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Shopping for Fit. Fit. Fit.

Anonymous

During the 30 x 30 challenge, I was encouraged to hit the malls to try on a variety of brands, styles, and sizes. I don't have the time or energy right now to hit multiple stores in a single day, but I can experiment with one store at a time.

The first store I tried was Old Navy. Although I was able to conclude by comparison that my existing wardrobe was indeed poorly fitting, I didn't find anything I wanted to own. The sales staff were extremely unhelpful and I left empty handed. I continued to wear my existing wardrobe with enhanced knowledge and sensibility. This translated to still more "donations" and "retirements." Having tried on pants at Old Navy, the decisions to cull my wardrobe were pretty obvious. I also spent two weeks making peace with the fact that some of my favorite pieces were no longer wearable ... not even around the house on weekends.

Yesterday, at Talbots, I admitted that I had no idea what my size was and that I felt helpless. The sales staff immediately helped me identify three different styles of pant and set me up in a dressing room with three different sizes. With their help, I was able to identify my size, but the staff concluded that I needed "longs" or "talls" in everything. Since they didn't carry that size, it was back to the internet for me.

I bought each of the styles below in black and navy. If I am happy with the fit, I will keep two of the selection (one black, one navy). Small capsule. Very minimal duplication. Toban advised against any duplication and I am trying hard to keep that in mind. My problem is that I feel I need both a black and navy bottom.

I shopped only bottoms. I realize I will need to assess my tops as well. But I wanted to have correctly fitting bottoms before I began to assess tops. I am hopeful that the majority of my tops will still fit.

On a side note, I was genuinely impressed with the fabrication of these pants. They were definitely "tighter" than I am used to wearing, but there was so much stretch that I felt I could sit comfortably for hours at a time. They are washable and the fabric looked appropriately "professional."

All comments and thoughts are welcome.

Bi-Stretch High-Waist Straight-Leg

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Bi-Stretch Pull-On Skinny Ankle

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Talbots Chatham Ankle

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Shopping

45 replies

Latest reply was from Kate

Toban

Veteran

Sounds like it was a very informative trip. Yay. I am so glad you had helpful sales staff. I look forward to hearing about how the online orders work out. Navy and black are different enough to not be duplicates, though perhaps choose them in different styles for variety.

delurked

Veteran

Sterling - a good start. Shopping in person can be tiring, so I think it’s good that you are breaking it into manageable pieces. I’m guessing that you already preferred a looser fit on your clothing, so you may have been wearing larger than your actual size. Then combined with your weight loss, these items simply need replacement. I think it’s worth trying items that are more fitted than your initial comfort zone and give it a little time to mentally adjust to a new on you fit.

I have long found fitted bottoms with enough stretch can be comfortable. Sometimes much more comfortable than other fabrics without appropriate stretch. The good news, if you head in that direction, is it should be able to accommodate some weight fluctuations.

You may want to build up to duplication with navy and black. I often would have the same work pants in both colors, but maybe for this new start you have two similar styles and one of each. Wearing only a couple times will quickly help you find your favorites, and then you can follow through with a duplicate purchase with more confidence.

As someone who is between tall and regular sizes, I would try some of the following retailers: WHBM, Eddie Bauer, Loft, BR. I’ve always found Talbots to run quite short, but I’ve never ordered their talls online. I think it also makes sense to reassess what rise you like. That can make a big difference in fit, and now would seem the time to see if what you’ve been wearing is what you want to continue to wear.

Plus, a find from a pant I found last year that I like. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with WHBM pants in the last year.

White House Black Market

Comfort Stretch Slim Ankle Pants

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cindysmith

Veteran

I agree with To ban, navy and black pants wouldn't be a duplication. I even think that the same cut in both colors would be fine, except you're going minimal so different cuts would be a plus

kkards

Veteran

sterling...YEAH for getting some professional help! this is why i like B&M....a side note, i find bottoms both infinity harder to fit than tops and yet infinitaly easier to get a great fit on.....i know sounds like i'm talking in circles...but, once you know what fit you want in a bottom they are generally easier to have altered to that fit....tops on the other hand (espeically knits) are difficult and/or very expensive to alter....

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Time is not wasted shopping if you come back empty handed when you learn from it as you obviously have.Good luck with your continuing trouser hunt.

SarahD8

Veteran

Great post, Sterling. I agree with others that your time at Old Navy was not wasted. You learned more about fit and about what it feels like not to settle. Well done!

I want to interrogate the concept of “duplication” a little bit. I think it can mean different things in different wardrobes and it’s worth thinking about exactly what you are trying to avoid or accomplish.

There is a sort of mindless duplication that I think most would agree is undesirable— that thought process of “well I like these pants so I had better buy them in lots of colors.” And if you want to keep a minimal wardrobe and wear multiple silhouettes then yes buying black and navy pants in two different styles will be the most efficient way to accomplish that. But if you are primarily interested in wearing one silhouette (which is itself a form of minimalism) then purchasing the same pair of pants in multiple colors may be the way to go. That’s especially true if you are getting really picky about fit. Once you have identified a pair of pants that fit you exactly right, does it make sense to search around for another retailer that makes pants with the same measurements? I think that’s potentially a recipe for frustration. But, again, it all depends on exactly what you are trying to accomplish.

