Need help finding stores that carry my kind of pants

Sylvia

Outside of knit, stretchy pants, I can't find any pants that fit well enough and are comfortable. Do you guys know of any stores (online) that carry pants that have these qualities?:

1. Casual, durable, long-life pants, all cotton or mostly so.
2. Full length. No crops! They make me look even fatter!
3. I'm willing to pay $40-$60 (US$), but the pants must last a long time (wash after wash, gardening, cleaning, working in the garage, etc.)
4. Hardest to find: made for apple shaped women like me. I'm 5'5", 160 lbs, 41" hips, 36" waist, have the classic apple belly with slim arms and.... well, I used to have chicken legs, but I've been jogging and working out so much in recent years that I've built up a decent bit of muscle, so they're not so slim anymore.
5. Can't wear low or mid rises because when pants don't go over my hip bones, they keep sliding off. Annoying! I believe I like "slightly below waist" best, but I'll even do "at waist". Though with at-waist pants, I usually have to buy a much larger size in order for my waist to fit.... which makes the hips and legs really baggy. Ugh.
6. Sorry, no jeans. They always seem too hot for me in summer Texas weather. And more so, they never fit right. Even if I go for the stretchy ones, they seem to slide down me when I walk.

Here's the closest I've found to what I want: http://www.eddiebauer.com/cata.....hInfo=null
It's their new "Truly Straight" fit. Extra inch in the waist, less half inch in the hips, straight thighs and leg. They claim to have a rise of "at waist" but this is truly wrong. When I got the pants, they were more like mid-rise (if I even understand what that means) like shown on the model. Despite being a lower rise, they stay up better than any other lower rise pants I've had, but I still have to pull them up on occasion. Only big negative about these pants is that the upper thighs are a bit tight when sitting for me.

I wish they would make these following pants in Truly Straight (but with a slightly higher rise): http://www.eddiebauer.com/cata.....hInfo=null
I have the older version of these pants, and I adore how thin the cotton is, and how durable they are. Just that darned lower rise and the need for a bigger size to make my belly fit.

Anyone know of a store that carries pants like those I want?

Or do I just give up and find myself a private tailor? (How much would they charge for custom order pants, anyway???)

I HATE shopping for pants!!! (except for stretchy pants)

12 years ago

Shopping

10 replies

Latest reply was from L'Abeille

Thistle

Veteran

Check Talbots. They are running some spectacular summer sales. Check their size charts, I find they tend to run true. Also, their rises tend to be higher. They have a curvy fit for ladies with fuller hips and thighs that might be to your liking.

They carry plus and petite plus as well.

12 years ago

Isabel

Veteran

Maybe Land's End and LL Bean.

I couldn't link for some reason so I can't see the pants. But from your description, you may get something there.

Also, if you don't mind answering, why cotton ? I LOVE ponte pants. They wear like sweats, look like pants, retain color, and wear so well for years. Alli from Wardrobe Oxygen loves these from Land's end.

http://www.landsend.com/pp/Sty.....0246-_-412

12 years ago

Sylvia

Active Member

Yikes! My links had extra "http" in them. Let me go fix that...

Thanks for your quick replies, guys.

Thistle, I am almost the exact opposite of "curvy". I'm closer to rectangular than curvy. Considering my waist, my hips and thighs are small. Curvy fits are more for women whose hips and thighs are much bigger than mine. My hips and thighs are supposedly size 12. My stomach is supposedly size 16. Though when I try size 16 pants, they slide off with me just standing there. Size 14 is what I get. If pants had high rises again, then I'd probably be wearing size 16's. I am just not proportioned like the "average" gal apparently.

Isabel, back when I worked at an office, I, too, really liked ponte pants. But I work from home now, and I have no need nor desire for any classier looking pants. I need only utility pants and shorts. I can't imagine myself carrying around bags of manure or dirt, or crawling around on my garage floor looking for a lost screw in ponte pants.

I do have Land's End knit pants. (None of the zip-up/non-knit pants are made for apple shapes.) The cheaper Sport Knit pants started looking tattered and worn after about five washes. However their Starfish Refined and Starfish Slim Leg pants seem to be holding up well at about five washes now. And as you might guess, the Slim Leg pants aren't quite as slim looking on my legs. I love wearing the Starfish pants around the house or to the grocery store. They're very comfortable and they don't look as sloppy as sweats. But in the garage or garden or out hiking in the woods.... they seem much too refined. Oh, and they only have one tiny pocket. I don't use purses anymore (gave up after leaving them behind at places one too many times). So I guess I'm also looking for pants that have pockets for my wallet and cell phone.

