It will depend entirely on how much you're prepared to spend?

I really like Banana Republic for jeans. They have a nice variety of inseams so if you find you really love a pair, you can get them in a longer length to wear with heels and a shorter length to wear with flats. My other favorite jeans are by it! and come from the junior's dept at Nordstrom. Unfortunately I sized up to a 27 and they ended up "growing," so I would err on the side of snug.

Have you tried skinny jeans yet Sara? I know they're not everyone's cup of tea, but you seem like you would be a good candidate for them.

I am a 5'2'' inverted triangle, size 2-4 and I love 7 for All Mankind jeans in size 27. They usually have a good selection of dark washes. I buy them at Barneys New York in Seattle for under $200 (you can also find them at most good department stores like Nordstroms, but Barneys has a GREAT jean selection). I have friends who try them on in the store and buy them cheaper online, you could try a google search. The online downside is that they I've not seen them in short lengths, so you would need to get them hemmed, which adds to the price. But I've found them to be a great investment and they dress up and down very nicely.

Oh and they do stretch a bit, a salesperson estimated half a size, so buy them a bit tight.

Sorry, I guess I should have said something about budget. I'd prefer to look for sales and spend under $50, but I'll settle for under $100 if the jeans will last a long time (as in several years).

BR looks like a good place to look for bootcuts just under $100. I'll have to go there and try some on. Nordstrom juniors department seems to have a good selection too, mostly skinnies though. I'm not sure what the womens equivalent of size 27 is, but I'll probably try some on there too.

No, I haven't gotten up the courage to try skinny jeans yet. Right now I'm doing good to just start wearing jeans that fit me instead of swimming in fabric. :) Who knows, I might like them though.

Hemming isn't a problem for me kkat2156. My mom and I both have sewing machines, so it won't cost any extra. But $200 is definitely out of my price range. :( It looks like I can find what I'm looking for under $100 though. Thank you all.

Hi Sarah, I just bought a pair of great fitting DKNY Soho jeans in a dark wash at Macy's last night, for $46 (and Macy's has a sale going on, so they were actually even cheaper). I have a very different body shape than you, but then again DKNY has different styles of jeans, so it's worth trying it out. I've had them before and have been very happy with them, especially considering the price. This particular style contains a bit of stretch and is between straight leg and bootcut. I find DKNY sizes tend to run big.

Antje, I had a pair of Sohos that I loved at first, but they stretched so much I couldn't wear them after just a few months, and a 2 is the smallest size they make, so I couldn't get a new pair :(. Sarah is slightly smaller than me so I wouldn't recommend them for her.

Sarah, a 27 usually corresponds to a size 4. Banana Republic tends to run big. You'll probably be a 00 there.

Well, I guess I'm smaller than a size 27 then. I can't wait to go try some jeans on now. Wow, I'm actually excited about shopping for jeans! That’s a first. :)

Well, it goes by waist size. A 25=0, 26=2, 27=4, etc. 27 jeans usually fit me well initially but before long, they stretch out so much they're unwearable, so I usually size down to a 26 now, which makes more sense because that is my waist size. However, I have heavy thighs and hips so that's why I needed to size up in the first place. You'll probably be fine in a 26, but try on a few 25's to make sure. If they're snug (but not tight), go with the smaller fit. They will stretch.

That's interesting that some sizes are by waist measurement. I guess that makes sense; I just didn't put 2 and 2 together. :) I fluctuate between 25, 25.5, and 26 in the waist, but I have small thighs. I guess I'll just have to try on the different sizes to find out which one I fit.