Back to school time means jean shopping time! Unfortunately, jean shopping time in my house is akin to Chinese water torture. My son rarely has problems finding jeans – he tries a few pairs on, he’s in, he’s out. Done!
My daughter?
Not so much…
She’s in that awkward stage right now where kids’ jeans just don’t cut it anymore, and women’s or juniors’ sizes are still a bit big. Needless to say, finding jeans that fit my daughter sometimes seems like the quest for the Holy Grail or the Lost City of Atlantis. And the stress? I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy!
Ordering special jeans is out of the question and out of my budget, so I have found a few secrets to finding jeans that fit her in the past several months. It’s taken lots of time, patience, frustration, and even a few tears, but we have finally managed to get her a few pairs of good fitting jeans school jeans.
If you’re having trouble finding jeans that fit your daughter, hopefully these tips will help you as well…
1. Don’t Take Sizes to Heart
This is probably the best tip I can give anyone trying to find jeans that fit, whether for themselves or for someone else. Guys have it easy when it comes to sizes in jeans – they have to know their waste size and their inseam. Women, on the other hand, are lucky enough to have numbered sizes. Apparently, somewhere along the way, clothing manufacturers have also decided that a standard sizing chart for women’s jeans is just completely out of the question. So, even if you wear a size 5 in one brand of jeans, doesn’t mean you’ll wear a size five in another brand. You might wear a 3 or a 9.
2. Try on Every Pair
I can’t stress this enough – if you’re trying to find jeans that fit your daughter, make sure she tries on every pair. Yes – EVERY pair. This is the part my little girl hates, but it’s a necessary evil when looking for jeans that fit. Make sure that the waist isn’t too tight or loose and the legs are the right length. Have your daughter squat down and sit in a chair as well. This will help you determine not only if they are comfortable, but also if a particular pair of jeans will be playing peek-a-boo butt crack.
3. Test Different Styles
As with sizes, styles of jeans can also vary from brand to brand, although not usually as much. Boot cut jeans of a certain brand may fit your daughter great, but another brand’s skinny jeans may fit better in another brand. Depending on your daughter’s shape and size, certain styles and cuts will also look better than others. Skinny jeans just don’t look right on my daughter, for instance, but slightly flared jeans and boot cut jeans work well and balance out her wider hips. However, I was shocked to see that one particular pair of skinny jeans looked smashing on her during our four hour shopping trip. Have your daughter try on a few different styles when shopping, even if you don’t think they’ll look right. You might be surprised.
4. Pay Attention to the Inseam Size
It can be super frustrating to find a pair of jeans that fit in the waist and legs but are way too long or short! The solution? Look for additional length sizes. You can usually find sizes like 7 Short or 8 Long. These might also be abbreviated S or L. Petite sizes are also a little shorter, and they’re also more flattering on smaller frames.
5. Shop at a Few Different Stores
You can’t have enough options when trying to find jeans that fit your daughter, especially if she’s as hard to fit as my daughter! To solve this problem, we usually set aside a few hours just to try on an shop for jeans at several different stores. We typically hit all different types of stores, from Kmart to Kohls to Goodwill. Different stores carry different brands, which all fit – well, differently. Thrift stores like Goodwill carry all sorts of different brands.
6. Move Out of the Little Girl Section
I know it’s hard, but it just might be time. Time for you to realize that your little girl isn’t so little anymore – at least when it comes to finding jeans that fit. If the little girl sizes are just too small anymore, maybe it’s time to have her try on junior or misses sizes.
7. Buy in Bulk
When you finally find a pair of jeans that fit your daughter, buy several pairs. That’s it. Nothing much to explain about that. You can always add embellishments, like patches, studs, or stencils to snazz them up a bit and make them unique.
8. Learn to Hem Jeans
When all else fails, you may just need to pull out the ol’ sewing machines. Hemming jeans is sometimes one of the best options for jeans that fit. You can even try your hand at hemming jeans and keeping the original hem, so they don’t look so DIY. (Here’s a nice simple tutorial.) Make sure you practice on a junk pair of jeans first, though, before you go cutting and sewing your daughter’s brand new jeans!
