https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:55:02 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252750 Tue, 22 Feb 2022 07:51:02 +0000 Zaeobi 2252750@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@Ginger<br /> Oh interesting - were the vertical creases pulling taut or bunching up? It sounds like we indeed have similar shapes - no wonder you prefer skirts too, lol!<br /> With the collective wisdom of this thread, I'm thinking it may not be worth it to try &amp; alter these after all... No worries, I only came about this issue because I realised we were now officially in winter &amp; hadn't reached for these jeans once. Oh well, I'm grateful to at least know all this (thread wisdom) *before* I wasted my time finding a tailor to just 'take these jeans at the waist'... how naive, lol! </p> <p>@Gaylene<br /> Haha I remember another YLF thread a while back discussing 'phantom penis', so I suppose that's an acceptable term for it too :P<br /> Interesting that too HIGH of a rise can cause this issue too. I suspect I'm guilty of both that AND belting my mid-rise trousers higher than they're supposed to go (like these brown cords) due to the perils of being petite </p> <p>--- </p> <p>I tried comparison photos with the brown corduroy trousers &amp; honestly don't see much of a difference in the cut. But maybe that's because neither fits me well, lol? Idk... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252713 Mon, 21 Feb 2022 22:02:23 +0000 JAileen 2252713@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>First off, I’d never heard of polterwang and had to look it up. &nbsp;That’s what’s do great about YLF - I learn something everyday.<div><br /></div><div>In the first set of pictures my first thought was they were a little baggy, but I bet they’re comfy! &nbsp;In the second set of pictures I think the cinnamon pants look fine. &nbsp;But pants that are too high waisted could give that polterwang effect. Even when one is standing up.</div> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252661 Mon, 21 Feb 2022 13:23:52 +0000 Ginger 2252661@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nothing much to add, but I'm applauding the technical information provided in this thread! The Fashion Incubator is a fantastic informational resource. I love Gaylene's explanation as well.</p> <p>Zaeobi, I've had a similar problem, not so much with excess material but with strange vertical creases. In that particular case, the issue was because I'm built more like you: plenty of backside, very little tummy. The back crotch curve (the horizontal part) was not deep enough for me, so the front was being pulled toward the back. Hence creases. It's quite challenging to alter, since IF sizing up provides a deep enough back crotch curve, by then the front has too much material for a nonexistent tummy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252546 Sun, 20 Feb 2022 02:44:55 +0000 Jaime 2252546@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>So interesting, and I feel like I should have absorbed more than I have. Will reread at a more wakeful hour! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252406 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 11:27:01 +0000 Zaeobi 2252406@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Só I don't have any perfectly fitting 'hard' pants (difficult to find petite high-rise trousers that are long enough!) but this is the closest I have (mid-rise, cropped trousers). </p> <p>Not sure if the photos show the crotch difference between the jeans &amp; these pants well, but what do you think? The thing I'm noticing is the more '3D' shape formed by the front zip fly in the cinnamon trousers (&amp; of course the half elastic lol). Could the side button closure of the jeans be exacerbating the fit issue? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252378 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 04:58:08 +0000 Zaeobi 2252378@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@SF Lol I'm getting a good ol' chuckle from the 'flat stomach' comments - my tummy definitely isn't! But it *is* smaller in *comparison* to my backside, which I suspect is contributing to the issue - I can't fit into clothes made for 'straight up &amp; down' folk, but I don't have full curves *everywhere* either. It doesn't sound like the jeans are accommodating the balance of my 'back &amp; front' girth as well as the side-to-side girth. Will have to check whether the seams have enough allowance to let them out in the crotch &amp; side seams first. Need to remember @Gaylene's point that my body isn't the issue here - the clothes are! Sucks because @Star is right, usually Seasalt works for me </p> <p>@JP @Vildy<br /> will pull out some trousers to compare when I can - don't think I have any 'hard' pants that fit perfectly in terms of high-rise waistbands (hence why I prefer skirts!) but I can compare the crotch. Thanks for the clear instructions! </p> <p>It looks a lot more complex than simply nipping in the waistband, so will need to weight up whether they're worth this headache overall.. </p> <p>@Angie This was the pair of jeans I chose after I posted a few options a few months back - I was looking for that trendy straight leg (as opposed to skinny fit), but I think it might bit too oversized elsewhere too ...</p> <p>Gyaaah trousers (jeans specifically) are so difficult to fit, lol!! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252338 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 20:52:25 +0000 Helena 2252338@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>*spits tea onto laptop screen* ... never heard polterwang before, but what a great word! :D</p> <p>I don't know that I would have noticed the issue, but now that you say it, yes, something looks a little off here ... I think it's the pants rather than the fit, but I'll leave that assessment to more knowledgeable folks.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252329 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 19:49:48 +0000 Gaylene 2252329@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Vildy and JP are correct—the major problem is with the cut of the crotch—and Angie is right that size just aggravates the problem.&nbsp;</p> <div><br /></div><div>As someone who used to do a lot of sewing and tailoring, the key to figuring out pant-fitting issues is to follow the crease lines to the fit areas which are the source of the fitting issue. The rule is bodies are never the problem, so fitting is always about the cut and construction of the garment.