This is why I hate shopping for jeans... - YouLookFab Forum

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Dressing

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This is why I hate shopping for jeans...

Maya

Veteran

These are the Earnest Sewns that Cathy and Tanya (and a few others) found on Overstock.com. They ran a size small so I figured I'd try my luck with the 28's. These have a 10" front rise and 14" back rise (or something very close to that). I'm *still* getting muffin top and the back rise is just barely long enough to give me coverage.

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....oto4-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....photo5.jpg

This is where my actual waist is...

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....oto3-3.jpg

This is a very un-classy picture but it proves a point: I am not an apple until I have pants on my body!

http://img.photobucket.com/alb.....oto2-1.jpg

So I'm not sure what to do. Do I keep looking? I'm pretty sure I'm never going to find an 11"+ front rise and 15"+ back rise at my price point. I might be able to find jeans with a more generous waistband, but they will probably still be too low. Since this is probably the best I can do, should I just keep them?

Dressing

25 replies

Latest reply was from Maya

Taffy

Maya, what about sizing up a bit and taking in the legs with a tailor? I believe as you go up the rise gets longer, and it would loosen up the waist?

Maya

Veteran

The jeans are not available in a 29 Taffy., otherwise I would have probably given them a try.

Taffy

aahh.... I'm stumped then. I must defer to brighter minds!

agrace

Maya, I truly do not think they look bad on you. I actually quite like them! Jean shopping is the worst thing in the world. That is why I don't do it! What kind of tops are you envisioning with them?

medusa

Veteran

I don't know what to suggest, but that is a definite bummer Maya.

agrace

hmmm....re-reading what you said about rear coverage is a bit of a red flag...otherwise, I'm serious - I think they look pretty darn good! Many's a time I would like my jeans to fit me so well!

greenglove

(website)

Veteran

I think they look good Maya, perfect fitting jeans for anyone is a huge task. Maybe if you took a shot with an outfit or style top that you normally wear we could see how they look. No one wears jeans with just a cami. They look great from the side and the front, I say keep. I know how hard it is to find jeans, it can be so ridiculously time consuming like shoes but not to go there!

marianna

Veteran

I honestly think that with the right top, your "muffin top" will not be visible. The jeans look nice to my eye. Are they uncomfortable?

Tanya

Veteran

I also think they look good Maya! You should try 'water-stretching' for the waistband: spray it with some water and wear around till it conforms to your body.

Misia

Veteran

You know Maya I have a same problem with jeans,my solution that works for me is a pair of high waisted panties(spanx)or any other brand.I only pay 15 bucks for mine at Winners,I would tell you the name but I cut of the tags,Thay suck every bump and muffin top,make you so smooth that any jean will work for you.They are espacially good if you wearing fitted tops.This is my solution anyway !Looking at your pictures we are much the same shape,so try it please.

marianna

Veteran

I second Rena's suggestion. I have some high waisted granny panties that really help suck in my tummy when I'm wearing a more fitted top. They're ugly as can be, but really help smooth away the muffin (and I have a cake, so that's saying something!)

Maya

Veteran

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm surprised they are being okayed but maybe I'm just being overly critical. To add to the confusion, I know the only reason I am as flabby as I am right now is because I am not working. I have gained about 10 pounds since losing my job in March. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get this job at Anthropologie, and I'm pretty sure I will start losing some weight shortly thereafter. So if I did manage to find jeans that fit NOW, they probably won't by January!

They are a bit uncomfortable now but so are most of my jeans. I feel best in skirts and look about 10 pounds lighter, but that's not practical in the fall and winter.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Maya- have you looked into those places where you can design custom jeans? I remember that prices started at a pretty reasonable amount.
I don't think these look bad, but if they are uncomfortable then they should go back.

Kari

Veteran

Maya, I am sorry that the jeans aren't working as well as you'd hoped. I know I've mentioned before that I am in the same boat as you with the long rise, short waist, and tendency towards muffin top while wearing pants. I look the same (only bigger all over) in most pants, and jeans shopping can reduce me to tears.

I've never found jeans or pants that come close to hitting my natural waist, so I compromise with a 9-10" rise and a wide waistband with some stretch so that I don't look/feel like the waistband is bisecting my muffin top. It means I have to tug at my pants throughout the day to keep the waistband from shimmying down my hips so it's not a fuss-free look, but honestly, it's the only comfortable and flattering solution I've arrived at.

