It’s time to bring in the pros, which in this case means taking your jeans to a tailor. “It will always be a gamble to shrink a pair of jeans to improve the fit,” says Scott Tucker of the Center of Excellence-Denim for Wrangler Design. “Simple adjustments like inseam length and adding darts at the waist can easily be done by a tailor and would be more exact.” And, according to Knight, if your denim still isn’t fitting the way you want after three to five rounds of the high temperature wash/dry method, you need to start looking at other options.
What If the Tailor Is Too Expensive?
You might find it more economical (or just easier) to buy a new pair of jeans. With the wide variety of sizes, fits, silhouettes and denim types out there, all three experts seemed confident that there truly is a perfect fitting pair out there for everyone. “Jeans are so personal. I would say, think about what is important to you when you are looking for a new pair. Find a brand that embodies what you value and shares your commitment to uphold them consistently,” advises Barton. So, what’s the quickest way to track down a brand that’s likely to fit your body type, style or budget? Good old-fashioned Googling. Do a search for “the best jeans for tall women” or “jeans for women with athletic thighs.” Read any and all on-site reviews, especially those written by women of a similar height or weight (many websites now include that information alongside reviews).
You can also look at the models used. Khloé Kardashian's brand Good American is geared toward women with curvier lower halves, like Kardashian herself, which is reflected in the choice of models, to give equally curvy women a better idea of how the jeans might actually fit their frames. Unfortunately, shopping for jeans inevitably involves a lot of trial and error, but asking around, doing some research and putting in a little extra time could leave you with jeans that require no fit fixes at all.
