (like a gray pinstripe look). They cost about $19.00 and can be ordered online. They even have a size chart online so you can compare the waist and hip measurements.
For all you tall women who DO have the tiny waist, larger hips problem, I just wanted to say I have that issue myself and the only pants I can ever find off the rack that fit me are from J.Jill (jjill.com). I wear a 12 there now, but used to wear a 14 or 16, and all three sizes have been perfect fits for my shape. They are kind of on the pricey side, but great quality and they frequently have really good sales as well. Highly recommend them!
You might want to check out the comfort fit pants from luxuriouslytall.com. Also the contour waist pants work nicely because they ride lower down, just below the belly button in front, yet are not low rise like a teenagers pant. They have some cute things that I would love to wear, but a baby put the end to those days forever. A lot is on sale now and it seems like every time I go to the site more things have been marked down. Got to love the end of season.
I’m probably too far down the comments list for anyone to read this, but go with skirts and dresses!
I may be way too late, but I have found better clothes at these places than anywhere else. Great deals, great sizes, and better fits than most places. Hope it helps:
http://www.zaftique.com (that’s a Q) (great for length and hip-chick clothes. Finally a place that “gets” that some women WANT to cover their stomach and look cool. I especially love the throwback Stevie Nicks-ish witchy-woman sleeves on some of their items.)
http://www.silhouettes.com (some great clothes and, for the most part, they get that we would like to look and dress young…that not all fatties are grannies! They have sporty, casual, business, dressy, EXCELLENT shoes, including for wider calves, underwear, etc.)
and The Avenue, as mentioned above
Good luck!
~G
I am 6’6” tall with a 37 inch inseam and I am diligently looking for workout long pants for my gym visits. I have found jeans with 37′ inseams but cannot find workout pants… I will even settle for 36″ inseam if possible.
Help?