Wideleg pant sizing - YouLookFab Forum

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Wideleg pant sizing

K.M.

Veteran

I love widelegs and have been looking for a good plaid pair. I found this H&M one but am having trouble with the size. After they rolled out their new sizing, it seems I'm now caught in between two sizes.

In picture 1, you see the pants in the smaller size. They looked good to my eyes, but were painfully uncomfortable in the crotch area (like, wedgie front and back, ouch) (seriously, they would be unwearable).

In pictures 2 to 6, I sized up. They are definitely comfortable! A wee bit of room around the waist, but really very little; it's not like they are falling down. However I know I've had issues with wearing oversized pants before, so I'm second-guessing myself. Are they too big for me?

I put on the belt to see what it would look like, but it's not the right belt for these--it's a belt for lower rises so it's a little big. But wanted to give you an idea what they might look like belted.

Very inconsistent lengths; the smaller size was definitely way too long, while one size up was a bit shorter and could almost be worn as is (I'm wearing lowish heels in both pics).

PS 1. Sorry for the messy background! Life is crazy!

PS 2. Pants came very, very creased and crumpled in mail, that's why there is a weird fold on the side/back.

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Dressing

21 replies

Latest reply was from K.M.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

These look terrific on you. Of course you can't wear the too tight pair. The larger size looks good!

taylor

Veteran

I really like those on you !
The first photo looks like a better overall fit however the “crotch wedgie” makes them a no go ,
Do you sew ? Have a good tailor ? Sometime a good dry cleaner can do a minor fit adjustment or recommend who can ,of course only if a small tweak isn’t costing more than the pants !

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

On the side view of the second pair, what’s going on with your waist in front? Is that just the tab of the waistband, or does the waist need to be taken in?

I think these pants are a great choice for you, and like the way you’ve styled them.

Jane

Veteran

Great pants. The larger pair do look a little large (but don’t size down - too uncomfortable)

I like the neatness on the waist

I’m wondering if angies tumble dryer trick might work to just adjust the fit slightly

kkards

Veteran

i like the fit of the 1st pair, but obviously you can't keep them if they are uncomfortable and therefore, unwearable....
from the pictures, it looks like the waist in the larger pair needs to be altered....i would not try the dryer trick, as i'd be afaird they would shrink in lenght....

K.M.

Veteran

shevia, thank you! I do love the look, and it's really my kind of pant... so hard to find!

taylor, I do have a good seamstress, and in the past I've paid more than an item cost to have her adjust the fit. I'm just wondering if there's even enough for the pant to be taken in, because it's not that much extra fabric around my waist.

FashIntern, there is a tab of the waistband that sort of protrudes and adds another "layer". It is a bit more prominent than most tabs I'd say. As I said above, there's a wee bit of extra room but I am not sure if that's enough for an alteration because it's not that much extra room. Also I'm a little bit underweight these days because of stress and I think once I go back a few pounds up to my regular weight that little bit of extra room might disappear (but who knows... weight doesn't go where we want it to go).

Jane, it did occur to me to try the dryer trick, but as kkards mentioned, I'm afraid it might shrink in the length! However, sometimes just washing in cold water and line drying will actually shrink garments a tiny little bit (especially lower-quality mass-market garments/fabrics), so perhaps that would be enough (but of course I'd have to commit to keeping the pants first!).

Thanks everyone! I really am frustrated. Before they changed their sizing I would go in and find pants that fit me perfectly. Even when their sizing was inconsistent, I was firmly one of two sizes. They say they changed everything proportionally to what it was before, so perhaps it's just a matter of these particular pants.

unfrumped

Veteran

I like them, and in the easier fit.
I get pants taken up in waist even an inch or so if I’m going to tuck and try to have a smooth look without the belt having to do too much work.

K.M.

Veteran

unfrumped, yes, I would love a smooth look rather than a belt scrunching up the waist. The smaller size did have such a perfect sleek look, down to the leg line... if they had made this in a stretchy fabric, it would have been the perfect fit, but this fabric has no give. So I suppose I might consider an alteration...

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Instead of comparing the price of alteration and the price of the pants to each other, why not add them and see if the total is a reasonable amount to spend on pants? Because whether you spend 65 on the pants and 10 to have them hemmed or 25 on the pants and 50 to have them reworked in some major way, the end results are the same: you have pants that fit you well and your wallet is 75 lighter.

nemosmom

Veteran

I would be worried about the inconsistency in length.... like, a quality control issue? Also, in the smaller size, the pattern meets oddly in the crotch area - it looks like it's creating a "peak". I would be concerned that letting out the crotch of the pant would cause that pattern to look even more strange.