Toban

Veteran

A clarification ... my ‘no duplicates rule’ pertains specifically to maintaining a cohesive micro capsule wardrobe during weight loss transitions to fit your changing body before you get to your goal weight, which both Sterling and I are attempting to accomplish with our wardrobes. Trying to be versatile and budget conscious on clothes that will fit only a short period of time.

Lynn

Veteran

Yay! Good for you Sterling. I find limiting what I am shopping for to a single garment type so helpful otherwise I tend to get overwhelmed.

I echo what delurked said regarding fit in stretch fabrics. The Talbots pants look prefect for you and Talbots usually has good quality stretch fabrics in their pants. Do you typically check the recovery of the fabric when you buy ?

If not- try draping the fabric over your fist and push into it for a minute or so. If it remains really stretched out you may end up with baggy butt and stretched out knees after wearing the pants for a while.

My sister who is 6ft tall has had good luck with Eddie Bauer talls.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Well done on being persistent and picky! I’ve never found ON to be an easy fit for me, but I don’t have the easiest pant fit in the world anyway.

I so often need “tall” size to get adequate inseam length, but then the rise is too long! I have very low hopes and expectations when it comes to tailored trousers. Good thing I can get away with wearing jeans all the time.

I think if the fit works well for you, and you immediately want to wear those new pants from Talbots, it may be worth keeping both black and navy, but I would advise keeping tags on and taking advantage of the extent of their return window if you can. I’ve often found that immediate duplication results in one item that barely gets worn.

delurked

Veteran

Janet - I’m totally with you that tall rises are usually too long. That’s why I prefer “longs” to “talls”. You usually can get more length in the inseam without as much differential in the rise.

Also agree with Janet about keep the tags on till you’re sure. Sounds like the Talbots pants have a good chance of working.

SarahD8

Veteran

Oh yes, that totally makes sense Toban! I still think the question is worth asking though - is it important to you to be able to create multiple silhouettes, or are you happy sticking with one and using color to create the level of variety you crave?

Agree with Janet though about the dangers of immediate duplication. My most successful examples of buying the same item in multiple colors have involved buying one iteration first and wearing it enough times to realize it was ideal, then seeking out other versions. If I buy multiple colors of the same item at once the danger is that I’ll realize that the item is not as great as it seemed after just trying on, then I’m stuck with multiple items that aren’t quite right (current situation with my gray and mid-wash skinny jeans). Of course, retailers’ inventory turns over so fast these days that it’s hard to be confident an item will still be available once you’ve put version 1 through its paces.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This was excellent effort and time well spent. I love that you are also getting recommendations here from women who have similar needs for length. I agree with those who say you will want to experiment with rise lengths. Sometimes a pant will feel okay to begin with and may look good on try-on, but if the rise is too high or too low you will come to feel obscurely dissatisfied with the fit after all.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Talbots can do a quality product - glad you gave them a try. Looks good, Sterling.

I'm with Suz. Rise lengths are a sure bet after a road test. Keep us posted.

Brooklyn

Veteran

You know rise lengths is something I never ever thought about before spending time here. But of course it’s a critical fit issue. I need to be more attentive about this too. Good luck with the hunt Sterling!

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

I'm so glad you found good fit! On to the tops, next.

jussie

Veteran

Well done on doing some groundwork. Another thing I’m discovering with pants is this:
It’s almost impossible to get the perfect
Pant- however if you have a pair just slightly larger than you would like then wearing it with a slightly more tight fitting top can balance it out. And vice versa, if the pants are slightly more snug than you wanted, they can look great with a looser top. Of course, keep going with your quest for the perfect universal pant! But I find using these tricks helps me work with my less than perfect fitting pants.
Oh and one more trick- if both top and bottom are a smidgen loose doing a loose tuck-in can give some semblance of proportion.
Good luck with it

Joy

Veteran

Sterling, I hope the Talbot'strousers work for you. Talbots has been crossed off my list because nothing fits me. It must be bad for me to be able to tell. Even knit tops. The quality seems better than much retail is right now.

Gigi

Veteran

This sounds like an excellent beginning to creating a well-fitting wardrobe!

As far as ON goes...I often don't like the feel of a lot of ON stuff against my skin. Since ON is a cheaper retailer, the fabrics often aren't as high quality. I'm guessing that the Talbots pants will feel better than anything you could have gotten at ON.

Finding what is a good fit for bottoms just takes time and a lot of shopping around so that you learn your body's quirks. Like others mentioned, sometimes rise can be an issue. I bought a pair of misses' jeans from J. Crew once (rather than the petite size), and after several hours of wearing them, I couldn't stand how they were digging into my hip bone. Apparently the misses' rise hits me at just the wrong spot--the 1/4 inch difference in the petite rise is apparently necessary for me, at least at J. Crew. But at other retailers, I can sometimes manage a misses' and not a petites' and not have any issues. It's a matter of how each retailer designs its pants.

