Why do pants fit me like this?

September 15, 2017 10:17 AM

I can't believe I'm using a question for this, but I've noticed over the past few years that 9 times out of 10, when I try on women's non-jeans pants I have a specific fit error. Could you help me figure out what's going on so I can better pick out pants that will actually fit me? I just started a new job that requires me to dress on the formal end of business casual, and I'm struggling to find work pants! Pictures and more detail inside.

Most pants I try on are somewhat-to-very baggy in the crotch, despite seemingly fitting me correctly at the waist and thighs, as shown in this picture. This does not happen with jeans. I have found pairs of pants that fit me normally, across multiple brands, cuts, and fabric types, but they are few and far between.

Possibly relevant details:
--My measurements are 37 bust, 30 natural waist, 37 hip
--I am 5'6" with a long torso and short legs, my inseam is 28"
--I am within the normal weight range for my height (BMI 22.5)
--My build is definitely softer than it is athletic, but I don't have a large belly or butt (Although I guess I'm not sure how to tell? They both seem proportionate.)
--I generally wear a U.S. size 6 or 8 depending on the brand, I have pants that do fit me marked size 27, 28, and 29
--Generally I am trying on skinny leg or straight leg pants.
--Without trying a pair of pants on, I can't figure out visually whether they will have this problem or not.
--The fit error occurs at the point that I'm trying them on at the store for the first time, so it's not that they're getting baggy over the course of a day.

Any ideas of what is causing the fit error? Or is this just the standard issue of women's pants being a pain to fit correctly? Internet searches suggest that this is a problem a tailor could fix, but I'd also just like to know if there are ways I can troubleshoot this while picking out pants to try on.

posted by cimton to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (16 answers total)

Maybe crotch length?
posted by Botanizer at 10:27 AM on September 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

The distance from the crotch to the waist band is known as the "rise". You may have some success with better fit by looking for pants marked as "mid rise" or "low rise". Perhaps unfortunately for you, pants fashion seems to be swinging toward rather high rises across much of the USA, e.g here and here.
posted by SaltySalticid at 10:29 AM on September 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

It's not you...work trousers tend to be cut roomier vs jeans especially in crotch area. Some of it is traditon and some of it is to accommodate a larger range of shapes within sizes. You could take a pair to a tailor who could alter them but it's an expensive work. I would weigh the cost of a good tailor to the time I spend finding one that works.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 10:35 AM on September 15, 2017 [2 favorites]

So, this is nerdy but it might help.

Agreed that the problem is that these pants are too long in the rise for you. Using a tape measure (not a ruler), take the following measurement on a pair of pants that you like and that fit you well:

with the pants buttoned and zipped, and laying flat on a table, measure from the top of the waistband to the point where the seams cross at the crotch, straight down the front.

This is your front rise measurement. image of measuring

A tailor can possibly fix it, but its tricky. Your better bet, as suggested above, would be to look for a shorter rise style - even to the point of (I know, I know) measuring them in the store before you try them on.
posted by anastasiav at 10:39 AM on September 15, 2017 [3 favorites]

This might have been what you found already, but I love this guide to what the wrinkles mean on your pants in terms of fit errors! Your photo looks like your pants need a "flat pubis adjustment" because your pubic bones are set further in. Given that it's the opposite of what cause "round pubis" issue (aka camel toe), you might look for pants that seem to give other online reviewers that issue. Haha!
posted by beyond_pink at 10:47 AM on September 15, 2017 [27 favorites]

I am more or less your height/weight, and I've had great luck with the Express Editor Pant line. They have a low rise, many colors and leg styles, and last seemingly forever. Well worth it.
posted by ananci at 10:49 AM on September 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Sometimes petite size pants have a shorter rise so you might want to try those. I tend to go up a size when I try petite instead of regular pants.
posted by selfmedicating at 10:55 AM on September 15, 2017

Seconding petites, even if you don't consider yourself "petite".
posted by lovableiago at 11:42 AM on September 15, 2017

Generally I am trying on skinny leg or straight leg pants.

