Women's Plus Sized Jeans Recommendations

October 6, 2017 6:40 AM

I'd like to buy some jeans, ideally on-line. I am large and would like to find something that is comfortable, looks okay, and doesn't make me cry when I put them on. Suggestions appreciated!

Priorities:

1) Comfortable (fit and material)
2) Ideally bootcut or similar? NO SKINNY JEANS AT ALL they make me look like a two-scoop ice cream cone
3) Preferably a darkish wash but definitely not black
4) I'd like to be able to wear them to work on Fridays so nothing scandalous or weirdly baggy
5) I don't like dopey bedazzling &c. on the pockets but am more flexible on this
6) Ideally they will make my butt look really nice

I got a pair from Old Navy but I think I made a bad choice because the rise was lower than I expected and they were uncomfortable and made me sad. If there are better Old Navy options that's fine.

If it's helpful, I have a moderately defined waist but a large stomach and I don't want something that sits below my tummy. Also my thighs are big. Thank you for any suggestions you have!

posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (21 answers total)

I'm apple-shaped, and my favorite brand of jeans is Not Your Daughter's Jeans. They are well-made, comfortable, and, for the most part, not gimmicky with bedazzles and so on. They come in a variety of cuts, including boot cut (their boot cut jeans are called "Barbara"). And they're also available in petite sizes if you are on the short side.

Drawback: $$$$$$$$. However, it's pretty easy to find them on sale at places like Nordstrom's, at discount outlets like the Sierra Trading Post and Zulily (I just got a couple pairs off Zulily), and on Ebay.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 6:52 AM on October 6, 2017 [3 favorites]

I have large thighs and have really liked some of the super stretchy denim that’s available these days. My favorite jeans right now are these Levi’s - they are dark and look nice. The stretchiness makes them comfortable.
posted by hilaryjade at 7:12 AM on October 6, 2017

Amanda jeans from Gloria Vanderbilt - I get them in person at Kohl's. There is usually bedazzling, but the pockets are a nice big size on the jeans. There are other pants in the Amanda line like capris made from broadcloth and sometimes those pockets are smaller.
posted by soelo at 7:27 AM on October 6, 2017

Gloria Vanderbilt "Amanda" jeans. They come in different cuts and washes, look great, and are incredibly comfy. You can find them with no bedazzling, just a tiny unobtrusive swan embroidered on the inner pocket.
posted by current resident at 7:29 AM on October 6, 2017

I cannot say enough good things about the Lee Dream Jeans.
(Ugly link to search page for the dream jeans line.)

Now I'm gonna say right off--none of these are boot cut, but I can confirm that the modern series "faith skinny" are really more of a straight cut and my calves and ankles have generous breathing room. The "ava" cut is much more typically skinny fit so you'll probably want to avoid that style. (Free shipping and returns though.)

These jeans are made out of some kind of magic material, I don't even know. They absolutely look and feel like jeans on the outside in every way, have all the findings (pockets, rivets, zippers, buttons, seaming) of jeans, but they stretch and feel like heavy leggings. They are WONDERFUL. Also? I've been wearing the same pair heavily for more than six months and still no threadbare thigh fabric or crotch holes, which is an affliction endemic to all my most loved pants. They are hands down THE most comfortable jeans I've ever worn.
posted by phunniemee at 7:46 AM on October 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

I'm normally the first person to complain bitterly about Lane Bryant, but I do love their jeans. I get the dark wash bootcut jeans with the "tummy tightener panel"--that's an idiotic and offensive name for it, but basically for me what it means is that the waistband is a bit wider and stretchy and I feel like it sort of supports my pooch comfortably. I really prefer this kind of waistband now because it doesn't cut into my stomach as much. Anyway: I have a big belly and thighs and these jeans seem pretty flattering on me.
posted by TwoStride at 8:12 AM on October 6, 2017 [2 favorites]

Liverpool’s pull-on jeans with the wide stretch waistband are incredibly comfortable and flattering.
posted by evoque at 8:13 AM on October 6, 2017

If you don't mind dropping a bit of coin, the Universal Standard jeans are astonishingly good. I hate jeans and I love these.

I've also had pretty good luck with these Levi's, which I ordered from Amazon. I'm 5'6" and they're way longer on me than on the model in the photo; they come roughly to the top of my instep.
posted by holborne at 8:16 AM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

My wife likes Lane Bryant jeans and she also gets the ones TwoStride mentions. A while back they introduced three fits that were consistent across all their pants, then a couple years after that they revised them all and changed the names, but she was still able to find a fit that worked for her. The fabric is pretty high in lycra and they do all seem to stretch out and lose their shape over time, so she buys a couple new pairs every year and tosses them when they become unwearable. I think the one red flag for you would be that the last two pairs that died did so with a hole at the thigh. If your jeans are more prone to rub and/or fray there they might not last as long for you as they do for her.
posted by fedward at 8:43 AM on October 6, 2017

