Be gone, muffin top!

April 15, 2012 4:28 PM

Help a 5'10", narrow-hipped, wide-waisted girl find jeans!

For as long as I can remember, I've struggled to find jeans that fit. My hips are extremely narrow, and my butt is quite small [as are my thighs]. My waist/love handles, on the other hand, is disproportional. If I find jeans that fit my hips, butt, and thighs perfectly the waistband will be far too small. It gives me that perpetual "muffin top" effect and, with some brands, the denim even cuts into the skin. If I find jeans that fit around the waist, the fabric will practically be hanging off my butt and jeans are extremely loose around my thighs.

In general, American Eagle jeans fit really well, but I struggle to find longer inseams in the stores and it seems like American Eagle is forever changing its cuts and styles. I've googled for possible suggestions, but I'm not even sure what to call my body type, and all the suggestions I did find were for plus sized, shorter women. I'm 5'10" with longer legs and between 130-140 lbs, so longer inseams are a must.

So, what jeans would work with my body type? What is this body type even called? The closest I can guess is apple-shaped, but I have a rather small chest and a prominent rib cage. It's only this horrid 4 inch area between my belly button and hips which is large.

Thanks in advance for your help! Any other suggestions for downplaying my proportions would be greatly appreciated too!

posted by oxfordcomma to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 answers total)

Have you tried the Levi's curve jeans? I've always had exactly the opposite problem: huge gaps at the waist so my buttcrack falls out, way too tight around my butt. And the jeans they make for curvy chicks fit me awesomely.

They also make jeans for the other end of the spectrum, which I think would do for you quite well. (Just for kicks, I tried on a pair of those last time I was getting jeans, and had a really good laugh trying to hoist them (in my size!) up over my booty. So they actually are built differently.)

If you don't have a Levi's store near you, they've got the curve-specific jeans in department stores now, so you ought to be able to try them on somewhere without buying online.
posted by phunniemee at 4:35 PM on April 15, 2012

Hello, google...apparently they're called Curve ID jeans. They even have a fit finder quiz!
posted by phunniemee at 4:36 PM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Have you considered buying jeans that fit you in the waist and the length, and having them tailored to fit?
posted by ambrosia at 4:44 PM on April 15, 2012

Yes, you are an apple shape.

I am 5'9" with the opposite problem (baby got back), but my mom is also an apple.

She has, at times, been able to wear men's jeans. Maybe that could work?

Also, Ann Taylor Loft is my go-to for pants, They have a fits for different waist/hip configurations -- and I know they have some slim-hipped denim.
posted by pantarei70 at 4:58 PM on April 15, 2012

J Crew has some talls. I am a short, fattish-yet-athletic person with no hips and a wide waist and I rely on J Crew for about half my pants. Their basic fit is for a slim, hipless woman and they just keep on sizing that on up, thank god, instead of assuming that all larger women are gently rounded.
posted by Frowner at 4:59 PM on April 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

I'm similarly built (5'10", narrow hips, relatively wide waist) and have had good luch with Paige denim -- specifically the hidden hills cut. They're expensive, but 6pm.com often has good deals. Try them from zappos first, and figure out if they work for you?

Bonus: they make me look like I have a great butt.
posted by another zebra at 5:05 PM on April 15, 2012

Agree with j. crew. I also have good luck with American Eagle and j.crew, and I think j.crew might work out even better for you since they are even narrower through the hips.
posted by seesom at 5:09 PM on April 15, 2012

I am similar build to you and have found Calvin Klein womens jeans fit me better than any thing other than mens jeans.
posted by supermedusa at 5:14 PM on April 15, 2012

Seconding Calvin Klein as having a larger waist measurement than many other women's jeans.
posted by blurker at 5:21 PM on April 15, 2012

I'm 10 inches shorter than you, but otherwise have the same waist to hips proportion problem.

Old Navy's Flirt and Diva cuts are both for straight waists. The Flirt is higher in the waist and fuller in the thigh. The Diva is a lower cut, slimmer thigh. I'm short so the lower cut isn't super low cut on me, though it does sit nicely below the muffin top. But because it doesn't dig in, it's comfortable and not too lumpy. The inseam on the Talls is 36".

I also have luck with some men's jeans, though I don't have a specific recommendation. It's a totally different look, though, baggy, rolled. Like the look the so-called "boyfriend jean" is based on, only without the Lycra.
posted by looli at 5:28 PM on April 15, 2012

Men's jeans work wonders for my figure which sounds quite similar to yours. The fact that they come in lengths is a bonus. There are places you can get more fashion forward men's jeans that will better pass as womens.
posted by Requiax at 5:34 PM on April 15, 2012

I have your exact shape and I do really well with stretchy jeans. I also love Alloy.com for extended inseams, but the sizes are juniors which are a bit more difficult to fit without trying them on.
posted by katypickle at 5:46 PM on April 15, 2012

I am not as tall as you, but I have the exact same problem with the way jeans fit my waist. I found the perfect pair at True Religion with the help of one of their associates. They offer an in-store consultation that's pretty gimmicky, but it didn't take very long and it really worked for me. Those were the most expensive jeans I've ever bought, and I loved them. I've worn them into the ground now, but I'm saving up for a new pair. (I think Joey was the style I bought. They ran me about $170 several years ago.)

I believe zafu.com has a similar online consultation experience that covers tons of different brands across a wide range of prices.
posted by juliplease at 5:49 PM on April 15, 2012

If you get really stuck, you can buy a pair of jeans that fit your waist and get the hips taken in at a tailor.

You might do well with a skinny or straight-leg jean. The Gap usually has a good selection, and if you find a fit you like, you can order a longer inseam online.
posted by elizeh at 6:52 PM on April 15, 2012

I'm 5ft 11 and Jcrew is the only tall jean that 1. is actually the right length and 2. reasonably worth the price tag. They're pricey but I find that a nicer looking fit makes them worth the extra dollars in comparison to places like old navy. They keep the sizing consistent enough that I even routinely order them online and over several years.
posted by raccoon409 at 6:56 PM on April 15, 2012

Same body type, though I'm not tall. My answer is low-waist skinny jeans in a stretch denim - they all come in stretch denim these days, though. The main thing is you need to get a size that fits just a tad tight because after an hour or so of wearing them the jeans will stretch in the bottom and sag if they're too big. I like J Brand and get them on flash sale sites like Gilt and Hautelook.

Don't expect miracles, you will not be able to make the muffin top go away entirely unless you change your diet (low carb did it for me).
posted by Dragonness at 7:14 PM on April 15, 2012

I have the same bod, but not tall. J Crew doesn't work for me in pants because I am really high waisted, and I find their pants are...short-crotched, for lack of a better term. But! I've ALSO had good luck with True Religion and Levis. Bear in mind, though, that the Levis REALLY stretch out. I can't get them to not get saggy-assed on me. The True Religions hold together better.

Weirdly, although I have issues with J Crew pants, Madewell jeans have also worked well for me.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 11:39 PM on April 15, 2012