Maybe you can take them to your seamstress for a quote on alteration. The larger size looks like the back rise could be taken in a bit, along with the waist. IME if you LOVE them and will wear them, they are often worth altering.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

GORGEOUS, and what Shevia said.

I second nemosmom, that you can have the waist taken in a little at the back of the larger size. The length and inch or so too if that bothers you.

Laura G

Veteran

#1 looks beautiful and sleek on you. Not suggesting you endure pain to get that look, but I do suggest altering the larger pair to get it. I agree with Fashiontern's math. The true cost of a garment is the cost of getting it just right.

K.M.

Veteran

FashIntern, that's very wise advice and wise math!

nemosmon, yes, the construction is not perfect; the pattern doesn't exactly match at the seams on either pair. Well, H&M pants for $40,00...

I put them on again and tried to see what they might look and feel like if taken in a bit at the waist, and I fear it would be back to the uncomfortably tight fit. It's odd and I can't explain it, but even though it's a wee bit big, I just don't think there's enough to take in. Does it make sense?

What I wish I could take in would be a bit of the width around the lower hip and thighs, for a sleeker line (still widening at the bottom), but I think that's a more complicated thing to get right and I don't want to mess it up.

Angie, I love long lengths and I kind of like this as is (on pics worn with lowish heels). I tried the pants with a couple of my favorite comfy low-heeled booties and they pants cover most of the heel and almost graze the floor, but don't quite touch the floor--I'd say there's about 0,5 mm between floor and bottom of pants. Again I fear that if I get them shortened they'll come back too short (even the best tailors do this sometimes). Can I wear them like this, a bit overly long?...

Laura G., yes, I love that sleek look... I was trying to see what the pants look like on the model, but interestingly none of the pics H&M has on the product page show a full unobstructed view of the fit around the waist. There's the one close-up but it's cropped on one side so it's hard to tell the full all-around fit.

Still I really looooove swishy, wide, long pants. I'm thinking I'll give them a go--put them in the wash and line dry as this sometimes will shrink them a wee bit.

PS. I tried them on with the booties below (in the pics except the first pic)--just to give an idea of the heel height. Btw these booties are LOVELY, extremely comfortable and even more elegant-looking in person.

View Info

Top Pick

2

Bleecker & Bond Lacey Bootie

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1

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Half a millimeter? I have dust grains bigger than that, lol. Not really. It just seems very, very small. I don’t see any reason not to have them nearly touching the ground, as long as you don’t mind them actually touching when you’re on uneven footing, and the likelihood that the hem would get raggedy before the pants wear out otherwise.

K.M.

Veteran

Lol! I meant to say 0,5 cm!!!! It's all the conversion of metric to inches to... (I was raised in the metric system so still get stumped by inches despite having lived in the US for almost half of my life, but I guess now in addition to not mastering inches/feet etc. I have lost my full grasp of the metric system)

Anonymous

I like them but they need to be the perfect length. I would get the length shortened on the second pair (and the waist taken in, while you’re at it). I prefer them with pointier toe shoes.

The belted look is really great. I think that’s my favourite. I would get a belt that works better with high waist pants. You’ll be able to use t with other high rise pants too.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I should’ve figured that out—sorry! My excuse is that I grew up with a dad whose work was measured in tenths of a millimeter. He’s an ophthalmologist—a millimeter is a big distance in eye surgery! I hear you on units in “the other” system not making sense intuitively.

Anyway, half a centimeter/nearly a quarter inch sounds good to me. Angie did say recently that flares should nearly touch the ground.

K.M.

Veteran

smittie, I'm glad you commented on the belt--yes, I should get a belt that works, because I do like it better with the belt as well. Or maybe just get an extra hole punched in this belt. I also do have pointy booties--I will try these pants with them, as their heel height is a bit lower than the booties in the pics.

FashIntern, I'm definitely glad that ophtalmologists get their precision down to tenths of millimeters!!!!

And yes, I also remember Angie's posts and comments about flares almost touching the ground. I have cord flares that are thick and structured, and when they almost touch the ground they look fine to my eyes. With these pants I wasn't sure because the fabric is so fluid and billowy. Or maybe there's too much fabric. Still I've had so many experiences of asking to have just a little bit hemmed in and ending up with hems that are too short, especially in cases like this where they would have to take in only a very small amount. I washed the pants yesterday and after I iron them I'll try again.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YAY, K.M. I was hoping you would like the LOOOOOONG length. I do too

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

The “billowy” part at the bottom reminds me of long curtains that pool on the floor. I like that look.

K.M.

Veteran

Angie, that's great to hear! I was hoping it would be OK for me to wear them like this!

FashIntern, I love the curtain comparison!