Non-stretch Women's Jeans?

May 14, 2015 9:07 AM

I used to have a pair of jeans I loved, but the style is no longer available, and I'm having trouble replacing it. I'm looking specifically for jeans with little to no stretch. My current jeans list the fabric as 96% cotton, 3% elastine, 1% poly, and they're okay, but I kind of like the thick, solid, almost constricting feel of non-stretch denim. Do they make decent women's jeans without stretch anymore?

I currently wear Lucky Brand Brooke Boot cut in size 30/10 (although I might be able to get away with 29/8). They're a good midrise jean with just a slight boot, and they're almost right, but not quite. I'm pear-shaped, with larger thighs and hips and a smaller waist, but there's not a major waist-gapping issue with these jeans. They do however loosen up quite a bit while wearing (even just in one day, to the point of being kind of baggy), and I feel that the stretch fabric has a lot to do with that. Are there jeans with this basic shape (midrise, slight boot, NOT specifically "curvy" cut), without any stretch?

I don't like "curvy" cut jeans because the right jean will usually help minimize my hips/thighs, which is what I'm going for. Price is not a huge factor, but I'd like to stay under $200 if possible, and would be happiest if the jeans were available in a variety of washes.

posted by odayoday to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

I have a pair of Gap jeans on right now with basically no stretch to 'em. Mine are mid-rise skinny, but they do also have mid-rise boot cut, so it's worth a look to see how they go on you.

Also, this was a life changer for me -- that gapping issue can be fixed with like $8-15 and a trip to a tailor. And many dry cleaners have an in-house tailor.
posted by Andrhia at 9:25 AM on May 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

My body type sounds very similar to yours; I am loving the Gap "long and lean" style - you don't need to be long or lean to wear them, but they do a lot for minimizing my thighs and butt. I am small-waisted and have no gapping issues.
posted by handful of rain at 9:26 AM on May 14, 2015

Levi's sells stiff non-stretch denim.
posted by joeyjoejoejr at 9:31 AM on May 14, 2015

Macy's carries a line called "Style & Co" -- they have lots of different styles but I always find a non-stretch version among them.
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:58 AM on May 14, 2015

I exclusively wear Nudies but they clock in at around $170CAD. Luckily they are so great and durable, and barely stretch out during wears, that I only need two pairs (one black, one blue)!
posted by thebots at 10:09 AM on May 14, 2015

I am wearing a pair of Kut from the Kloth that are 99% cotton and have that sturdy, soft, denimy feel. I think they also fit your other specs.
posted by freezer cake at 11:20 AM on May 14, 2015

I love Mek Denim for the thick, constricting construction. Their jeans give me the "thigh gap" that I don't have when unclothed. As a bonus, the pockets are large and well-placed so my butt looks terrific. Mine all have 1% spandex and 99% cotton but they do not stretch out at all and I can get multiple wearings between washes. With Lucky, I have to wash and dry every time to get them back into shape. You can get Mek Denim at a steep discount on 6pm.com.
posted by Knowyournuts at 1:26 PM on May 14, 2015

I have a pair of Lee jeans - I'm pretty sure they are these (apologies for the useless Australian website) - that are 98% cotton and 2% elastane. They are pretty much perfect. They have just enough stretch, but don't seem at risk of stretching out. Lee jeans come in a variety of cuts and washes and many seem to have a similar balance of cotton to elastane. To prevent stretching out, I wouldn't go above 2% elastane.

I think the most important thing is how you care for your jeans. Wash as infrequently as possible and not above 30 or 40 degrees celcius. And never put them in a dryer. There are so many people out there who put their jeans in a dryer because they like how they fit afterwards, only to be dismayed when the jeans stretch out throughout the day.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 1:33 PM on May 14, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks for the responses, everyone! I've actually owned both Long and Lean and KUT from the Kloth jeans at various times, and liked them. Maybe I just need to revisit sizes and cuts. I'm fascinated by the Nudies jeans, but the only have men's cuts, which, while I don't like curvy cuts, men's cuts don't really work for me either. I'll also check out Levi's and Mek!
posted by odayoday at 6:43 AM on May 15, 2015