Jeans for the Tall and Curvaceous

October 6, 2011 11:16 AM

Help me find good-looking jeans that fit tall, curvy me. Added challenge: under $100.

I've searched previous questions, but none match my exact, nitpicky criteria. I am 5'11, around 165 lbs, and have some slight curves through the hip and derriere (thanks to the Italians in our family tree--I'm looking at you, Grandma). I'm looking for great new jeans. I've done really well with some styles from Seven and Paige in the past, but go through jeans fast, and want to find something a little less spendy. My requirements:

- Boot cut at the very least (no skinny jeans for me, sorry)
- Dark wash side of the spectrum
- No weird whiskering or excessive "distressing"
- Not looking for "stretch" jeans, but a little bit of stretch to the fabric is not a bad thing (nor is it required)
- At least a 34" inseam
- Under $100-ish


Thank you in advance for helping me to find the jeans of my dreams!

posted by anonnymoose to Shopping (26 answers total)

Have you tried Gap?
posted by jenny76 at 11:18 AM on October 6, 2011

I get last year's Diesel models on Ebay for $50-60 new, and have been for a few years. Have you tried looking for the Seven and Paige models and sizes you have previously owned?
posted by halogen at 11:20 AM on October 6, 2011

Have you tried shopping at Nordstrom Rack for your Seven and Paige jeans?
posted by asphericalcow at 11:24 AM on October 6, 2011

GAP!

I'm about an inch shorter than you (approx same weight), and after 8 years away from the Gap, I went back 2 weeks ago and picked up some Long and Lean jeans in a size 12R (long and lean is their boot cut). The fabric wasn't as thick as I remembered, but man... they work. 12R is long enough for me in flats, I'd get the 12L (or whatever L size fits you) as you're a smidge taller than me. The regular inseam is 33", the long inseam is 35".

Also $69 bucks. For awesome black jeans with almost no distressing.
posted by larthegreat at 11:24 AM on October 6, 2011

Response by poster: Halogen, thanks for your answer. I have thought about buying Seven and Paige jeans again, and probably will at some point, but for now, I'm looking for less-pricey lines that are also great so I can add those to my jeans wardrobe mix.

@Jenny76--Haven't tried those yet, but they look promising! Thank you!
posted by anonnymoose at 11:25 AM on October 6, 2011

For $51 you can get raw denim jeans that actually will fit you as if they were tailored. Because they are.
posted by filmgeek at 11:27 AM on October 6, 2011 [16 favorites]

Consider the "Molly" jean from Mavi brand (Zappos link, $98). Boot-cut, dark wash ("Uptown" rinse), and no weird embellishments or whiskering or distressing. They come in 34" inseam for you tall folks. I've found the rise and waistband work pretty well around ample hips/booty without too much of the gap-in-the-back thing, and there is a slight stretch to them.
posted by dayintoday at 11:34 AM on October 6, 2011

I just got some Levi Curve jeans that I really like and they have a tool to see what might suit you here.
posted by greta simone at 11:40 AM on October 6, 2011

I'm about your size but curvier. Topshop if you're near one. They have a great tall section with a good variety of jeans at your price range. Quality is much, much better than Gap and sizing is consistent.

Or Long Tall Sally. They do a nice job of making pants bigger overall, not just putting longer legs on the same size rise and butt.
posted by fshgrl at 11:46 AM on October 6, 2011

I'm much shorter than you and can't recommend tall brands, but I bought some Gap jeans on a recommendation (Long and Leans, actually) but those were absolutely the fastest wearing-out pairs of pants I ever bought.
posted by cobaltnine at 12:19 PM on October 6, 2011

Target, actually, makes a point of providing I think four different cuts of jeans, and within that I usually see tall versions and many shades of black, blue, and grey with varying spectrums of distressing (including none). They also offer a couple types of fabric, at least one of which is stretchier. They're $30 or $35. Worth checking out if you haven't.
posted by Nattie at 12:30 PM on October 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Just wanted to say that I no longer buy Gap products because when I did they always wore out way sooner than I thought was reasonable for the price. So I definately wouldn't recommend them if you're looking for something that will last you any length of time.
posted by stillnocturnal at 12:33 PM on October 6, 2011

J crew makes trouser jeans that are currently on sale for $98, which come in tall sizes, and which as far as I can tell flatter everyone who wears them.
posted by dpx.mfx at 12:51 PM on October 6, 2011 [1 favorite]