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Crotch construction in women’s pants is inherently complex because we need to fit two-dimensional fabric components (length and width) at a critical 4-point intersection on a three-dimensional body. So, for what’s it worth, my first instincts as to the possible issues with these pants are as follows:<br />(A) the inner seam of the front leg needs to be released and the crotch point moved forward to allow enough room to sit in the pant. Scooping out more room in the rear seam curve might give enough ease to allow this to work. Letting out the top inner leg seams might also add a bit more ease—even a 1/4 of an inch can work wonders here.&nbsp;</div><div>(B) The front part of the crotch seam is far too long because your flat stomach doesn’t require the fabric to accommodate a curve in this area. Scooping out the extra fabric length at the point where the front crotch seam meets the waistband and then readjusting the waistline curve to the side seam could help reduce that extra fabric which gets pushed down into folds when you sit. </p> <p>The fix, as I see it, would be to remove the waistband, fit the front and rear crotch seams to your actual waistline and crotch intersection, &nbsp;adjust the side and inner leg seams, and then refit the waistband so it sits comfortably on your waist when standing and, importantly, when sitting. A reasonably skilled tailor could handle the job, but, if you understand what is involved, you can steer clear of anyone who just wants to do a half-assed job of quickly running another seam along the back crotch seam. That might move the crotch intersection forward, but won’t fix that roll in the front or help the pants feel more comfortable when you sit down.&nbsp;</p> </div></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252324 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 19:10:16 +0000 Vildy 2252324@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Loved <b>JP</b>'s very clear explanation about turning pants inside out and comparing!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252322 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 19:07:26 +0000 JP 2252322@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>No, unfortunately that won't fix the curve in the crotch area. I've circled the part that needs fixing in the image. Hope it helps. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252313 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 17:11:01 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2252313@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>JP, so would taking in the waist force a curve and eliminate the problem? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252312 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 17:08:29 +0000 Angie 2252312@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Definitely a fit issue, and frustrating :(</p> <p>&nbsp;I can't help but be very curious about the fit if you sized down. The jeans kind of look too big everywhere, no? Or, you need the petite version of the cut.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252305 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:39:32 +0000 JP 2252305@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm not a jeans expert but I'm a designer and I sew quite a bit, so, I can tell for sure it's not "a case of not being used to jeans/ 'hard' pants", this is a cut issue in the crotch area. If you turn it inside out and fold it, you might notice that where it should have more of a curve to fit that area nicely, it's probably more straight which causes it to have extra fabric there. You can compare it to a pair of pants that fit you well to see the curve that you need. I'm sorry for your frustration.<br /> Ps: after submitting I saw that Vildy has already pointed you to the right direction. Fashion Incubator is a great source. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252301 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:22:45 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2252301@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yep, I was thinking that your girth is where it ought to be, and that you have a flat belly, something I have never experienced. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252294 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:04:12 +0000 Vildy 2252294@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have a long rise and I sometimes get the original camel toe problem, which is acutely uncomfortable when you sit down.&nbsp; I use fashion incubator's fix for that which is a counterintuitive deepening of the crotch curve.&nbsp; Taking away more to end up with more room?&nbsp; Works, though.&nbsp; I have a smaller, flatter rear nowadays but still needs that extra room. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252292 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 15:51:15 +0000 Zaeobi 2252292@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@Vildy @Synne @kkards @SF<br /> I suspect you might be onto something here re: the waist/ rise being the issue here. It makes me wonder whether I've been measuring myself wrong all this time - despite being only 5ft3(.5), when I measure from the middle of my seat to my natural waist, it comes to 14" exactly. That sounds ridiculously long to me, so I usually go for ~12" high rises (because I like my bottoms to hit on or around my natural waist). The back rise is usually ~15" which is OK for me, since I *ahem* have a little junk in the trunk &amp; therefore don't want plumber's crack, lol... </p> <p>I suspect this plays into what @Synne &amp; @SF were alluding to with the *width* of the waist though - when I measure according to conventional wisdom (widest &amp; narrowest points of the body), I get a 30" waist &amp; 40" hips measurement. But a big part of that latter measurement comes from the aforementioned 'junk' lol. So it makes guessing difficult, especially since Seasalt don't post rise measurements specifically but just say these jeans are designed to 'Sit on the natural waist'. Question is, whose natural waist? Hence needing a belt to hike up the trousers to wear I want them, lol. