Brands to shop for - pants for the rectangle?

I've lost a bit of weight in the past year. My wardrobe really needs work pants - fully lined, woolen trousers are ideal. Actually, none of my pants fit anymore, but work pants are the priority right now.

Problem is, I have a very straight figure. My waist is 30" and my hips are 36" - and after having full-term twins, I can't wear low-rise anything without (sorry, tmi) a lot of stretched skin falling out and hanging over the waistband. Everywhere I look, people are talking about "curvy" fit, which doesn't work for me at all.

The last time I bought pants was a few years ago, and I know things change pretty quickly. What brands do you recommend? I'm willing to spend $100-150 a pair, assuming excellent construction and fit, assuming they'll last a few years. Petite sizing is a bonus (I'm 5' 4"), but I know how to hem pants.

Lastly, if possible, I want to shop online from a place that has free shipping and free returns because I think I want to start from scratch, and I know I'm going to be returning a lot more than I keep. Nordstrom has been great, what other places should I check out?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

11 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

No free shipping and returns, but I would try Talbots Signature fit on the trousers. Heritage might work as well. They carry a lot of fully lined trousers, both in seasonless crepe and wool. I have owned previous versions of these, and the quality was very good. I personally want pants now with stretch in them for comfort at the end of the day, so I have no current season experience with their lined trousers.

I would also look at Zappos as you are looking for free shipping and returns. They carry a lot of brands and have a long return window.

Amazon also has free shipping and returns for Prime items for Prime customers. But their return window is 30 days.

Some places have free shipping to you over a certain dollar amount and free returns to their stores. Macy's and Ann Taylor spring to mind on this.

cciele

I have similar measurements as you do, and find the Halogen Quinn pants to fit quite well (it evens mentions for a "straight" figure! ):
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ha.....ts-_-1_1_D

There's also one on sale:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ha.....ts-_-1_2_D

Unfortunately, they are not wool though.

I bet Theory would have some wool pants that would fit too. I have a pair (forget the model), but they are cotton.

Good luck!

Parsley

Jo, I have a similar shape, and I've had the best luck with Vince and Theory for pants. The Banana Republic Sloan pants aren't bad, either.
But what I've discovered is that in order to get a really good fit I have to have all my pants taken in through the hips and thighs if I buy them to fit my waist. It's a pain to have to do that, but they look so much better, it's worth it.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I was going to suggest exactly the same brands that Parsley suggested, and throw in Club Monaco and J.Crew. It will be hard to find lined wool trousers though. They don't seem to make those as frequently any more.

unfrumped

I echo Talbot's for lined wool trousers, at least, and I would guess in the straighter fits that Thistle mentioned. They don't do free shipping routinely so that can be a drag, or watch for specials--I can take returns to the B&M Talbots but don't know if you have one. AT does have lined wool blend; i only know the curvy fit but they've got 4 fits.
So as Parsley said, perhaps you can find the closest fit in a fabric and styel you like, plus some tailoring.

April

Echoing Angie's comment about "fully lined." When I went from student to professional, those were the norm in dress pants, but they're not around so much now. I think it's because the lining adds bulk and would also get horribly static-clingy in the winter.

It's not a great look when your lining is stuck fast to your trouser socks.

K. Period.

HI, Jo! I am pretty waist-less and I wear both the Banana Republic Sloans and J Crew trousers mentioned above. Sloans don't seem to come in wool versions. J Crew does have wool, but not lined. I agree with the others that lined wool has been pretty hard to find anymore. I have not had luck the last couple of years with Banana Republic's Martins even though they used to work for me--I think they changed the cut when they started revising and adding Sloans to the mix.

I have tried the straight cuts at Ann Taylor and Talbots and they don't work for me at all. Their vision of straight is apparently more curvy than my body is. Your mileage may vary, though! Interestingly, even though Ann Taylor doesn't fit me, the Ann Taylor Loft Marissa cut fits me okay.

If you want to try out J Crew's cut with a little less of an investment, J Crew Factory has better quality wool suiting than it seems like they should for the price. Again unlined though.

Good luck! If you find anything great, let us waist-al-ly challenged gals know!

ironkurtin

Doesn't a six-inch difference between your waist and hips make you more hourglassy? I'm a rectangle and I think I'm much more waistless/hipless than that. So the brands that work for me may not for you.

However I have had really good luck tailoring jeans waistbands, if that helps.

Anonymous

My lined wool trousers, which are getting lots of wear in the frigid weather, are mostly finds in consignment shops, so you might try that route. Often they have a higher rise than current pants. I've also found some great high rise leather pants that fit my rectangular frame at very low prices. I suspect the high-rise pairs are generally not as popular, so end up on consignment sale racks. This doesn't help you with on-line shopping though.

Active Member

@Thistle, thank you for suggesting Talbots! Their pants are in my price range, and I'd forgotten that we have one of those stores in town. I guess they're not on my radar.

@cciele, ankle pants are explicitly prohibited by our extensive dress code at work, can you imagine? My sister is a big fan of Theory pants, too, although she has a slightly different shape than me.

@Parsley, Vince pants, oh my, my husband would have a heart attack if I spent that much on a single pair of pants, no matter how nice. I didn't know BR had free shipping (for purchases >$50, easy to achieve with pants) and returns. Hooray! If you see this note, please tell me more about altering the hips and thighs. Angela Wolf refers to that as "elephant ears," I think. I've done it on skirts but never pants. Does that leave bagginess under the tush?

@Angie, thank you for the brand suggestions. I've never tried anything from Club Monaco before! More to explore.

@unfrumped, I'd previously worn Ann Taylor, but the nearest AT store is ~80 miles from here, at the Mall of America. I wish they'd build one nearby, I know a lot of people who would shop there.

@April, I've never had that happen with lined pants! What is the lining made of? I wear my dress pants with hose, though, not socks. I wear nylon slips under skirts all the time because I'd rather have the slip stuck to me than the skirt, LOL. I love lined, wool pants because of our winter weather - on Monday, we had windchills of -55F and a high temp of -17F. Brr.... The weatherman said it was actually warmer in Antarctica that day!

@K. Period., I'm interested in non-wool pants, too, for casual wear. Once I find a fit that works, I'm happy wearing variations of the same pants, so thank you for those recommendations.

@ironkurtain, I think if you saw a silhouette of me facing you straight on, you'd marvel at my waistlessness. If my measurements suggest "hourglass," it must be from the side profile only! LOL.

@Joy, the consignment shops around here are dismal and sell more worn-out furniture and vintage tchatchkes than clothes.

Thanks again, everyone, for your thoughtful suggestions!

Category