finding pants that fit!!!!

peg2

Member
Hi,
Does anyone have a secret I don't know about? I am between a 6 and 8 but I have trouble finding pants(jeans or otherwise), that fit. Six is a little tight, 8 a little big................... I'd just like to go somewhere, try on a pair of pants that fit, and leave the store.
Thanks
 

HaoZi

CD Hall of Fame
Pffffft try finding anything that fits when you're 5'1" size 10ish and also wear a small wide shoe.
 

Californiablonde

Well-Known Member
For jeans have you tried the teen department? They have different sizes and their pants are really cute. I would wear them if I could fit into that size.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Jr section might work better for you.

If I find pants that actually fit, it's a minor miracle. I'm 4' 11" people. lol Right now I'm stuck shifting from 11-12's........10's are just a tad too tight, 12 depends on the cut/style. ugh I suppose I should be grateful, last year I was having trouble snapping my size 16's.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Due to the baby belly, I can't fit in my 10s at all but the 12s I have fall off. My 8s that are low rise are great if I wear a belt and don't button them, but they rub my "zipper". So... I hate pants shopping. Regular jeans are up to my boobs, mid rise are mom jeans, low rise are great and super low rise are slightly low... And I'm petite with long legs so petite anything are highwaters but "average" length is too long. I loved the juniors section till I got pregnant! No hips - just like me!
 

SuZir

Well-Known Member
Don't start me with this. First off, the size doesn't seem to mean anything. I have pants from size 4 to 10 and they fit more or less. Usually less. If my bottom fits, there is usually a lot of room at waist, and waist is also often somewhere near my armpits. Also thighs may be too big if they are not too small. And if by some miracle pants fit from bottom and thighs and there is only extra room for two fists in waistline you can bet the leg ends somewhere middle of my calf. I'm around 5'10 and have a short back and lots of legs. Jeans I'm able to find some, because there are brands and stores there they cut and sew the legs to fit the customer but from other places it is very difficult to find my size for women with 36" leg (and even that doesn't seem to really mean anything. There are 34" jeans that are long enough for me but most are not. How can 34" be different length in different brands?)

I really, really hate buying pants and have to wear skirts a lot simply because I can't find pants.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
The secret is to determine the right fit for your body shape, regardless of the size. (I used to have a dressmaking business many years ago, and my grannie was a seamstress. Here are some of her tips and mine)

Critical measurements you'll need are:
1) waist circumference -- natural waist, just above your navel. The indentations on your sides are above your natural waist
2) hip circumference -- measured at the largest point. Look in the mirror sideways while you're taking the measurement, and make sure the tape measure is level all the way around
3) inseam -- from the floor next to the inside of your foot to the point where your leg and "lady parts" join at the side

Then a few questions to identify your problem areas when trying to find jeans that fit.

1) Do they fit nicely through the hips and thighs, but gape at the back of the waist OR Does the waist fit well, but the jeans are loose and flappy around the hips and thighs?
2) Are your legs full, balanced or slim when compared to your upper body?
3) Is your figure type "triangle", "hourglass", "column" or "inverted triangle"?

Lots of companies now make jeans and pants in different cuts to accommodate different body shapes, such as slim, regular, curvy, etc. You can find the right pair for you, just need to do a bit of research first. Also, several companies have online stores where you can get a sense of the different cuts available before venturing out to the shops.

Please feel free to PM me if you have further questions about fit or if my explanations above don't make sense.

Good luck!
Trinity
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
And yes, I have trouble finding clothes that fit too.

I'm 5'3", very short-waisted and long-legged. Slim from the rib cage down, (VERY) top-heavy with broad shoulders. I wear a 2 to 6 depending on the brand, or size zero for the brands that do "vanity sizing". I've been very happy with the recent trend to low-rise waistbands since on me they're not low, but just right. Now that high-rise waists are coming back, I might be doomed to wearing my pants just under the bust line again (sigh).

