Curvy Lady Mustachians -- professional pants recommendations?

[Urchina]

Hi there! I have a clothing quandary I need help with. I'm looking for brands / cuts of professional pants that work well for those with curvy figures (my waist size is 2 sizes smaller than my hip size). I'm also tall (33" inseam), to add more fun to the mix.

Banana Republic used to have the Jackson fit -- they seem to be phasing those out.

Eddie Bauer has the Curvy cut -- those are expensive, and I haven't been delighted with the colorfastness on the materials they use.

Jeans are not a problem -- I can get great Levi's at a reasonable price through Amazon -- but would love some recommendations on great pants for work.

Machine washable is a plus, since I hate spending money for dry cleaning.

Any ideas?

[MandyM]

There was a thread a month or so ago about good work pants. Express was one of the overwhelming winners. I'm a huge fan of Express Editor pants, although they are pricey (the more basic colors like black and gray are cheaper than the others). They definitely last - after 4-5 years of nearly daily use they still look good. I'm not sure if they would work with your figure - I'm short so I have no idea if if their tall version is long enough for you.

Another option that I recently found and love are maternity pants. You can find them in good condition in consignment stores. Again, not sure if they will work for you, but I tend to need a bigger size at the waist and then they look too bulky at the leg. I have a pair from the Gap that I love.

[Melissa]

I have the same problem as well with a smaller waist and round, full hips. I'm not as tall as you are though so I'm no sure this helps Curvy fit from Talbots is excellent. They are expensive but they are holding up well. The are side zip though so no pockets if that's important to you. I think I bought all the colors they had....khaki, brown black, olive.

[ysette9]

Personally I like Ann Taylor curvy fit pants. I used to wear the Banana Jackson as well and find them similar, though of course you'll want to try them on to be sure.

[DebtFreeBy25]

This is also my life (minus the tall part). My natural waist is typically a US 2-4, and my hips are a solid 8, sometimes even a 10. (I also have significant curves on top to add to the challenge.) It's usually much easier for me to wear A-line skirts and dresses than to do battle with pants.

Seconding Ann Taylor curvy fit slacks. I also recommend the curvy fit INC pants from Mac'ys. Pants with some Lycra/Spandex are going to be your friend. White House Black Market also makes nice curvy fit slacks, and they run a bit long most of the time. (I wear a 31" inseam, and they're almost always significantly long on me.) For WHBM, shop the sale section and try to use a $20 off $80 coupon code, check eBay/poshmark/ThreadUp or visit an outlet store. Their regular prices are pretty facepunch worthy.

[Elliot]

Look into curvy fit Worthington trousers from JC Penney. $20 on sale.

[Urchina]

Thank you all for the recommendations! One of the big challenges of where we live is that even though I live in a town often associated with posh shopping, there's actually not that many shopping options, and I'm loathe to drive an hour-plus to better shopping. So I really don't have many opportunities to try different clothing brands. And because my body type doesn't fit the "style" associated with SoCal, I'm even more limited (tall sizes are nearly nonexistent here, believe it or not).

We do have a Talbot's and a WHBM, so I'll start there.

JC Penney, Express and Ann Taylor are all an hour away, so maybe the next time I'm up for a big shopping run, I'll try them.

Thanks again (and, if there are more out there -- definitely keep them coming!)

[LeRainDrop]

I also have the "curvy" shape, and Express Studio Stretch Wide Waistband Editor Pants are my favorites.  But really, I think any style of Express Editor Pants would be great.  The quality is certainly excellent, and I have a few pairs that have lasted me several years of regular use.

[Elliot]

Tall sizes are hard to find almost everywhere in my experience. That's why I buy clothes almost exclusively online these days.

[MMMaybe]

I have a different issue. My hips are pretty flat so I have a hard time buying pants that fit.

I would recommend getting pants altered so they fit you better. Buy something that fits on the hips and have them take in the waist. I also find having the pants looking more tailored, makes me look slimmer, which is always a win :)

[Giro]

I second the altering comment.  I just bought 10 pairs of dress pants (Dana Buchman) on clearance from Kohls for $10 each.  I ordered size 2 Tall.  They are large in the waist, but fit me in the thighs.  I have large thighs from working out. 

I had them all altered to fit me beautifully in the waist now.  I paid $5 per pair because I had 10 pairs and they were the same alteration.  15 bucks a pop...I'll take that ALL day. 

[lizzzi]

J.C. Penney curvy fit Worthingtons and the Macy's INC curvy fit pants tend to be sold out in the stores and even online. They seem to be very popular. It's probably best to try to order online instead of dragging yourself to the store and not being able to find them.

[Parizade]

I also wore JC Penney Worthington pants/skirts/jackets when I worked in the office. Just can't beat their prices for tall women's clothing. I can't even sew pants as cheaply as I can buy them at JC Penney.

I compared my Worthington pants to a pair at Long Tall Sally once, the quality was very similar but of course Long Tall Sally was charging over $100/pair.

And  I always bought them online to be delivered to my house.

[Urchina]

Thank you again, all, for the great recommendations. Elliot, what online retailers do you use?

One of my co-workers swears by the Liz Clairborne pants at JC Penney; I'll add them to the list for those of us looking for curvy pants in the future...

[thedayisbrave]

I have a few pairs from Banana Republic (for the fancier business casual occasions) and then just regular black pants from Stein Mart for the occasions I want to look nice but not necessarily fancy :)

Otherwise, I've had decent luck finding pants (khakis, nice jeans) at Goodwill.  YMMV.

[Elliot]

Thank you again, all, for the great recommendations. Elliot, what online retailers do you use?

One of my co-workers swears by the Liz Clairborne pants at JC Penney; I'll add them to the list for those of us looking for curvy pants in the future...

JC Penney website for those pants. I also like boden. Once you know what you like from those places, you can stalk eBay for deals.