Wishing you luck at either making these jeans work for you with some of the solutions the other girls offered, or finding a pair that you like better.

Vani

Veteran

Maya, I remember having spotted some NYDJ with a 12" front rise and 15" back rise. I don't really know much about the styling of these jeans. Might be worth a try at a store?

Maya

Veteran

Vani, Angie has discouraged me from trying NYDJ due to poor quality (and they are not cheap either). I want to just die when I think that I found the Made in Heaven Berlin jeans with a 11.5" rise on ebay for just $11 and I didn't get to bid on them in time

Another pair has popped up on ebay but they are significantly more expensive. There is also a pair of Acne jeans with an 11" rise I wanted to try, but even on sale they are too expensive, and the coupons I had didn't work on sale items.

Christie

Honestly, they look good. Everyone else has given good points.

I face similar issues with jeans and my waist, and also prefer my appearance in skirts.

Maya

Veteran

OK, I am trying Tanya's advice about water stretching. I'll see how they feel when they dry a bit.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Maya, Maya, Maya! The jeans look fantastic! You are WELL covered both in the front and back. A big thumbs up from me, especially of you think you are going to lose weight. Wear your voluminous tops and you’ll look like a million bucks.

Do they feel too tight around the waist and on the crotch point? That is a talking point.

All this time you've been talking about your huge bottom, when all you have is a very neat little curvy parcel below your back!

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Maya, my jeans give me a muffin top when first worn but after an hour the jeans have stretched enough to be comfortable and the muffin top has vanished, do you think these may be the same?

Ana

(website)

Veteran

My jeans do the same thing that Julie says her's do. Have you worn them around for awhile to see what your new jeans do? I like Tanya's suggestion of water stretching them.

shiny

Veteran

Would you really want jeans that went all the way up to your waist, Maya? I would fear that would look goofy. Are these hitting at your bellybutton? It seems they are? For me that's the ideal place for jeans to hit. My waist is also much higher. I think the "muffin top" is pretty minimal here, and it is a factor of the waistband just being a smidge too tight. Waistband stretching - and just wearing them for awhile - may indeed fix that.

Although I do have to say that the ES I own do not stretch much at all. The fabric is not as comfy to wear as my COH and the UO cigarettes. Now that I duplicated the UO's, I will probably be less likely to wear the ES.

How do they feel on you? Is it a matter of "they fit pretty well, they look good, but they feel tight and constricting and therefore make me feel fat"? If you know what I mean by that! This happens to me all the time. They may look good, but I am fussing and uncomfortable.

I do notice, when I've been living in skirts and dresses all summer, it takes awhile for me to adjust back to the structure of jeans. Could it be that?

shana

Veteran

Maya, all my jeans do this at first! They eventually stretch out but it might take a couple of wears. Aren't we advised to buy jeans that are a little extra snug to account for the stretch? I think these look great on you and like Jean said, you're not planning on wearing them out with a tank top, right?

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Maya,
My jeans fit in proportion where those jeans do on you. A good few inches below my waist line. If I bought jeans to fit at my waist, I'd have denim nearly touching my bra.
I have flab on my belly and ab area. That's not a muffin top, that's just flab. A muffin top is created when I wear jeans super low that are too snug.
Woven tops and voluminous tops, as well as layered knits and jackets are the best way to off-set the tummy.
The jeans look great on you, and I think you're being too hard on yourself. Wear them around and see what they do. Can you throw together a few outfits for us to see?

Maya

Veteran

I guess I am just picky. If my jeans did reach my waist I wouldn't fuss with them riding down all day or have that nagging feeling of being insufficiently covered. Shiny, having my jeans come to my waist would look very weird if I tucked anything in, but since I wouldn't do that, no one would really know where my jeans end except me because I would be a whole lot more comfortable! But to your point: I have been in loungewear a LOT this summer (sad but true), so I guess it could just be that I need to get used to denim again.

I actually got the idea of wearing them with a cami from Sihaya's picture set. A few of her jeans were deemed too tight in the waistband by the YLF judges, and I realized that no one could probably tell that if she wore a normal shirt. So no I would not go out like this, but it just seemed to be the most effective way to show how they fit.

At any rate, I water-stretched them and within half an hour they seemed to relax and the flab was gone, so I think they are keepers. They do feel tight but I think my understanding of tightness is distorted due to being in loungewear most of the time.