Then there are the "curvy" and "straight" cuts to deal with. I often feel like I'm smashing my booty into jeans, so I sometimes experiment with a curvy cut, which has more room in the booty and a smaller waist. These don't often come in petite sizes, so I have to be very careful about fabric wadding up in the crotch area because the rise is too long. That, in fact, is something you might want to watch for as you assess your pants: What is happening in the crotch area after a few hours' wear? Is it overly baggy? (That's usually what happens to me if the pants are not a good fit.)

Aurore

Veteran

While I do understand it could be disheartening at times, I'm sure your quest for the perfect fit is immensely useful and instructive! (Both for you and for us other fabbers, by the way - thank you for sharing).
You already found six candidate bottoms, hopefully they'll be perfect. Tops may be easier to find.

Style Fan

Veteran

Shopping for well fitting pants can be very frustrating. But once you find them it is so wonderful. When I was working I had a couple of go-to brands for dressy casual trousers. I would buy them up in black, brown and whatever colour they came in.
The Talbot pants look promising. Very versatile for styling.

Anonymous

I'm still waiting on the pants I ordered from Talbots to arrive. Although they are in my city, there is no indication they are out for delivery.

I decided that on Saturday I will visit White House Black Market. I will try on the pants that Delurked recommended. I'll again talk with the sales staff and explain the situation and ask their assistance.

My goals remains the same. One pair of black and one pair of navy well-fitting pants. Based on the comments on this Forum, I am hopeful that White House Black Market might have something for me.

A sort of desperation is starting to develop, but after reading posts on the Forum, I am attributing that desperation to the month of February and resolved to take things slow and steady.

White House Black Market

Comfort Stretch Slim Ankle Pants

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SarahD8

Veteran

Sterling, I admire your persistence. I hope to emulate it. I have been meaning to place an order for jeans at h&m (the styles I want to try are not available in store). But I notice myself putting it off. Hm.

Best of luck on your outing this weekend!

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Very nice progress. Fingers crossed that the Talbots package comes soon so you can try everything on.

I too often need longer inseams and frequently try on stuff in store for fit and general style/fabric assessment, then order the talls online later. I do this with Talbots, BR, ON, AT and Loft a lot.

Anonymous

The Talbots shipment arrived yesterday. I was beyond thrilled at the prospect of having well fitting clothing to wear to work ... again. The fabric, color, fit, and length were perfect.

I decided to wear one pair around the house (with the tags on) to evaluate comfort. Imagine my disappointment when after one hour (just one hour), the pants had a wrinkly, tired look to them.

Since my plan was to make these pants the backbone of my wardrobe and wear them on repeat until my weight stabilized, I immediately realized these pants would not work. I was so disappointed, but Angie taught me to use self knowledge and be patient.

Today is Sunday, I will be returning all of the Talbots items as soon as the store opens. Six pair are going back (the credit card will thank me). I only tried on the one pair, but the fabric is the same across all six pair. If one pair was all wrinkly and tired looking, I assume the rest would be as well. I don't have the time or energy to try to make them work.

Onward.

Bi-Stretch Pull-On Skinny Ankle

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Bi-Stretch High-Waist Straight-Leg

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Colette

Veteran

That’s a bummer! I picked up the Chatham in wool, based on a fabber’s recommendation, but haven't put them through the testing like you did. Now I think I need to do that before I hem them. I’ll be so disappointed if they fail because the fit is a dream for me...they actually fit my calves and I was able to cross black slim pants off my list. Wondering if you shouldn’t at least try the other styles on before returning just so you know how they fit for future reference.

Talbots Chatham Ankle

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tanstaafl

Too bad, but at least you found out before cutting the tags. Have you had a chance to try on the WHBM pants yet?

Anonymous

Yes, Tanstaafl. I bought two pair from WHBM yesterday. I sat in one pair today for about an hour and a half. They proved to be much better. I plan on cutting off the tags tomorrow and wearing them to work. I'll keep the tags on the second pair. Thank you for asking.

White House Black Market

Comfort Stretch Slim Ankle Pants

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Anonymous

Collette -- the fit was indeed perfect. Wool might very well be better suited to sitting all day than the fabric I picked up. Even some wool might prevent wrinkling!!! Let me know what you find out. I haven't given up complete hope on Talbots.

And yes. I should definitely try the other styles on just for future reference. Good idea. Thank you.

delurked

Veteran

Had to pop in to say - I’m glad it looks like the WHBM works. It’s a good idea to put the one pair through their paces before duplication. Also, did you end up in their regular length then? It’s always an option to check if the online style has a long. I’ve worn both from them, but in the last year have gotten longs in everything.

I do think Colette may fare better with the wool version of the Talbots pants. Kind of a bummer that they aren’t a winner for you. Hopefully she can report back with how they do after a couple hours.

A few years ago I found Eddie Bauer pants much the same. Started well, but ended a hot mess. Glad you are being so diligent about fit. It will serve you well.

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