Balloon jeans or clown pants - YouLookFab Forum

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About: Spring and Summer 2021: Jeans

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Balloon jeans or clown pants

kkards

Veteran

A couple of months ago I did what I know I should’ve done, and bought something that was final sale. And they’ve been sitting in a “what do I do with them” pile ever since. At the time I bought them I thought that they were a boyfriend/loose/straight leggy fit, but when Angie did her spring trends I realized they were barrel/ balloon legs. And they certainly make me feel like I’m wearing barrels. I think part of it’s the length, but I have no idea where to hem them to. Part of it is just deciding if these push JFE farther than I want
Anyway after seeing some excellent examples of balloon jeans, I’m reaching out for thoughts, opinions, recommendations..I’m open to all comments and suggestions

(Showing them with sneakers & loafers, some full length, some cuffed.)

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Shopping

32 replies

Latest reply was from nemosmom

kellygirl

Veteran

I like these. Theses look like more of a BF and it looks like shortening them will make them easier to wear and style. I can picture them cropped with sandals for summer. They look like they'd be good for warm weather.

Joy

Veteran

What Kellygirl said. Try washing them in hot water and then put in a hot dryer to shrink a bit. A tailor may be able to narrow the pants a little.

rachylou

Veteran

They’re cute! I’d cuff them so they hit the top of the shoe and there’s no ‘breakage.’ I note Angie shows some ankle with hers and styled them with ankle boots...

Joyce B

Veteran

Is the top a little big on you? Maybe a minor alteration will give a more fitted top part and then they will be easier to style?

slim cat

Veteran

Summer cropped pants - with some cuffs possibly. The fit looks very relaxed - feels like it may need some strong shoes like platform sandals, chunky sneakers, espadrilles etc.

Synne

Veteran

You are very adventurous and playful with your style. I admire that! The one thing that stands out to my eye is the relative low rise of these jeans. That may present some styling challenges. Would you be comfortable styling these as pants under a dress? Or maybe with a longer blazer?

cat2

Veteran

Hmm, I vote cropped for summer. With a light weight t-shirt or shirt that can be tucked in.

cat2

Veteran

P.S. This year I broke my NO FINAL SALE rule as well. It worked out OK, except for a blush linen shirt that turned out to have teeny pineapples on it.

kkards

Veteran

Interesting Synne that these read as a lower rise, because they are not. But i am wearing probably my most cropped sweater).
Joyce, yes the waist probably needs a small amount taken in, as almost all “hard” pant i buy do, but i think the hips fit the way I’m comfortable with.

Anonymous

Do you enjoy wearing them? I’m on a big “purge anything you don’t LOVE” kick, even for stuff that looks good/is in style. If you don’t LOVE I would try to sell them unaltered. If you do love I would probably crop to ankle length, whether by cutting them off for a frayed hem, hemming them, or cuffing them.

Anonymous

I hate to say this , but they look gigantically big on you - especially at the waist and hip . I’m thinking you need to size way down in these.

Anonymous

I also agree with the low rise comment - they seem to be hanging quite far down .

LaPed

Veteran

I like them! They remind me of Madewell’s Dad Jeans or Agolde’s 90s jeans (in photo). Sort of a full-length, extra slouchy, long-rise take on boyfriend jeans. It does look like you could probably hem them a bit and maybe have the waist taken in? But I think a bit of a break at the hem and the hip-slung vibe are both okay for this cut, especially if you’re trying to channel some 90s grunge into your style.

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unfrumped

Veteran

These do seem to fit more like BF/ oversized/ slouch. I do not see balloon style here, though because they are so long, it might obscure some of the architecture.
Not sure they are doing anything for you. Agree with turning them up to 7/8 or cropped to just see if you lije tgst. And since they were FS, you could also try the shrink thing.
I don’t try to re- sell things, so I’m not big on preserving for that. I have had a few FS disappointments, tried some fixes with them and then gave away if it didn’t work out.
If I can’t return an item but like the way something feels, like fabric , and comfy( waist doesn’t annoy me, etc), and easy- care, but it’s not a going- out look for me, I might keep for a lounging item- or at least see if it’s a contender or upgrade for something I might be currently wearing for that.

always trying

Veteran

I think they just look too big all over.

JAileen

Veteran

They look like they are too low. Would a belt help?

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

How heavy is the fabric? I want to see them rolled up and worn with a little T-short or tank top.

Lynette

Maybe you could try to shrink them a bit? What are they made of?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I’m not reading other responses first, and I think you look absolutely brilliant in all kinds of jeans, but these seem quite big and really baggy on you. I’d like to see a size down but I realize final sale makes that difficult if not impossible.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

kkards, I'd have liked to size you down at least a size to see how those fit, but these are very big on the legs and seat. Cut for a curvier figure than yours.

If you don't want to pass them on, try boyfriend jeans styling with belt and rolled hems. If you like that look, hem so that the rolled hems aren't as bulky.

Anonymous

If it were me I'd pass them on because the amount of effort required to get a maybe good enough fit would not be justified by the anticipated result.

I could see you looking great in this trend though, in another version

doggeh lover

Agree with Angie, probably cute with those adjustments, but simply too big. Don't show your pretty figure or the barrel jeans look

kkards

Veteran

Thanks for the feedback. Pretty much confirming what I was thinking. Going to take them to the resale store next week. I knew better, final sale...what was I thinking. Oh well...onward and upward.

Runcarla

Veteran

One or two sizes too big. I bought (and returned) fuller legged jeans until I got the sizing sorted. I ended up sizing down one size in 2 different pair of jeans in order to get the trim seat and hips. It’s a different fit than we are used to. With this style you have to get the waist/hips/seat right - the legs will always fit because of the extra volume.

Brooklyn

Veteran

I’m going to be an outlier and say I think they look sensational on you. Cool, slouchy look. Very practical for summer.
I do think they need to be taken up a tad.

If they really feel too big, consider whether an alteration to the seat (some darts at the back) would do the trick.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

What I see is a boyfriend fit on a balloon leg. Meaning that they are sitting on your low hip but possibly designed to sit higher. I would be tempted to make long shorts out of them, because the structure of your lower leg would offset the oversize. Or pass them on. Or alter them as Brooklyn suggests. It sort of depends how attached you to keeping them.

judy

Veteran

I really like these on you, for a slouchy look. And I can relate. One of my favorite pair of jeans now was, when I bought them several years ago, final sale and much larger than I thought they'd be. After doing the hot water and dryer as others here suggested, I just started wearing them anyway, with a leather tie belt. It was kind of fun to have a different fit. And due to an increase in size as I'm aging, they fit much better now.

I'd also suggest another roll on yours, to take the length up a little, but I tend to like shorter pants. I think it can be flattering to see more shoe or ankle. And the more cropped length balances out the volume, at least from how it feels to wear some bigger pants.

I've recently learned a new way to roll my very long jeans, which is to turn up a very big cuff and then turn up that one again at the halfway point so it just comes up under the hem of the first, so the stitching of the hem is still nicely visible (as opposed to double rolling that hides the hem stitching) It's less bulky and stays in place better. Maybe everyone knows this but it was new to me! I saw it on instagram on some die hard "denim dudes" :). Good luck.

Bijou

Veteran

KKards, this is a hard one, because these look good to me, but not as good as your other jeans. You wear jeans so incredibly well and have an amazing collection that I think if I were you, I would reach for other jeans over and above these. I really like Shevia's suggestion to turn them into shorts.

Minaminu

Veteran

Kkkards, you always look fab in your jeans and leggings but for some reason, I don't think these jeans do you justice... Maybe a smaller size would work better?

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