Need denim jeans recs

[TechWife]

I need to get some jeans. I’ll be sizing down from women’s to misses, so it feels like I’m starting from scratch.  I know the fits vary by person so this is very subjective. I’m not super concerned with price right now. Brands that don’t work so far are Levi’s and Talbots. So, what are your favorites & why? 

[Carol in Cal.]

I love the brand ‘Not Your Daughter’s Jeans’ because they last a very long time, and they somehow sculpt or skim or something to make me look better than I normally do.  The only thing to watch out for is that their sizing is a bit inconsistent from one design to the next, so I wear different sizes in different cuts.  I have hips but not hugely bigger around than my waist.  They do have a curvy cut that is for ladies with smaller waists in proportion than to their hips, and it doesn’t fit me at all.

[Ottakee]

How/where do you carry your weight?

[itsheresomewhere]

Huge fan of Liverpool Jeans.  They are the only ones who fit me like they were made for me. 

[LauraClark]

I'm a fan of Bandolino. I like the higher rise-it conceals any muffin top that might be going on. They also seem to fit in the waist and backside-usually it's one or the other for me.

[Tap]

42 minutes ago, TechWife said:

I need to get some jeans. I’ll be sizing down from women’s to misses, so it feels like I’m starting from scratch.  I know the fits vary by person so this is very subjective. I’m not super concerned with price right now. Brands that don’t work so far are Levi’s and Talbots. So, what are your favorites & why? 

I am tall, high waisted, but have trim hips/thighs. I usually gravitate towards Jr styles because of this. 

My favorite jeans are a bit varied. I like Kut From the Kloth because they fit, are comfortable and are a thicker denim, so they last a bit longer. And, they are near or under $100. I wear jeans to work and am on my feet bending/lifting etc all day. These keep thier shape the best and I can easily wear them 2x between wash.

Paige denim is softer and lighter, great for summer, but they wear out after a few years. I only buy ankle jeans from them tho, because while they are great for average height woman, I am a bit tall for jeans that need to fit a little longer than ankle length.

Hudson is hit and miss on me. I can love them or hate them. Their styles are really varied on me. 

7 for All Mankind are long enough in straight leg styles that I can have them hemmed to a good length for flat shoes (I have long legs so this is hard to find sometimes). 

There are a few brands at higher end stores that fit me great but they are often $200 a pair, so I hate to recommend them. AG is one of them, if you want to look, but don't say I didn't warn you. LOL These are definitely not work jeans for me. HAHA

For mall type stores,  American Eagle jeans are sometimes worth a look. Especially if you are in a misses style.  Abercrombie/Hollister too. Express Jeans can be decent, but you have to really watch thier sizing, it can vary so much from pair to pair, even in the identical jean style/fabric. 

My 23yo daughter loves Reformation jeans, but again, they can come close to the $200 mark. 

Going to stores like Nordstrom Rack, can be great for jeans. They usually have lots of styles/makers and you can likely find something for a decent price. They recently redid the stores in our area, and mixed most items together between Jrs/womsans and they are now on long racks, with everything mixed together. I find it annoying, but it may increase your chance of finding fits that will work for you. Other discount stores have a hit/miss selection. TJMaxx/Marshalls/Ross. They also have Jrs/womens separate, so you can look at just Jrs styles if you want, and still get a mix of fits. I don't usually have much luck there but different areas, get different selections. 

[Arcadia]

It depends on your waist to hip ratio, length of your legs, as well as whether you prefer high rise or mid rise. 
 

I prefer rag & bone jeans because they have cropped high rise curvy jeans that fit my body shape best. I wear size 25 though.

[TechWife]

2 minutes ago, Tap said:

 

My favorite jeans are a bit varied. I like Kut From the Kloth because they fit, are comfortable and are a thicker denim, so they last a bit longer. And, they are near or under $100. I wear jeans to work and am on my feet bending/lifting etc all day. These keep thier shape the best and I can easily wear them 2x between wash.

…

There are a few brands at higher end stores that fit me great but they are often $200 a pair, so I hate to recommend them. AG is one of them, if you want to look, but don't say I didn't warn you. LOL These are definitely not work jeans for me. HAHA

 

I have a pair of Kut from the Cloth boyfriend jeans that have been wonderful, but now they are falling off of me. I’ll look to see if they have a straight leg.

Don’t worry about pricing - I’d rather buy one or two pair that fit well than three or four that don’t. I’m too old to be uncomfortable. I totally understand why my grandmother and mother wore dusters most of the time late in life, but I hope I have another 20 years or so before that becomes my go to. 😁

[crazyforlatin]

Everlane as they are high rise and even now carry a rise that is close 12”.