Seconding stillnocturnal's experience with Gap jeans. I bought a pair last winter that lasted a month maybe before a hole appeared on the top of the thigh. I had purchased a blue pair at the same time and they didn't last much longer. I haven't had this problem with any brands, so I don't think it is specific to how I wear or wash my jeans. I won't be buying jeans from them again.
posted by unlaced at 1:02 PM on October 6, 2011

J Crew jeans and pants are cut for a woman with a very straight figure -- if there's a <10" difference between your waist and hip, maybe they'll work. If you are actually curvy then it will be a waste of your time to bother trying them on, seriously.
posted by telegraph at 1:12 PM on October 6, 2011

I am not that tall but am curvy, and I love Ann Taylor Loft jeans.
posted by radioamy at 1:13 PM on October 6, 2011

I am a tall lady who buys all my jeans from Delia's. They are not high quality, but they have lasted me many many years and come in infinite styles and colors.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 1:14 PM on October 6, 2011

Topshop do NOT cut for curves. It is a shop for teenagers, ergo if you do not have a teenager-shaped body, they will not fit you. If you are above a UK12 (they say they go up to a 16, but good luck a) finding them b) actually getting into them if you do) then they're probably not what you want.

Gap Curvy is what you want - I'm as tall and the same shape as you, and there's a 10" difference between my hips and waist. They are the closest to good fitting jeans I've found. I find they don't wear out particularly quickly for me.
posted by mippy at 1:32 PM on October 6, 2011

This pair is just slightly over $100, but check out Pilcro. They are perfect for the tall and the curvy.
posted by eleventy zillion at 1:59 PM on October 6, 2011

I'm short and curvy so YMMV, but I looooove Lucky Brand's Easy Rider jeans. I also have had good luck with some styles of Sevens and Paige, but I don't really hunt for them anymore since the Luckys are great quality and are so much cheaper.
posted by gatorae at 3:15 PM on October 6, 2011

I used to agree with Lucky's Easy Rider jean suggestion but the last couple of years I've found that the quality has decreased (thinner denim, problems with buttons and seams). I'm still wearing jeans I purchased over 10 years ago while more recent purchases have worn out.

This spring I decided to try a pair of Levi's 501 'rigid shrink-to-fit' jeans and am happy with them. Be aware that they do shrink with the first few washings (approx 2-3 inches in the inseam, ~1 inch in the waist). You can buy them at Amazon for under $50.
posted by bCat at 3:55 PM on October 6, 2011

The best pair of jeans I've ever had - and I am 5'10" and sort of not fat, not thin, but in between - was a pair of Not Your Daughter's Jeans. They're cut for actual women and I have loved mine to death, which, in other good news, took about five years. I found them for $25 at a Ross Dress for Less but I haven't been so lucky again, alas. Still, even retail they seem to run a bit under $100.
posted by mygothlaundry at 7:53 PM on October 6, 2011

I have a few pairs of Not Your Daughter's Jeans -- the material is "ponte knit." When I bought them the inseam was 32", but if I stretch them when they come out of the spin cycle, I can get them to 34" easily. I assume they can stretch even more, but then they'd be too long for me to wear with heels. The downside is that the pants have to air dry, but they fit so well that I don't mind. You need to buy NYD Jeans a size smaller than your usual pants.
posted by wryly at 8:25 PM on October 6, 2011

Seven is a brand that works really well for me, too. I am tall and curvy like you are. Recently (just this weekend, in fact!), I discovered that Old Navy jeans fit me remarkably well. Highly recommend trying some on - I bought three pairs of fabulous jeans for about 70 bucks.
posted by corn_bread at 5:24 AM on October 7, 2011

I'm surprised to hear about the Gap jeans wearing out, because I've been buying jeans from Old Navy, the cheaper sister company, for years, and they never wear out. And if I catch a sale, they're only about $20. Their Diva Boot Cut is a good fit for curvy, and it comes in an assortment of washes. I get asked by other women fairly frequently where I bought them, so I assume they're flattering.
posted by MexicanYenta at 7:49 AM on October 7, 2011

Have you tried Express jeans? They are pretty much the only ones I'm wearing now. I'm not curvy (kind of the complete opposite actually) but my bff is curvy and she wears the curvy version. All their jeans come in Short, Reg, and Tall versions. They run about $75/85 a pop and are almost always buy 1, get one 1/2 off.
posted by magnetsphere at 2:53 PM on October 7, 2011