With things slowly going back to normal following the pandemic, wardrobes are going back to normal too. This means no more sweatpants and pajamas during the work or school week, but rather a more “professional” option: jeans. Women struggle to find jeans, but here are tips on how to find the perfect pair.
With many sizing options ranging from petite to plus and short to tall, it appears to be easier than ever to buy jeans. Stores market themselves as being inclusive to all bodies. But are they really as inclusive as they seem?
Many clothing manufacturers find it too difficult to make pants or jeans in plus sizes above 16. Ultimately, they don’t want to take the time to create a pattern that can fit women of these sizes because it can be a bit more challenging to get the fit right. This may include altering the design which many designers are not willing to do. Some clothing companies find it more expensive to create plus sizes, petite sizes and tall sizes.
Women struggle to find jeans
There are many problems surrounding buying jeans. These can ultimately turn people off from buying them. A major problem that people have is with leg length. Women that are taller can’t seem to find jeans that fit just right at the ankle. Shorter women have problems with finding jeans short enough to fit their legs and don’t drag on the ground. Many stores sell jeans in tall and short sizes to accommodate that. Many stores also carry plus sizes or petite for larger or smaller women. The real issue is though that these stores don’t carry plus short or tall sizes, or petite short or tall sizes. This makes it incredibly difficult for women to find that perfect fit.
With the average height of women in America being under 5’4, one would think all clothing lines would carry petite sizes or adjust the sizes of pants. But they don’t. According to Fashionista.com, “Straight-size clothing is typically designed for women of at least 5’5″.”
Stephanie Platko, theater teacher at Colonia High School, struggles to find her perfect pair of jeans due to her height just at 4’11. She stated that she often has to buy Capri jeans intended for summer, as they are the shortest she can find. Even then the jeans drag a bit on the ground or fit uncomfortably around her ankles.
Another problem is jeans being too wide in the waist and fitting perfectly on the leg region or vice versa. Many brands have curve lines meant for those with curvier bodies but even those jeans don’t seem to remedy the issue.
Hitting the mark
There are brands that exist that are very aware of womens’ struggles and try their hardest to accommodate them. One of the best brands is Good American founded by Khloe Kardashian. The jeans are a bit expensive. However, they range from sizes 00-26 and have a range of fits including petite, cropped, flare, and long inseam. They refrain from using the term ‘plus’ yet carry larger sizes. This makes women feel less ashamed about buying their clothes.
Another good brand is American Eagle. It’s much more affordable than Good American and still comes in sizes ranging from 00-24. Lengthwise, they carry short, regular, and tall. Yet again, American Eagle doesn’t use the term ‘plus’ in its branding, as it’s trying to promote body positivity.
Old Navy is a very affordable option and carries sizes 0-30. However, they only carry petite and tall sizes 0-18. This doesn’t seem very inclusive to those of larger sizes. Mrs. Danielle Allen, English Teacher, explained, “Being that I’m five foot tall, I was excited when I saw the Old Navy commercial saying they have women’s jeans for all sizes. My excitement plummeted when I went on to their website and saw that the size inclusivity only applies to average length pants. Once again little people have been forgotten by designers.”
Platko prefers wearing cropped jeans from Target, but even those don’t seem to fit her right. Target sells jeans in sizes 0-30 as well, but also only goes up to a size 18 in petite and long pants. This begs the question, why aren’t most clothing manufacturers making pants in larger sizes to short and tall people?
Perhaps stores and designers need to take a route similar to mens’ jeans which are length and waist size rather than base number sizes to accommodate the women struggle to find jeans. If something doesn’t change soon, people might revert back to the sweatpants and pajama pants they wore during the days of the pandemic.