I know that Abercrombie has a great high rise that is loved by many. It’s not the AF of the 90s. I did try a pair but the sizing was off and given that I have enough jeans I decided not to do an exchange.

Target has this particular brand that makes high rise jeans for about $25. It has great reviews and I’ve seen women wear them and look very good in them, can’t tell they are $25.

[QueenCat]

NYDJ- Not Your Daughter's Jeans

[Katy]

The two that I love most are Talbot's and Levi's, so I'm useless for everything except wishing you luck!

[Tap]

2 hours ago, crazyforlatin said:

Everlane as they are high rise and even now carry a rise that is close 12”.

I know that Abercrombie has a great high rise that is loved by many. It’s not the AF of the 90s. I did try a pair but the sizing was off and given that I have enough jeans I decided not to do an exchange.

Target has this particular brand that makes high rise jeans for about $25. It has great reviews and I’ve seen women wear them and look very good in them, can’t tell they are $25.

DD23 likes Everlane as well. I forgot the name so I didn't mention it. 

[Storygirl]

For years, I've worn Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans. I like that they sit at my natural waistline and they fit both my waist and my hips well. I hate it when I buy jeans that fit my hips but then are too wide at the waist. I can usually find them for $25 or less at Kohl's or Costco; they come in a variety of colors; and they last for years, even though I wear them constantly.

[mmasc]

Lucky Brand Ava work best for me. They’re called “mid-rise”, but since my body has a short rise/short waist (?) they are actually more high rise on me. If I get jeans that are labeled “high rise” they are too high and not only dig into my stomach, but basically make any skin between my jeans and bra disappear 😂

[Starr]

13 hours ago, TechWife said:

I totally understand why my grandmother and mother wore dusters most of the time late in life, but I hope I have another 20 years or so before that becomes my go to. 😁

🤣 I'm going to borrow this.

[Ottakee]

I have had good luck going to a higher end consignment shop as then I have the option if different brands and sizes as I can vary between 3 sizes depending on brand and style.

I struggle with jeans as I had a short waist but carry my weight more in my thighs and fat knees.  It is hard to find ones that fit my thighs that aren't way too big in the waist/hips.

[TechWife]

According to all of the size charts I am in between sizes. Sigh. I guess I need to wait another month or two. By then it will be shorts weather & this is a little easier to do with shorts.

[Negin]

I've watched at least two YouTube videos on this. I can try to find them and link them for you if you wish. 

Here are their notes that I took:

Most flattering – 9-inch high-rise jeans

Mid-Rise jeans = 8-9 inches

Inseam Length

Back Pockets should be small and high – high on bum

Space between the back pockets – not too much, the ideal is 2-3 inches between the back pockets

YKK Zipper

Quality Stitching – turn the ankle/bottom part of the jean inside out and look at the bottom leg. The seams should look like railroad tracks on both sides.

Zipper Length – not short. Best is long zipper length with very little or no space between the bottom of the zipper and the crotch.

Dark Wash

No embellishments or embroidery

Minimal Fading

No contrasting stitching

Clean classic dark wash

If the waistband fits around your neck, it will fit you - this helps if you're in a store and want to try on a bunch. 

98% Cotton

No more than 2% Elastane

 

[QueenCat]

5 hours ago, Negin said:

 

If the waistband fits around your neck, it will fit you - this helps if you're in a store and want to try on a bunch. 

 

This part confuses me. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but my neck is way smaller than my waist.

[TechWife]

7 minutes ago, QueenCat said:

This part confuses me. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but my neck is way smaller than my waist.

Me too. Also my hips are wider than my waist so just because something fits my waist didn’t mean it fits overall, KWIM? When I was thin it wasn’t uncommon for me to have jeans taken in at the waist. 

 

[Longtime Lurker]

22 minutes ago, QueenCat said:

This part confuses me. Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but my neck is way smaller than my waist.

Does she mean the waistband doubled over? Like if you hold the pair of jeans up to your neck and wrap the waistband around your neck? So your neck would be about half the size of your waist.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Longtime Lurker

[Faith-manor]

On 12/25/2021 at 10:36 PM, Storygirl said:

For years, I've worn Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans. I like that they sit at my natural waistline and they fit both my waist and my hips well. I hate it when I buy jeans that fit my hips but then are too wide at the waist. I can usually find them for $25 or less at Kohl's or Costco; they come in a variety of colors; and they last for years, even though I wear them constantly.

I wear these too.

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, TechWife said:

Me too. Also my hips are wider than my waist so just because something fits my waist didn’t mean it fits overall, KWIM? When I was thin it wasn’t uncommon for me to have jeans taken in at the waist. 

