No pics though I suppose I could take some if you think that would be helpful. I am looking for recommendations of brands to try next. Lots of detail here so you can understand my fit dilemma, and what I'm seeking....

GOAL: find jeans suitable for work/business travel. My wish list:

1. Dark wash/no fading/no distressing
2. Probably not skinnies... something with a bootcut or perhaps straight leg. Conservative/classic to look professional, but I still want to look good ....not boring.
3. Stretchy enough to accommodate bloating and weight fluctuations that are inevitable when traveling; it's partly the air pressure change from flying, and also the fact they are constantly feeding us on these trips!
4. Not so stretchy I can only get one day's wear out of them. Jeans take up a lot of room in a carry-on. My ideal jeans would still look great for 2-3 days wear, but be comfortable, not tight and unforgiving.
5. Versatile rise that works with tucking, half-tucking or not tucking.
6. Realistically, even though I'm starting to get more and more use to lower rise, probably a higher rise, as I futz less and feel more comfy in those.

Is that too much to ask?

Jeans currently in my rotation, that I wear a lot and love:

1. AG Nikki's, size 26 -- but these are not work appropriate.
2. LOFT bf's, size 2p -- again, not work appropriate
3. AG Farrah's (skinny & high waisted), size 26 -- I do wear these for work, so I am probably set on the skinnies, although I can only get one wear out of these before they stretch too much, so I'll keep an open mind if anyone has suggestions. (I cannot size down in these, unfortunately. The size 25 is way too tight in the thigh and waistband, and I can tell that they are tight in areas that are just not going to stretch at all, if that makes sense.
4. Joe's ankle skinnies in Niyah wash, size 26. The plus with these is that they are less skinny than the Farrah's, on me they fit more like a straight leg, so they are theoretically good for work. But although these are supposedly what Joe's calls a high rise, they are lower than the AG Farrah's, and they hit sort of in my futz & fidget zone. And I can't figure out why they work with some tops but not with others. They are comfy as can be, and I do love them. If they were just a little bit higher, they'd be my dream-jean.

Not currently in rotation but which I have loved in the past:
5. Citizen's of Humanity Ambers, Elson's, and Huttons. I still have these but with my weight up they are all too tight in the waistband right now. But I may give this brand another try. I recall these CoH styles fit very similar to the Joe's on me, except I find the Joe's are looser in the waist, which is lovely.

Because of the Joe's being so close, I ordered the Joe's classic bootcut, in a size 26 and 27 to compare, the Bridget, which is supposedly scaled for petites.

Review:

The 27 was too big all over. The 26 fit better.

Length is perfect-- just a tad too long but washing would likely shrink them just so, and I doubt any hemming would be needed.

The 26 fit better, but looser/more relaxed all over than the ankle skinnies. They are quite comfortable, nice stretch. I wanted to love them, really I did. Felt nice as soon as I put them on. But, without a belt they start falling down, and more importantly, they are too loose in the thighs. I can grab a wad of fabric, that's how loose. Don't know if I could get them tailored; they'd probably have to remove about 3 inches from the side. So they make me look short and boxy, I'm afraid. When I compare them to the AG Nikki's (my recent WiW) or the AG Farrah's, the Bridget's make me look like I weight 30 lbs more, and I'm not exaggerating. I just look dumpy. If I went down to a size 25, I fear the rise would be way too low for my comfort zone.

I really think it's about the overall cut. These jeans made me realize my biggest issue with fit is actually my thighs/legs-- I have scrawny legs, in comparison to my hips (35 inches) & waist. It's that IT/Apple thing again. Which is probably why I have way more luck with skinny jeans -- they fit my legs so I'm not drowning in my jeans.

I also ordered & received a pair of 7's since I noticed half of my coworkers were wearing those. Thought I'd give it a whirl. They fit me weird -- vertical proportions were all wrong, they seem made for someone 5'10.

If you've waded through all of this, thank you! If you have suggestions on brands/styles I might look into next, please pass them along!

At the moment i have Paige's and Kut's in my Nordstrom basket.... I never had any luck with Paige in the past, but I see they are high waisted so I thought i might try again. Never tried Kut's.