What has happened to women's jeans?

[switch842]

I've been jeans shopping for like the last two weeks. Every store I go in, they all suck. It's like all women's jeans now are like 50% spandex, so they're suction cupped to your thighs and then by the end of the day they're all stretched out and falling off your ass. And the material is so thin! What happened to go old fashioned, thick, rough denim that if you wanted to get them soft and broken in YOU HAD TO WEAR THEM? Seriously? Where are these jeans? I've been to Old Navy, Gap, New York and Company, True Religion, Eddie Bauer, J Crew, Freaking LEVI'S. Other stores don't have jeans in tall and I'm not paying to order jeans online that I don't know if they'll fit me. Going by this, nothing will.

I'm so freaking frustrated.

I have like 2 pairs of jeans that fit me that are acceptable for public consumption since my body has changed quite a bit since having Martouf (OMG! I have hips and an ass now!) and it's just lkasjdfh;sdkghf;sdgrf. NOTHING WORKS. I just want a pair of nice straight-legged, heavy weight denim jeans. Am I gonna have to buy men's jeans or something? Boo.

Comments

[slayerkitty.livejournal.com]

Lane Bryant? It would be really expensive though. I've never bought jeans there, but it might work.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

That's plus sized. Too big for me.

[slayerkitty.livejournal.com]

Ah. I'm sorry, that sucks. I am plus sized so I have no idea what it's like to shop for smaller clothes, LOL!

[switch842.livejournal.com]

I imagine it's pretty much the same across the board - what fits in the waist, doesn't fit the hips/thighs. If they fit, then they're too short (or long). And the sizes aren't the same in every store. So you can be one size a Store A and a size smaller or bigger at Store B. Can we please start labeling women's pants like men;'s by waits and inseam? Please? :P

[slayerkitty.livejournal.com]

Pretty much. I find that often what fits me in the waist is too wide in the hips/pelvic area, either making them look baggy or me look fatter than I am.

SERIOUSLY. That would solve so may problems.

[epicycles.livejournal.com]

Odd suggestion: thrift stores, and/or places like Ross's that sell kind of random clothes! I found a lot of brands I've never ever heard of, that fit better than you might find in department stores.

Sadly I need to go jeans shopping again soon myself....why so difficult? Sigh.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I had not thought of that. I may have to look up thrift stores around here....

[queeneve-84.livejournal.com]

definitely go with thrift stores. If you can find exactly what you want, at least they're A LOT cheaper.

[goddesstar.livejournal.com]

Hey hon! I have the same problem...I'm tall as well and its frustrating to find a good pair of jeans. I have found a fix though...try Lucky Brand Jeans. They run long and fit very well. I also wear American Eagle.

Good luck on your search!

~g

[mackenziesmomma.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain. I have one pair of (denim) jeans that fit me anymore. Mind you around christmas time I bought two more pairs (on clearance at Walmart) that have since disappeared.

Oh and the sizing? It is so ridiculous. I who am slightly overweight (I'm 5'8" and 172 lbs) supposedly wears a size 16 pants. I mean I get the whole vanity sizing thing but seriously? THAT is ridiculous. (There is a pair of size '8' jeans in my closet? that fits just as nice as the '16' jeans. If I don't want to breathe anymore)

[dragongirl3745.livejournal.com]

Do you have a 'Farm & Fleet' or a 'Paul's' in your area? That's where I have to go to get jeans that are thick material. I really like 'Farm & Fleet'. They have some good jeans.

(I work in housekeeping and thin-material jeans get torn to shreds within weeks. The jeans I have now for work, I got at 'Farm & Fleet' and they've lasted me six months, if not longer. They're thick, heavy material.)

[angstbunny.livejournal.com]

JEAN SHOPPING WOES. I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

Some people I know have indeed resorted to getting men's jeans.

[djfavorite.livejournal.com]

I so know what you are talking about. I went out last weekend to find a new pair or two. Every pants in my size (it doesn't matter the brand or if they were stretch or not) had boot cut. I don't do boot cut if I can help it. I like straight leg cuts, with a mid rise. If I found a straight leg, they were 'skinny jeans' with low rise. I'm not that young or thin enough to work the skinny jeans angle. If I find someplace, I'll let you know. I hope I don't have to get custom jeans made like I do for my son (they run about $50-$60 a pair).

Try Lands' End

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

Try Lands' End. They're online and their sizes run by SIZING, meaning measurements. If you know what your measurement is, they can cuff or hem the legs to the correct length, and they have several choices for style. They also have a good return policy.

I'm thinking of going back to them for jeans, because I sure as hell can't find anything that's not boot-cut, not low-rise, and I'm about 170 and 5'4".

Re: Try Lands' End

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I tend to forget about them, for some reason, but I think I've got a catalog laying around here somewhere.... :-)

[lmichelle599.livejournal.com]

Thick, rough denim is more for men's jeans.

I love American Eagle, Old Navy, 7 for All Mankind and regular Sevens. How about trying TJ Maxx or Marshall's? They have tons of designer brands for less? Yes, I'm a maxxnista. :P

You've gotta know if you want low-rise, mid-rise, regular rise. Dark or light denim. Boot cut, skinny leg, super skinny, straight leg. Hmmm. . . what else? Have I already confused you?

[nikki-dichotomy.livejournal.com]

According to my Google-fu, pretty much, yeah. Men's jeans. Those are 100% cotton. Women's jeans now all have some manner of lycra or spandex. Most of my results showed complaints that the products were no longer 100% cotton and now had spandex lol

Add your voice to the manufacturer's site comments expressing the desire that they switch back to 100% cotton, e.g. all the ones here asking for it. http://reviews.us.levi.com/1341/3612020/reviews.htm

Other than that, thrift shops as someone said, or ebay.
http://www.google.com/search?q=womens+jeans+tall+100%25+cotton&btnG=Search&num=18&hl=en&biw=933&bih=514&sa=2

I sort of feel your pain. I can't one damn shirt for summer that I want so far, and I'm really running low on summer shirts. The new style is cut far too long for my short torso and makes me look 15 pounds heavier than I am. BOO to the lack of decent petite shirts this year.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

A little bit of Spandex or Lycra is fine. Like 5%. Cos that little bit of stretch does help with getting pants to fit around the butt/hips but without being HUGE around the waist. But now it seems like everything is up around 20-30% and that's just too much. It's so ridiculous.

[gaeln.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, I got my last 2 pairs of jeans @ 1: Macys, grey AND 2: Hot Topic, brown. I find the problem is the highrise, bell-bottoms 'newest' look...bleh.