Why cotton? Well, when the low for the day is 80 deg with high humidity, and over a 100 deg for the high, day after day, fabrics like polyester and nylon get very hot and sweaty and terribly uncomfortable. Cotton breathes. Cool Max polyester breathes quite well, too, but hard to find in anything but slinky athletic pants. And it catches and tears on sharp edges like on thorns of roses.

Talbots seems much too classy for me. I'm guessing a lot of you dress a lot better than I do. I buy mainly utility clothes. However, their 12W and 14W sizes look very promising. Makes me wish I liked wearing jeans. Maybe I should give them a try again.

Ah, LL Bean! I forgot about them. They definitely have more utility clothing in their selection. But I just checked their sizing. Nothing even remotely closing in on a more straight fit. They seem to only do average curvy and extra curvy.

Thanks for trying guys. If no one else comes up with anything, I guess I'll just keep watch on Eddie Bauer's Truly Straight fits. Maybe they'll come out with a utility pant whose rise is truly at the waist.

12 years ago

christieanne

Veteran

I just returned three different versions of the Lands End ponte pants. While I loved the feel of the fabric and the quality, each of them were cut way too baggy in the hips and thighs for me. I carry my weight around middle and bust and my legs are fairly straight and normal size I guess. The ponte would be too thick for warm Texas weather I suspect.
That said, I am also on a pants hunt although looking for something dressier. The mid to regular waist issue is a problem for me as well - no hips!
Vibes for a good hunt

12 years ago

Sylvia

Active Member

I also found Lane Bryant has Right Fit for a few pants. They colored coded red, yellow, blue for triangle, square, and round shapes, respectively. But they offer only trousers in such shapes (no casual pants). And they all seem to be in the clearance section. Wonder if they will continue with Right Fit in the future. And I just barely make their size cut-off point.

I guess there's nothing out there for me. I'll probably just have to buy some pants and go have them tailored or something.

12 years ago

abc

Veteran

Sylvie, did you say you live in TX? I was just at a store in Austin called Academy Sports and Outdoor and they had some pants in the Men's section that sounded like what you were after, I didn't look in the women's area as I was shopping for my hubs, but you might check there to see what they have. It's kind of like Dick's Sporting Goods but they carry some house brands that are quite affordable. Pants I saw at REI were about $100 whereas I spent $50 at Academy for virtually the same thing. http://www.academy.com is their website.

12 years ago

Sylvia

Active Member

Yes, REI and Academy have the styles of clothing I like. Only problem is that they don't have anything made specifically for apple shaped chickies like me. I did happen to go to REI last week just to try, since I hadn't been there in ages. Every last female pant had a lower rise, darn it! Even if they fit like magic everywhere, they would still slide right off me as I walked around.

But, I did break down and try on two pairs of men's pants. They fit perfectly!.... all except for the extra pooch front and center. I joked with my friends that maybe I could put a rolled up sock in there.

So I've been seriously considering taking in my pants in to a tailor. I hope I can find a good one. Interesting thing is, maybe it would be easier for them to modify a men's pair of pants since everything fits well except for that pooch. I'll have to find one and ask.

12 years ago

suzyq

Active Member

J. Jill maybe, they seem to carry a lot of ponte/knits in various styles.

12 years ago

kkards

Veteran

sylvia, have you tried denim and company from qvc? i've been looking at some of there pants for my mom who also wants a higher rise and a full length pant. they have a wide variety of colors and different styles; plus the retails are good and they have a ton of reviews, so you can really see what people are saying.
http://www.qvc.com/Denim-&#038.....ngth-Pants$

12 years ago

L'Abeille

Veteran

I hear you with the pants sliding down when they're low rise, Sylvia. I too have an apple belly disproportionate to my slimmer thighs and legs. I went the other way though- once lower rises came "in " and my daughters persuaded me out of mom jeans, I discovered I wore a smaller size. and looked WAY slimmer in bootcuts and an untucked top. After I lost a bit of weight, a belt was adequate to prevent the sliding (though I found bathroom trips needed more advance notice...) I'm having a bit more trouble with skinnies sliding, but mine are all pretty new, my lifestyle only includes jeans on occasional Saturdays, and none with our hot summer (nearly over), so the experimenting will resume soon.

Enough about me. For your question, and in the spirit of Leave No Stone Unturned, why don't you try the maternity department? You'll find trendy stuff that flatters your athletic thighs, and I'm sure they still do both the stretchy tummy panel and the movable side fastener styles.

12 years ago

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