I feel like I need to bust out of my bootcut/trouser jean look and try a straighter leg jean. However, I'm short and curvy through the butt and thighs, so what's marked as 'skinny' or 'straight' sometimes means 'painted on' for me even if I size up. Or I size up and only the waist/crotch gets bigger . Needless to say I don't much care for that look!
Has anyone found a particular brand of jeans that has narrow styles cut for curvier girls? Ideally I'd like them to not be as tight through the lower thigh/knee and calf as some skinny jeans are, to help balance out my hips.
Anyone?
UPDATE in last post .
-- Edited by Elle at 15:57, 2009-03-12
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To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment ~ {Ralph Waldo Emerson}
I like AE's "77 Straight" jeans. I have bigger hips and thighs and these are slim enough to look like they're supposed to and not painted on. The best part is that they're only $40! I bought them thinking they'd be good for the "skinny jean trend," but they've really become a wardrobe staple. I did size up, but only because my store didn't have my regular size... I tried on the next size up and they fit great, so I got them. Since I didn't try my regular size I can't compare the crotch/waist to leg width ratio.
J brand has a new line called Blue Label by Jbrand. They make a 12" skinny & 14 " straight leg as well. It is cut more in portion for curvy girls. They are much small fit in the waist ( to eliminate the waist gap) and a bit more roomy in the hips and thighs.... I have not tried them on but I LOVE j brand fits so it might be worth checking out!
I also like the billy fit by True Religion (14" leg opening) and the ultra skinny by William Rast ( 12" skinny ) and the Citizins of Hummanity Mid rise skinny (13" skinny).
another vote for the jbrand esp. b/c you can pick the length of the leg opening. i really like their 14 inch cigarette jean. they also have 12 inch style and a 16 inch style. ebay seems to have a good selection and the prices avg ~$60 or so.
i also really like true religions in the johnny style. i have a pair that i wear all the time.
i tried on a of forever 21 skinnies a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised. plus the price can't be beat.
another tip would be to look for styles that zip or button detail on the seam of the calf which allows you to adjust the width at the bottom
J Brand cigarette legs are great..I love the washes. For something more inexpensive, I find that I wear my J.Crew matchsticks A LOT. They are very slimming and come in short, regular and tall inseams.
IIRC, I think we have similar body types. Have you tried any of the Levi's skinnies (518s or 521s)? They're great! I usually get them at big Macy's, my local one is small and they dont have them. If you have a Levi's store you could try them on there too, but they're usually twice as much there for some reason.
These are the one's I have (they're on sale for $40!) All my pants scrunch at the bottom like the pic on the right cuz I'm only 5' but my mom takes them in for me.
They're all straight cuts (I think the skinnies would just be too tight on my calves) and I ordered one in a couple sizes - hopefully one of them works!
I'll report back with my findings, good news or no ...
-- Edited by Elle at 18:32, 2009-03-04
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To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment ~ {Ralph Waldo Emerson}
Okay, these just arrived, and we may have a wearable contender!
Both of these 'straight' styles were really skinny in the leg still IMO. I ordered one of the pairs in 2 sizes, and the legs in both were too tight even as the waist in the larger size gapped.
These however, are the maybe-winners. I only ordered one size in them but they're a bit baggy through the crotch. I'm unsure whether I should wash and dry them to see if they'll shrink up enough, or return them for a size down. I think I'm going to hoof it down to the nearest Levi's store next week and try on the size down - then I'll be able to just exchange instead returing/rebuying. These are nice and slightly slouchy all the way from the knee down, and aren't super tight through the thighs. The rise is a little high, but I think it's more noticeable to me in the slightly larger size. Will report back (again!) once I try on at the store.
-- Edited by Elle at 16:15, 2009-03-12
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To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment ~ {Ralph Waldo Emerson}
I'm thin, but I have a butt and hips. And I'm short. So, I only wear skinny jeans tucked into boots or with a top that covers my hips. As a result, I'm not willing to spend a ton of $ them. I've had great luck with Express Mia "high waist" skinny jeans. I use the quotes because their idea of "high waist" is still a good three inches below my belly button, so they don't look weird. I got them in the dark wash, and I think I paid $30 for them on sale. They call them "ultra skinny," but IMO they aren't any skinnier than other brands. The dark wash is nice, I needed to wash them a few times before the Smurf phenomenon stopped. I love them because they're inexpensive and look good enough on me that I *almost* wore them without boots. Maybe this spring...
I stopped by Express today when I went out to do some returns, and checked them out. I guess I just need to stay away from anything that actually says 'skinny' anywhere in the name - the Express ones looked tapered almost to me. The key, I think, is straight. Skinny styles have all looked like I bought some denim saran wrap and went to town ...
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To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment ~ {Ralph Waldo Emerson}
These fit better in the size down - my stupid Levi's store didn't carry misses jeans at all (!!!) only juniors styles, so they didn't have these in stock. I retured and ordered them from Macy's. They came, but I'd lost a little weight since I originally started this search and the size down now fits like the first size I tried . I figured I'd just return again and order another size down ..
Kicker? They don't make another size down! Hahahahahahaha! I'm finally skinny-ish enough for skinny-ish jeans, and they don't make a size small enough. Ah! Ahhhhhhahhahahahahahahaha! Does that qualify as ironic? Because I'm guilty of incorrectly using that term in general .....
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To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment ~ {Ralph Waldo Emerson}