I think this is most of the problem. (It's a problem with the pants, not you.) I've noticed increasingly in the past few years that slim/straight cut women's pants have more and more space in the crotch/lower stomach area. I tried on some at Uniqlo recently that fit perfectly everywhere else, but had enough extra room there to smuggle a throw pillow. It's extremely annoying. But it is virtually never a problem when I try on wide leg pants. You want the waist to be the smallest part, and then the pants flow outwards over your hips, and never come back in towards the body. Example. Also, going for a lower waist and avoiding the trendy-at-the-moment high waist or paper bag waist may also help, as there's simply less fabric involved.
posted by DestinationUnknown at 12:37 PM on September 15, 2017 [4 favorites]

Ha, I am exactly your size, height, and measurements! I often have the same problem. I've always assumed it's just a very unflattering cut/style (like pleated pants or something), since it's far more common when I shop in more "mature" stores. FWIW, I've had much better luck getting a good fit if I look for low-waisted pants or "younger" styles of pants - not sure which is more important since there's a lot of overlap between those 2. And 100% of highwaisted pants so far look terrible on me, often for this reason.

(I don't know what my inseam is, pretty average for 5'6 probably, but I find petite pants way, way, way too short... but it's worth trying them since you have short legs)
posted by randomnity at 12:45 PM on September 15, 2017

my inseam is 28"

Try Petite pants. They will be shorter in the rise. (Which is what you want: a "short rise.")
posted by DarlingBri at 1:32 PM on September 15, 2017 [1 favorite]

Just nthing you want petite pants - petite means both shorter inseam and shorter rise - I'm a short person with a "normal" rise and I have to buy regular pants and get them hemmed because petites don't fit at all
posted by brainmouse at 1:58 PM on September 15, 2017

Similar body type in the long waist, short legs department, slightly shorter at 5'4.

JCrew petite pants (not machine washable generally, sadly) have been the dressiest version that has worked for me.

Loft modern fit may be worth trying (modern skinny chinos have a very similar fit to their jeans). (I'm short enough for petites in Loft, but they run shorter than Jcrew petite so I think they would be too short for you). I always want to go for their curvy fit, but the modern fit reduces the rise issue for me.
posted by typecloud at 2:33 PM on September 15, 2017

I just bought 2 different styles of pants from Express. The Editor pants are perfect without too much fabric in the crotch, but the "jeans" type pants have the exact problem you describe. Both are mid-rise (the Editor being slightly lower than the jeans), both petite. I suggest trying the Editor pant in a petite 6 or 8 and for other brands, look for a low rise.
posted by Red Desk at 6:00 PM on September 15, 2017

You want a low rise with a 28" inseam. You will likely also want a mid- or low-waisted pair of pants (e.g. the relationship of the top of the pants to your navel). What you are describing describes my childhood experience of pants. I am 5'3", and my inseam is 28" too. The trouble is lots of "better" brands use what I think of as an old-fashioned rise/waist length though, in reality, from a fashion perspective, I think low-waisted pants are considered juvenile. For me, they are critical to comfort. I also absolutely can't bear to have pantwaists that encompass my navel or anything near it. I like my pants much much lower. For that reason, I only wear fitted jeans, skirts or dresses. In fact, I remember going back to working in an office several years ago, and being so uncomfortable I said to myself, I think we need to switch to lady clothes — and I never looked back.
posted by Violet Blue at 6:18 PM on September 15, 2017

Banana Republic is good for having a variety of different cuts in women's pants (Sloan, Logan, Ryan, etc.) I am about your proportions, though shorter, and have had great luck with the stretchy fit of the Sloan pants. They come in bunch of colors, and although they have a very figure-hugging fit, they look really professional. The only downside is that they are viscose, and therefore dry clean only.
posted by amusebuche at 1:06 PM on September 16, 2017