This picture: "natural waist"?

catgirl

Is this accurate? Because what would the indicated "natural waist" measurement here have to do with pant size, since it's nowhere near the waistband of the jeans? Confused....

https://www.madewell.com/sizec.....eChart=0,1

11 years ago

General

26 replies

Latest reply was from unfrumped

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Una, so funny - I wonder about that same thing all the time! I wear my usual size in Madewell jeans. I tried some just recently and they fit but I just didn't love them (too much stretch for me).

11 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

That's odd. Those jeans clearly end far below the natural waist.

Interested to see what others think.

11 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

If you buy high-rise jeans, you will need to know the natural waist. I didn't check the site...does Madewell offer high rises?

11 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

I think that picture must be wrong. That line is across the rib cage.

11 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

That looks so high to me, like a 14' rise! But I don't know. I still don't really understand the waist/rise thing and have given up on it. Interestingly, DH tried on a pair of Eddie Bauer pants and said (quite calmly) "I need a longer rise." I had no idea he even knew the word!

11 years ago

Diana

Veteran

The standard jeans sizing, as I understand it, is numbered according to your natural waist measurement, but then they add some number of inches to that to get a "low" waist. (Measure your jeans waistbands... i bet none of them actually measure the number on the label unless they're Mom jeans or similar super high waisted styles). I think this depends a lot on what fit model they use and varies wildly from brand to brand.

Oddly enough, my natural waist and my pants size (29-30 normally) actually DO match, despite the fact that my waist is really high and my waist to hip ration is really small. I find that some brands just NEVER fit me though because even if I go up three sizes the hip is still too small.

11 years ago

Diana

Veteran

Also, the line in the picture is where my natural waist is. I only have ~1" between my rib cage and hip bone.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think Diana is right. In the photo, it looks as if they might have the line a bit higher than the model's waist. But the waist measurement is for natural waist (actual waist). And your hips supposedly match up with that, ha!

When I was more of a pear, I used to buy my jeans by HIP size, not waist size. I pretty much always had to wear a belt.

Now my waist-hip ratio is closer to what these charts seem to expect, although my hips are on the narrower side. So I buy with the waist measurement, knowing the hip will fit me.

11 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

Really? I have about 3 inches and I thought that was short!

11 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

The photo is odd and not in line with that particular model, but the measurements align pretty well with those of other companies. For some reason, I generally have to size up in jeans and size down in dress pants. I just ordered pants in three sizes cuz they just went on sale; I figured if I ordered only two sizes I would need the size I didn't order.

11 years ago

Anonymous

I go in blind and with fingers crossed never having the faintest idea what jean size I wear in any brand . It's a crap shoot at best. I have better luck eyeballing them than I do reading label. And I'm with you on the Madewell chart: it has no relationship whatsoever to the waistband of the jeans.

11 years ago

Anonymous

Sorry, I'm just tired and cranky

11 years ago

Diana

Veteran

IK, that 1" between ribs and pelvis is from the side where the hip bone is highest. I can't comfortably wear a belt wider than 1" or so at my natural waist without crushing something.

11 years ago

Tina

Veteran

In my experience it has been this way as long as I can remember (which may not be that long:-/). For me, I consistently wear a 25 or 26 (if I want more room) in jeans. I find if I try going bigger to get, say the legs, to fit looser, them the top part is just too big. It has been frustrating at times because I like the legs to not be like a second skin. Honestly, at my size and height (5'3") it seems many jeans are made for models only, and half starved ones at that.
As was mentioned, they must have a formula they use to calculate the actual opening of the jean where it sits on your body. My natural waist is between 25 and 26 and that is the size I take.

11 years ago

Elly

Veteran

I'm with Diana-- I have 28" natural waist, which is also where the line is (give or take an inch) on the lady in the picture and I usually wear a size 6 in jeans. I usually only have about 3-4" between my natural waist and the button on my jeans though because I'm short through there.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, I just looked at myself -- I am like Diana - there is an inch at most between rib cage and waist. Diana and I are both about the same height, which may explain some of that. She has long legs (lucky girl) whereas I have a long RISE and shorter legs (alas) but the waist placement seems similar. High five, Diana!

11 years ago

ironkurtin

Veteran

Diana - yeah, that's where I measure my whopping 3", from the hip bone to the bottom the the rib cage. It's been so long since I wore jeans at my natural waist I have no idea how it feels to have a belt there! Guess we're lucky we don't have to wear corsets, huh?

I think the reason why Madewell puts the waist there in that pic is not for the jeans but for their dresses. If you look at their styles, I always feel like the waists in them are up high, right around that mark. So it makes sense you'd need to know that measurement to wear them.

11 years ago

Meow

Veteran

I share your confusion. It's not just Madewell but I recently Googled
"how to find your jean size" and all the advice seems to be on waist size - even
though jeans don't sit at the waist. I don't get it.

11 years ago

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I'll be doomed if they ever go back to having jeans at the natural waist because they won't fit anywhere else! My natural waist is 31 ... and I usually wear 26 or 27 jeans!

11 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

My natural waist is between 25 and 26 and I wear a size 27, sometimes 26 in jeans. If I go by the charts the jeans are invariably too small. My waist is small and high up like the picture, but you start going down a few inches and I fill out! I got em all, a bit of tummy, hips, rear and thighs. I've seen size charts that go by hip size, that may be more accurate especially for low rise pants and jeans.

11 years ago

L'Abeille

Veteran

Does anyone remember when jeans only came in guys' sizes? Back then, you had to go by the size of what your waist measurement would be, if you were a guy who had your actual hip measurement. And then belt it securely, maybe take in a tuck or two. And even "hiphuggers" weren't particularly low-rise.

11 years ago

Echo

Veteran

Most women's natural waist is quite high. Jeans companies use various formulas for calculating their sizes, depending on the rise of the jeans and their fit models, etc. This is why brands can fit so radically differently, even in the same numerical size. Almost no jeans actually have a rise to the natural waist, but they still use that measure as a starting point. I don't think most jeans or pants have fit at the natural waist since about 1986!

11 years ago

Tanya

Veteran

I am the opposite case of many of you here, my waist is 24" and I wear 26/27 size jeans. And there are 6" between my hipbone and lowest rib! Well, i always knew I was very long torsoed...

11 years ago

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I think I am like Tanya (but bigger): my waist is 28" and I need 31 size in jeans...but I only have 5" between the hip bone and lower rib.

11 years ago

Anonymous

L'Abeille, I remember those days! I also remember that jeans came in one length - too long. My mother used to cut about 6" off to fit little 5'2" me.

Elly, I'm like you - a 28" waist, size 6, short in the waist and long in the rise.

11 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

Too funny. And of course every size has a 10" difference between waist and hip (well, that's not a fair criticism of sizes, of course).

11 years ago

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