I'm the right height for petites, but they're always cut for girls with lots of curves, so they sag in the bottom, hips and thighs. Make me look like I'm wearing clown pants. Clown pants that are too short.

Since the shops usually only buy one size 2 in whatever styles they carry, I can never find anything in my size, especially not on sale. That said, I can shop in the children's department and usually luck in with a size 12 or 14 girls.

Jackets are the bane of my existence. Because of the giant bust and broad shoulders, I usually have to buy an 8, 10 or 12, and then have it cut down to fit me from the rib cage down. I've taken to buying stretchy things wherever possible, and HATE blouses made from woven cloth. Yuck.

Honestly, there's no such thing as the "average" size woman. We're ALL hard-to-fit in our different ways.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
CB I have no idea how I lost the weight. Lord knows I'm not on any sort of diet.

Only thing that might be different is that I've shifted to doing just about everything the ol' fashioned way from housecleaning to yard work and I walk dogs at least a mile a day. (weather permitting) Not only have I discovered I prefer this way of doing things.........it saves me a ton of money as well.

If that isn't it? Then I have no answer because I keep losing and I'm not trying to lose. I'm eating the same as I always have.

Trinity.........I have the hips of a much taller woman. :rofl: (bone structure, that is) I have major issues finding anything to fit should I get lower than a size 10. If they fit everywhere else.....I can't get them over the darn hips. If they fit the hips......they're a tent everywhere else. Being under 5' stinks.
 

1905

Well-Known Member
People, my friend at work just bough the most adorable, outfits from Old Navy. She paid 2.97 for skirts, there is a big sale there. She is in her 50's and is about an 8-10. She always dresses nicely. Just an FYI.
 

HaoZi

CD Hall of Fame
Skirts? Dresses? Not happening here. Heck if the kids weren't in and out of the apartment I might not wear pants either!
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I have never, ever, EVER really liked skirts and dresses. EVER. I have one dress I actually like and, well, it won't fit across my chest right now. Once I'm done nursing, it might again. It's a khaki schoolteacher-type jumper. (NOT sweater jumper, LOL!) I used to love the gypsy-type "broomstick" skirts. SO comfortable.

I've no idea what shape I am (someone once said apple but I'm not very round - more like pretzel stick). I have almost no curves - I have skinny little hips and they're about 2" below my ribs so no room for anything there. I was a B-cup before Meggie, too. So - boyish figure. I do however have really nice calves and ankles, thanks to my paternal Grandma! But... I do have enough in the hip department I can't wear boys' or men's jeans. Blah.

My favorite jeans EVER were a pair of Old Navy Curvy jeans. Got 'em at Goodwill for $1.50. If I hadn't worn out the seat... Well, they don't make them like that anymore. Second favorite pair were Sonoma (Kohl's brand), actually petite size 10s that were long enough. Can't button 'em right now, but soon - !!
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
:rofl:Lisa, if we took your bottom half, my top half, and a smidgeon of height from SuZir, we'd just about have the body of that elusive "average woman".
 

muttmeister

Well-Known Member
I buy men's jeans. You get your waist size, your length, and you're done. I've even been known to add appliques, sequins, etc. to jazz them up a bit.
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
And I don't find skirts any easier to fit than jackets.

Waistbands always roll down because I don't have enough waist for them to lie flat. Elasticized waists slide down and threaten to fall off. Draw strings are lumpy and a horrible sensory experience. Either the waist fits or the hips fit but never both at the same time.

I love skirts and live in them, but when I do find that rare good fit I buy 3 or 4 of them because they will have to last for decades until I find another that fits as well.

Don't even get me started on dresses. It's impossible to buy an off-the-rack dress that fits both my upper body and lower body. Unless it's one of those stretchy strapless numbers, and there just aren't that many occasions when a 44 year-old woman needs to be traipsing around in one of those...
 

trinityroyal

Well-Known Member
IC, there's a reason I "had" a dressmaking business instead of "have" a dressmaking business. If I had the time to alter clothes, I would have time to make them. As it is, the tailor up the road is practically my bestest friend.
 
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