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252291 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 15:46:26 +0000 Zaeobi 2252291@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@SF @Vildy @CarolS @Lesley<br /> I shall also add 'trouser tent' &amp; 'camel toe wad' to my repertoire too - glad we all got mutually beneficial laughs out of this </p> <p>@Star @Mirjana @rachylou<br /> I like to think anyone who wears jeans more often than I do (once or twice a year) can count as a 'denim expert', lol! So thanks for weighing in I agree that 'something' about the crotch is off - just frustrating to not be able to tell 'what' exactly, especially since these jeans passed the comfort test when it comes to sitting/ bending/ kneeling when I bought them (&amp; still pass now). </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252288 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 15:33:44 +0000 Vildy 2252288@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would choose one of two simple fixes:&nbsp;<br />Buy from another brand.&nbsp;<br />In the case of the Levi's (but not trousers in general, of course) I would note the Borrowed from the Boys original garments and just laugh about how literal I was being.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252286 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 15:28:05 +0000 rachylou 2252286@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That’s interesting about the pattern making. But the fit and fall do look off now, twisty. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252284 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 15:09:26 +0000 Lesley 2252284@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>OMG, polterwang. Thanks for getting my Friday off to a great start. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252276 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 14:31:18 +0000 SarahD8 2252276@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ugh, that’s so frustrating zaeobi! As a person with a short rise, polterwang is the bane of my existence. I hate when pants are just right except for that one issue but alas I have nothing to offer but commiseration.</p> <p>Vildy, the link you posted seems to be saying that this one fabric saving pattern alteration leads to *both* camel toe and the wad? That seems counterintuitive to me. On the same body? Maybe one when standing and one when sitting? I need to ponder further…. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252265 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 13:43:20 +0000 CarolS 2252265@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Sorry, just getting over a fit of giggles at the term "polterwang"!!!!</p> <p>I have encountered that fit issue, too. I wish I could offer wisdom on why or how to fix it, but alas, I can only commiserate and giggle. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252260 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 12:20:00 +0000 kkards 2252260@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hmmmm when I looked at your 1st picture I thought that these pants were pleated. &nbsp;But the other pictures didn’t look that way, so I went to the sea salt site. &nbsp;Something in the fit is off. &nbsp;Wondering if the rise is too long for you as it seems you are wearing them higher than the model.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252258 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 11:50:28 +0000 Vildy 2252258@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>She's a trained pattern maker.<br />The Wad<br /><a rel="nofollow" href="https://fashion-incubator.com/anatomy_of_a_camel_toe_pt2/">https://fashion-incubator.com/.....l_toe_pt2/</a></p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252251 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 10:08:03 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 2252251@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In the last pic I can kind of sort of see the issue you’re talking about, but the crease runs sideways. I figured out a while back that the front rise isn’t just a vertical measurement; it also includes distance the pants must go out and around. Not trying to be unkind to anyone for their body type, but perhaps these were cut to accommodate a different shape than you have. I wonder if having the waist taken in would result in reshaping that area enough for this to vanish. </p> <p>In any event, it really is not evident to me in the pix, until the very last one where I can see a crease that might look more impressive from your vantage point. </p> <p>And thanks for the new-to-me term for trouser tent. I’d not heard it before. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252248 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 09:03:05 +0000 Synne 2252248@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Can you have them altered? Looks like they are a tad to wide for you at the waist. I also notice you need a belt for this reason? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252246 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 08:53:55 +0000 Mirjana 2252246@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm not an expert too, but something wrong in the crotch area. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252242 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:54:56 +0000 Star (Lise) 2252242@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am certainly not an expert but I don't think it is a fit issue or a 'not used to' thing.&nbsp; I think it is a cut issue from the manufacturer.&nbsp; Strange because Seasalt is such a good brand.&nbsp; I could be wrong. Not so much polterwang in the pics but definitely something not right in the crotch area.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jeans-fit-issue-invisible-polterwang#post-2252240 Fri, 18 Feb 2022 07:40:32 +0000 Zaeobi 2252240@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Not sure how else to explain this lol, but I <i>feel</i> like I have a Polterwang when wearing these jeans. This is frustrating* because it doesn't <i>seem</i> as if there's a 'phantom appendage' in these photos, but I can feel it on my lap whenever I'm in them. They're comfortable otherwise (standing or sitting), except for the faux penis feeling lol. </p> <p><b> YLF Denim Experts: Is this a fit issue, or do you think this is just a case of not being used to jeans/ 'hard' pants?</b> Oh &amp; kindly ignore the rest of my unstyled WFH self Ta! </p> <p>---</p> <p>*Context: These are the Waterdance trousers by Seasalt Cornwall in the 'dark indigo wash' - I posted them when trying out different fits of jeans in preparation for winter, &amp; these were the winning pair. Hence why it's frustrating this issue crops up *now*! </p>