I have basically the same exact list of jean priorities and I've only been buying Seven7/Melissa McCarthy jeans from Lane Bryant. I love them and they are totally worth the price to me. I buy the plain dark denim boot cut ones and I've been buying them for years, they definitely change over time, but every single pair I've gotten has been amazing for me. I'm pregnant now and sad I have to wear other maternity jeans that aren't nearly as awesome.
posted by disaster77 at 8:46 AM on October 6, 2017

Lane Bryant jeans work really, really well for me and I love the dark wash boot cuts best. Well, I also love the boyfriend cut, but those were all faux ripped and while I liked the comfort enough to compromise, I have a more relaxed workplace. I wanted to love the pair of Universal Standard jeans I ordered but they fit oddly on me, with a little fold of fabric where the top of my thigh and my butt meet. But people love them and they have free shipping and an easy return so it’s worth a try.
posted by PussKillian at 9:16 AM on October 6, 2017

Duluth Trading's DuluthFlex jeans Are 1% spandex, and come I a variety of cuts.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 9:30 AM on October 6, 2017

With Old Navy, you don't have to keep jeans that don't fit right. Shipping over $50 is free and you can return items for free either by mail or in-store. I personally will just order about 10 pairs of jeans, try them all on at home, keep the ones that work and return the rest. I might find a style I love and then submit a new order with different colors, etc. If I don't hit $50, I add an extra item until I get there. It's risk free. Old Navy's sizes are extensive and well into plus-size range and online they offer a lot of other options, like short/ankle, petite and tall. I would recommend just trying some different options.

I also think that even if skinny jeans feel like they are for skinny people, boot cut and similar styles are just out of style. All shapes and sizes of women wear skinny jeans these days and you probably don't look as bad in skinny jeans as you feel. It took me a while to come around to the tapered ankles and skinny jeans style as I am pear shaped and I worried about looking like a human V, but I feel a lot hipper and cooler since I've come around to it. Women with my shape look fine in skinny jeans -- I was always just judging myself more harshly.
posted by AppleTurnover at 11:43 AM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

I was coming in to talk about the Universal Standard Seine Jeans.

I am a size 24/26, and I *hate* jeans. Well, hated. I have 2 pair of these jeans and they look great and are super comfortable. They are sturdy and well made, and do not stretch out to unwearable even after 3 wears between washings.

They have a high rise, so be aware of that. But because of that, I don't spend the whole day hiking them up because they stretched out and will no longer stay up.

HIGHLY recommended. (also they have full sized pockets.)
posted by bibliogrrl at 12:26 PM on October 6, 2017 [4 favorites]

Try Gloria Vanderbilt's Amanda jeans. Many colors and a few different fabrics. Mahayana have a tiny bit of stretch that works well and nothing frilly. Classic pockets.
posted by SLC Mom at 12:33 PM on October 6, 2017

eShakti has jeans now, and they do custom sizing. I've only gotten dresses from them, but i can vouch for their quality.
posted by nonasuch at 12:43 PM on October 6, 2017

Lane Bryant's bootcut jeans FTW. They're comfortable, come in a dark wash, and make my ass look fantastic. And the tummy panel sounds like BS but something about it makes the jeans so much more comfortable on my belly.

They come in petite/short sizes, too. I'm 5'5" and the regular brush the floor, and the short is perfect.
posted by rhiannonstone at 2:49 PM on October 6, 2017 [1 favorite]

I like Old Navy Curvy fit.
posted by starlybri at 3:44 PM on October 6, 2017

Yeah, Lane Bryant has great jeans options. Definitely some with dopey bedazzling (and argh, why are all their grey or light-colored jeans "distressed" or have fringe at the hem???) but a lot that are just simple and pretty flattering to those of us not built like a model. I would even encourage you to give some of their skinnier jeans a try and see how they look - they have a lot of stretch and the material is thick, so I find them pretty flattering, with a shape that sounds similar to yours. But if you're only interested in bootcut, they have good selections of those too.
posted by lunasol at 10:42 PM on October 6, 2017

J.Jill! I have been delighted with their jeans. I have three pairs (an ankle length straight leg, a standard straight leg, and a full leg that are possibly the most flattering jeans I have ever had) and all are super comfortable as well as being versatile - they suit me both when I need to look like a responsible adult and when I want to look playful. They last well too, none of that rubbing through in the thighs after a few months. In store they carry up to 18, and online they have up to 28.
posted by AliceBlue at 5:17 PM on October 7, 2017

These jeans from Nordstrom are the best. Stretchy as yoga pants, and they keep their shape without giving me a dumpy butt. I'm shaped a lot like you are and these are super-flattering.
One word of caution: the first pair I ordered got a snag in the fabric on the thigh the first day I wore them, so I exchanged them for a new pair. Have had these for 5+ months of at least weekly wear with no issues. Regardless, Nordstrom will take them back at any time.
posted by Coffeemate at 7:09 PM on October 7, 2017