 

I hardly wore jeans when I was thin in college. I was a size two with a little curve and they just didn't make anything that fit except a girl's 14 (I was a size 2 in "adult" pants) and those weren't long enough for a 5'4" woman with somewhat longish legs. Finding pants was a huge issue. I am still not a fan of going and trying on pants. Ugh!

[Kanin]

I like Lucky jeans the best currently. I bought some last year that were slightly skinny but not too skinny, and curvy. I always find them at Marshall's or TJMaxx. 

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, Longtime Lurker said:

Does she mean the waistband doubled over? Like if you hold the pair of jeans up to your neck and wrap the waistband around your neck? So your neck would be about half the size of your waist.

That’s what I assumed, too. 

[sassenach]

The only way I will ever shop for jeans again is to order them through Stitch Fix. That algorithm is magical when it comes to jeans. You can ask them to send you an all jeans fix and then try them on at home- keep or send back. If I'm not positive on the fit, I'll wear them around the house for an hour just to be sure. They carry a lot of the brands mentioned above. 

If you are afraid of the styling fee #1 DM me for a referral code that would cover that, or #2 they have great customer service and have been known to waive the fee if you got a fix you really hated.

[AmandaVT]

23 minutes ago, sassenach said:

The only way I will ever shop for jeans again is to order them through Stitch Fix. That algorithm is magical when it comes to jeans. You can ask them to send you an all jeans fix and then try them on at home- keep or send back. If I'm not positive on the fit, I'll wear them around the house for an hour just to be sure. They carry a lot of the brands mentioned above. 

If you are afraid of the styling fee #1 DM me for a referral code that would cover that, or #2 they have great customer service and have been known to waive the fee if you got a fix you really hated.

I agree - I have no idea how stitch fix does it, but every time they send me jeans, they fit perfectly. And as @Tap suggested- the Kut from the Kloth ones are amazing. They've sent me 2 different pairs and I love them both. So soft and comfy with a perfect amount of stretch!

[Frances]

On 12/25/2021 at 8:36 PM, Storygirl said:

For years, I've worn Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans. I like that they sit at my natural waistline and they fit both my waist and my hips well. I hate it when I buy jeans that fit my hips but then are too wide at the waist. I can usually find them for $25 or less at Kohl's or Costco; they come in a variety of colors; and they last for years, even though I wear them constantly.

Ditto everything she said.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Frances

[Carol in Cal.]

On 12/26/2021 at 7:41 AM, TechWife said:

According to all of the size charts I am in between sizes. Sigh. I guess I need to wait another month or two. By then it will be shorts weather & this is a little easier to do with shorts.

If you want warm pants in the mean time, I LOVE my 1 State velvet pants.  They are stupid comfortable and quite warm.  Plus their black is very deep and warm, which I like.

[itsheresomewhere]

On 12/26/2021 at 10:03 AM, Ottakee said:

I have had good luck going to a higher end consignment shop as then I have the option if different brands and sizes as I can vary between 3 sizes depending on brand and style.

I struggle with jeans as I had a short waist but carry my weight more in my thighs and fat knees.  It is hard to find ones that fit my thighs that aren't way too big in the waist/hips.

Try Liverpool jeans.  They are made for this of us with thighs and smaller waist.

[DeainUSA]

I would check out the jeans at Maurice's.  I love the Silver brand, but they have several.

[Idalou]

Starts at about 3:15 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Idalou

[TechWife]

4 hours ago, sassenach said:

The only way I will ever shop for jeans again is to order them through Stitch Fix. That algorithm is magical when it comes to jeans. You can ask them to send you an all jeans fix and then try them on at home- keep or send back. If I'm not positive on the fit, I'll wear them around the house for an hour just to be sure. They carry a lot of the brands mentioned above. 

If you are afraid of the styling fee #1 DM me for a referral code that would cover that, or #2 they have great customer service and have been known to waive the fee if you got a fix you really hated.

Wow! I did just this thing early this morning. It’s due on January 5th.

[KungFuPanda]

The last time I needed jeans, I just went to the thrift store, grabbed about 10 pair in my size, and tried them on until I got two pair that fit me really well.  I don't even know what brand they are.  I was down to one pair of jeans that I liked.  It was a jeans emergency and I wanted to make sure I could still wear non-elastic pants. I was avoiding the mall and didn't want to deal with going to multiple stores.  I may do this from now on.  I don't know who these people are who don't wear their clothes until they fall apart, but I appreciate them.

That waistband around my neck trick worked when I was a teenager.  I'm not sure the ratios would hold now.

Edited December 28, 2021 by KungFuPanda

[1234]

I agree that Stitch Fix is amazing! It’s weird but pretty much all the jeans they send me since about box 2/3 fit perfectly. I don’t purchase jeans from anywhere else anymore.

