15th August 2008

Now, for something totally different…

posted in Fashion, Reader Input |

I need reader feedback on this one, puh-leeze!

I have a Victorian figure, relatively slender on top, a well-defined waist, a natural bustle (”I’ve got a big butt, and I cannot lie!”) and wide thighs.  And I’m short.  But not quite short enough to be classified as a “petite” for pants and jeans.  Anyway, almost any time I purchase something that fits me through the butt and thighs, it has a waist that gapes like a fish.

So I’m thinking of trying out custom jeans.

Much to my dismay, after investigation it turns out that the top two most interesting online sites (myjeans.com and makeyourownjeans.com) are…well, let’s just say they have lots of dissatisfied customers.  Then there’s LandsEnd and JC Penney’s versions…Penney’s are less expensive, but they both seem to use the same approach to fitting.

My old jeans are all beginning to wear out; we’re talking “please, please O Kozmik All, please let these jeans not split beside the seams or have that small hole above the back pocket suddenly rip asunder while I’m at the back-to-school picnic!”  I desperately need new jeans.  Also, I need new (bigger, sigh) jeans that fit.

Anyway, I want to hear from YOU.  Yes, YOU.  Have any of my readers tried any custom jeans purchases online?  What were your experiences?  Satisfying?  Not satisfying?  Horrible experience?  Great experience?

(Actually, I’d like to hear from YOU whether you’ve tried it or not; OmegaMom has suddenly jumped up a bit in subscribership, while still lagging in hits, so I’d just like folks to de-lurk and say “Hi!”)

This entry was posted on Friday, August 15th, 2008 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Fashion, Reader Input. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

There are currently 12 responses to “Now, for something totally different…”

  1. 1 On August 15th, 2008, GrannyJ said:

    Try those up-to-date type pants which sit well below the waist; that avoids the major problem of fitting both the bottom and the waist. I’m one of those weirdos who hates tight about the waist so, despite my age, I always buy the jeans/etc. that have the short zippers. I usually buy Gloria Vanderbilt or similar brands at Costco.

  2. 2 On August 15th, 2008, Blog Antagonist said:

    I have yet to find a truly perfect solution to this problem.

    That said, I have found the Coldwater Creek pants and jeans seem to be designed more with this type of body shape in mind. They’re not perfect, but better than most.

    Low rise jeans are nice, but unless you’re going to wear them at your pubic bone, it still doesn’t really solve the problem. At least not for me.

    I do think the stretch jeans tend to fit better at the waist, but then you tend to look like you are wearing leggings.

    For this reason, I don’t wear jeans often.

  3. 3 On August 15th, 2008, Lisa C said:

    I haven’t tried the custom jeans but if need be you can have a tailor dart the back of the jeans on each side (basically leading down to and underneath the middle of each back pocket.) If the waist needs to be taken in a lot, the tailor may need to take off the pockets and restitch them after darting the waist. That can get expensive. Have you tried Curvy jeans from The Gap? They fit me well, at least they did before I found perimenopause and lost my waist.

  4. 4 On August 16th, 2008, Wendy said:

    HI!!

    I will delurk to say that this very topic was covered on What Not to Wear last night. The woman was shaped just as you described, and they told her that she should look for lower rise pants/jeans with a wider waistband.

  5. 5 On August 16th, 2008, Anne said:

    My Mom has a similar problem finding jeans. She also likes the G. Vanderbilt jeans. They do have a lower waist and rise but not one that shows everything when standing, sitting, moving etc.

    Don’t shy away from the lower rise or waist yet. A lower waist or rise does not necessarily mean a whole hand or two below the belly button thus making it uncomfortable or unpractical for us 30 and 40 somethings. And they can be a great fit for those of us who are curvier. Many stores (Banana Republic, Ann Taylor Loft, Nordstorm) are offering jeans and pants for the curvier. These stores can also be found on-line. If you go on-line you can always live chat with someone who can provide you with waist/hip/length measurements and fit of the jeans if this info isn’t provided in the description.
    Good luck

  6. 6 On August 16th, 2008, Mrs Figby said:

    Definitely go with a slightly lower rise — “mid-rise” will sit just a bit below your belly button and that should help quite a bit. With that in mind, buy a pair that fit your biggest part perfectly. Then, if there is still a gap at the waistline, take them to your dry cleaner and ask them to tailor them. They can very easily take in the waist a bit and it’s a cheap fix. Et voila — “custom” jeans.

  7. 7 On August 16th, 2008, Kate said:

    Boy, if you crack that code you’ll be making every woman over 40 ecstatically happy - including me.

    I have the opposite problem of you. No hips whatsoever. The only good curve on my body is my beer belly! Have never done custom jeans. Didn’t even know that was an option. But I would! I am babying my last pair of good fitting jeans like you wouldn’t believe. It’s been years since I found a pair that actually fit me…

  8. 8 On August 16th, 2008, noreen said:

    Nordstrom’s has “Not Your Daughter’s Jeans,” or some name like that and Chico’s has jeans that fit those of us not built like models. And, I find the low rise jeans very, very uncomfortable when you sit down. You just have to be careful of jeans for the 40-plus crowd, as the manufacturers love to put lots of bling on them, and that’s maddening when you just want a pair of jeans.

  9. 9 On August 16th, 2008, Lauri said:

    I love, love, love DKNY jeans… especially their Ludlow jeans… they are the perfect rise and were recently mentioned on Oprah as being a great jean.

    My advice is to take a day and go to a store that has many brands of jeans and try, try, try… try many on and go up a size if needed to get the right fit. You can always hire a seamstress to take jeans in & up to suit you. Once you find a style, brand & size that you know fits… buy them on ebay baby….. I got me a pair of $50 DKNY jeans for $5.99 on ebay..

    let us know how it goes.

  10. 10 On August 16th, 2008, Carol Anne said:

    Find jeans that fit your thighs and rear. Then find a tailor and get the waistline altered. It’s amazing what a good tailor can do. It’s worth every dollar!

    BTW, I love Not Your Daughter’s Jeans. They are fantastic. I get complements when I wear them, and I am far from thin.

  11. 11 On August 22nd, 2008, Dina said:

    Hi Kate,

    You might try Eddie Bauer? They have three different cuts of jeans and one might work for you. I also have a hard time finding jeans that fit - opposite issues from you - I have a thick waist and a flat butt! However, after trying many, many, many jeans over many years, I discovered that I have to spend money if I want to find jeans that fit me right. So I end up spending between $60-$120 on a pair but they last forever and if they fit right, it’s worth it. Just keep trying, but do try Eddie Bauer! Good luck!

  12. 12 On August 25th, 2008, Kim said:

    I’ve had great success with makeyourownjeans.com , go for it, just give the measurements carefully, you may have to tweak your order to get the perfect fit, I have emailed a question asking them to add the waist panel like NYDJ , will let you know when they reply.

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