Once again I was out shopping for jeans only to find nothing. Nothing this time except my self-respect, that is. Apparently I have just had a (run of) bad shopping day(s) — and instead of putting on five pounds in each knee, it’s more like .5 pounds. Things started looking up when I came out of the fitting room at Express and both the ladies frowned and sent me back in to try the next smaller size. And ended up, too, when I tried on a pair of Gap Long and Lean at the thrift store on the way home and they fit. In my “normal” size.
Cute as they were, I might have considered compromising on silhouette if they hadn’t been 20 % polyester. Remind me never to buy jeans with polyester in the mix; they itch.
Anyway, concerning my list, and what I learned at Express:
- a dark wash: this was not any problem and one of the pairs I liked even had the design stitched on the pocket in a pretty combination of brownish tones.
- 9-inch rise: not to be had. 8 1/2 seemed to be the highest, 8 was standard, and there was less. But more on rise in a moment.
- tapered legs: I tried on eight or more pairs of jeans, and several of them fit, but I could not convince the lady that I really wanted to get away from the boot cut silhouette. The jeans she suggested, on someone else, would be more of a straight leg, but on me they were boot cut. And then she gave me all the “need the width at the bottom to balance, otherwise you’ll look pear-shaped”. To which I say, I DO NOT need the hem for balance, that is what I have SHOULDERS for!
In any case, she didn’t want to sell me pants as much as she wanted me to wear what she thought I should wear, as evidenced by the fact that she brought me everything except the Stella skinnies. If those had fit, I would have bought the others too, because they were buy one, get one half-price. Instead, I stopped at the thrift store and tried on another pile of pants; finding options at $6.98, my self-respect, and my financial discipline.
But, this one thing I did learn, and it appears to be true:
waistband gape is caused by the rise of the pants being too long
Who knew?
I will revise what I’m looking for to an 8-inch rise. Now, a question for you: which is worse, getting no help in the store or getting help that’s restrictive? Tell your stories here!
LOL. I’m having trouble following all that.
So did you find anything at the thrift store???
I had an interesting epiphany about the rise, myself. I suffer from the famed muffin top. Big time. The typical 8″ rise kills me. I have spent the last two years bemoaning the fact that the 9″ rise is not to be found and just settling for the 8″ rise and the muffin top.
I finally went to the Lucky store where they told me that my problem was that my rise was actually too HIGH.
I argued till I was blue in the face and then went and tried the Sundown Straight with a 7″ rise. I now own two pair of these miraculous jeans and would own two more if I could afford it. They were RIGHT. The lower rise actually helped avoid the muffin top. Of course, there is no control to help my tummy area, and I still maintain that a 9 or 10 inch rise might be the best case scenerio, but it is not to be had, so I settle.
All that said, I tried on these and LOVED them and hope to get them for Christmas.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2921470?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=seven+for+all+mankind+ginger+in+All+Categories&origin=searchresults
A 10 inch rise — can you believe it!? Praise the Lord!! Now if all the regular priced brands would follow suit…
Restrictive help is much worse. I have no problems doing my shopping and fitting on my own (and generally prefer to), but I despise when someone attempts to force their (unwanted) onions on me when I have specified what I do or do not want.
Case in point — when I was wedding dress shopping. I was more than willing to try on any shape, style, etc., short of two simple requirements: no lace (too feminine and delicate for me) and no huge poofy ballgown (very narrow aisle and I would never fit down with my parents in a poofy dress). The first place I looked at dresses was a disaster — she only wanted me to try on big, poofy dresses because she thought they would be best for a black tie wedding. Except I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. Next store, they gave me the freedom to run and pull dresses I wanted, and I found a few that I loved, because nobody was forcing anything on me.
It was particularly frustrating because wedding dresses are a huge investment, and if I’m going to plunk down potentially several THOUSAND dollars, at least have the decency to take my own requirements into consideration. Suggestions are fine, but if I say no and have a valid reason (i.e. needing to fit down the aisle), then back off!
How do you measure the rise on a pair of jeans, Rebecca? Are you measuring from the crotch seam up to the front waist, with the pants laying flat? Or do you somehow split the difference between the front and back waists, if the back goes up higher?
The only stores where people have ever been really eager to help me out have been stores where they pay on commission… but the gape being related to the rise thing really helps. Oh, and I totally think that it’s people’s own decision what kind of jeans look best on them, and I’m tired of people trying to judge who “should” and “shouldn’t” go skinny. Skinny leg is pretty much going to be here for a while and it is your own perogative to wear what makes you feel good and stlyish.
he hee. sorry. I did find some things at the thrift store which I could have bought, but I didn’t buy anything. And I tried on a pair of jeans at Macy’s that had a 9 inch rise, but there was something slightly off about them. I am re-thinking this, but alot of what we get with regard to jeans it seems we have very little choice or options. I do like those gingers!
Julie – that is so bad. A wedding dress is such a personal thing! In my dream world, the sales help would be like the person behind the counter in McDonald’s in that they’d just take your order and provide what you ask for.
Sheri – I have been measuring the front, as you describe. Of course, it’s better when the waist is contoured and higher in the back. I haven’t figured out how to measure for that yet. But it’s typically the front measurement that is given, if any, with a description in a catalog or online store.
Heather – I really agree with you, couldn’t have said it better. It’s one thing to offer help, but when I said, “I really disagree with you” and pointed out why, she should have changed her tune quick. Who knows? Perhaps I would have ended up agreeing with her, but we’ll never know, will we?
Ugh! As nice as that lady was, the glamorous stores are the worst!
Restrictive help is far worse. I’d rather have to track down the one little old lady working the entire floor on a weekday morning than to have an overly attentive pushy salesperson who knows just what I need.
That “little old lady” has probably been working for Macy’s (as an example) for 20+ years, and knows more about proper fit and body shape than the youngster who tries to sell a 36-year-old mother of three on the merits of wearing jeans with skull embroidery and/or shiny things.
Not that I know anyone who this has happened to in the last couple of weeks, or anything.
Great couple of posts on jeans. The comments & suggestions put in by readers have been very helpful, too.
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I’m having a heck of a time figuring out rise. It’s the length from crotch to waistband, right? (Kind of the opposite of inseam.) I often struggle with waistband gape, but also have difficulty with tummy muffin top and slash pockets that gape open. Something I try to pay attention to, but pants fit is a major shopping challenge.