[1234]

5 hours ago, TechWife said:

Wow! I did just this thing early this morning. It’s due on January 5th.

Don’t get discouraged if the first box isn’t amazing. I’ve loved everything they’ve sent me since box two or three. The more feedback they get from you, the better the boxes get. 

[Nanax6]

My absolute favorite jean is Democracy jeans.  I've lost 105 lbs and I've gone through a lot of clothing on the journey.   These jeans are trendy, comfortable, keep their shape and wash up well.    

 

[TechWife]

52 minutes ago, Joker2 said:

Don’t get discouraged if the first box isn’t amazing. I’ve loved everything they’ve sent me since box two or three. The more feedback they get from you, the better the boxes get. 

I’ve had several fixes before, although this is the first time I’ve requested only one type of clothing. 

[MercyA]

On 12/25/2021 at 11:36 PM, Storygirl said:

For years, I've worn Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans. I like that they sit at my natural waistline and they fit both my waist and my hips well. I hate it when I buy jeans that fit my hips but then are too wide at the waist. I can usually find them for $25 or less at Kohl's or Costco; they come in a variety of colors; and they last for years, even though I wear them constantly.

 

13 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

I wear these too.

Me three! You can also find them on Amazon sometimes. I like them a lot. 

My daughter likes Lands' End denim jeggings. They are all she wears now.

[prairiewindmomma]

I own the Vanderbilt Amanda and two pairs of Liverpools. I prefer the Liverpool brand. The material is a bit thinner and it drapes better almost like a 4way stretch type of material.  The cut through the waist and hips is more flattering on my body type…especially the rise. There is slight compression/shaping in the Liverpool styles I have, but not much. I would describe the Amanda jeans as traditional jeans…thicker denim, no shaping feature, little stretch.

[prairiewindmomma]

Fwiw, I did get my Liverpools through StitchFix. They have been unavailable for my last fixes though—supply issues. Liverpool jeans are also at department stores and therefore available for ordering through there. 

[easypeasy]

I only wear skinny jeans, so my suggestions are based on that style.

My very favorites are Joe's Jeans: https://www.joesjeans.com/collections/women-collection

and Eddie Bauer, surprisingly. I grabbed several of these at over 50% off a while back and love them: https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/21117439/jeans-for-women/?sp=1&color=Black Smoke

I like jeans that feel almost as comfortable as joggers. I need stretch. My daughters are wearing jeans made of a thicker, less-flexible fabric now and I just shake my head. WHY would you voluntarily re-live my jeans-experience in the 80s/early 90s?!?! Yuck!

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I have a very small waist compared to hip/thigh, and since the skinny jean became popular ten years ago, I have been miserable.  

This summer, I found Lucky Brand in the High Rise 90s Loose fit, and I am in love.  They have a button fly, they are loose in the thighs, and so, so comfortable.  They are not super flattering.  They aren't ugly, they are just there in a neutral way on my legs, IYKWIM, but I love them.  

[pitterpatter]

You might try GAP Factory men's soft wear jeans (only the soft). I think they only come in slim and slim taper, but I'm loving the custom length/waist fit. And, they are soooooooooo soft and flexible. I don't understand why they don't make them for women. Pockets are deep too!

Edited December 29, 2021 by pitterpatter

[Martha in GA]

12 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

The last time I needed jeans, I just went to the thrift store, grabbed about 10 pair in my size, and tried them on until I got two pair that fit me really well.  I don't even know what brand they are. 

I wish I could just go into a thrift store and find pants that fit! I definitely have fit problems because I'm short, have a skinny waist, and I have what my brothers always called "weight lifter legs." I need "curvy fit" to fit my thighs : ).  I do like the Kut from the Kloth Diana skinny jeans, but I can't usually justify that much $$ for jeans. 

[KungFuPanda]

11 minutes ago, Martha in GA said:

I wish I could just go into a thrift store and find pants that fit! I definitely have fit problems because I'm short, have a skinny waist, and I have what my brothers always called "weight lifter legs." I need "curvy fit" to fit my thighs : ).  I do like the Kut from the Kloth Diana skinny jeans, but I can't usually justify that much $$ for jeans. 

I went into the fitting room with a stack of jeans.  They were NOT all winners.  I think my bubble but is two sizes bigger than my waist. The variety was insane.  No store has that many brands in one place.  This was a Second Avenue and the place is huge anyway.  I went yesterday for pyrex for freezer meals and came home with five and I didn't come close to wiping out their supply.  

I know this is not news to the accomplished shoppers out there; especially the thrift store shoppers.  However, I'm a person who avoids shopping and puts it off until the situation is critical.  I was down to one pair of jeggings and no 'real' jeans.  Jeans used to last me for years and years, but the modern fabrics just don't hold up as well.