Hey guys,

So yesterday I attempted, for the second time, to buy some guys' jeans that would actually fit me. It was pretty crowded in the store so I didn't try them on, just bought the smallest size they had (29 x 30) and left. Well, the length was almost perfect, it was about an inch or two longer than what I usually wear, but there was no way in hell my hips were going to fit in those jeans, no matter how low I wore them. Damn those hips!

I'm not really sure which number for men's jeans sizes is for the length and which is for the waist, anyone know? Also,  I'm 5' 6", and I usually wear a women's size 8 for jeans, does anyone have any suggestions of what size I might be for men's jeans?

The first number is always waist size. And as with women's clothes, one shop's 30" is another shop's 28". No substitute for trying them on.

Ok, thanks

first number is waist and second is length...at a size 8, I would GUESS you are probably looking at needing either a 33 or 34 waist to be sure about getting the hip issue squared away, both of which sizes can generally be found with the 30" length.

The one advantage you will be gaining is the major manufacturers tend to give a boatload of options to the guys...I'm stuck with having to TRY and find a store that carries a LONG in my size (even the Levi's outlet has gotten away from having a big selection in the LONG, but at least Bass seems to have lengthened their REGULAR).  When I was working retail and could still rock the juniors sizes, I always squirreled away the longs in my size when we got them in...   

Yeah that sounds about right. I'll try that, thanks

Have you tried shopping online for clothes? It's a bit of a gamble at first but there's (usually) the option to return them. You might be able to find a specialty shop that has more of a variety of pants for tall women.

I seem to be pretty much the same size as you, I wear a size 36/32 slim fit. It's kinda loose in the waist but it helps to hide my full figured hips/butt/thighs. And slim fit because or else the legs are really baggy because of the large waist size and it looks silly on my because my legs aren't that big. But basically it's gonna be trial and error to see what works best for you. Good luck!

Yeah I definitely don't want my hips/butt/thighs to be accentuated, so I'll try a looser fit for that.

Quote from: quinn on July 03, 2011, 02:10:20 PM
Yeah that sounds about right. I'll try that, thanks

Have you tried shopping online for clothes? It's a bit of a gamble at first but there's (usually) the option to return them. You might be able to find a specialty shop that has more of a variety of pants for tall women.

online shopping is just such a pain for me...I'm usually able to find stuff at Last Call or the mall if I really HAVE to have something.  One advantage to my current caseload is that I spend a lot of time in the office and can just get away with jeans on almost a daily basis...and so I have been able to snag my Levis 550's as I needed them.

Being basic or boring in my fashion sense makes life a lot simpler for me   Even back in the days where I had to build a wardrobe (close to 30 years ago), I never did massive shopping sprees...

I think I'm about the same size in women's pants as you and I wear a 32x30

Quote from: Ann Onymous on July 03, 2011, 02:00:51 PM
first number is waist and second is length...at a size 8, I would GUESS you are probably looking at needing either a 33 or 34 waist to be sure about getting the hip issue squared away,

Maybe, but the 'fit' is easily as important as the waist size.   I think I'm between a size 4-6 in women's jeans (it's been awhile), and while men's size 30 jeans are large on me in a relaxed or loose fit, a slim fit is fairly snug (Levi's slim straight 514's) in a 30, and forget the skinny jeans in a 30, I'd need a 32 at least.  Not that I'd wear those anyways until my thighs lose the curves, but my point is that the waist sizes are mostly meaningless between fits/styles, especially if you have hips.

Dressing rooms suck Quinn, I agree, but unless you want to take measurements and compare them against a manufacturer's (still not always accurate due to certain fabrics shrinking more than others during dyeing, ect), you'll probably end up buying more jeans you can't wear.    My advice is to buy a loser fit, they have more give in the hips.  At a size 8 in women's, a 30x30 in a relaxed or loose fit (I'm thinking of Levi's, mostly) would probably fit, but I'd try different fits in that size and hit a dressing room on a Sunday or weekday morning, they tend to be empty then.  31's are hard to find except in nicer department stores and places like Hollister, American Eagle, ect, but if you experience a problem with 30's being too big and 32's being to large, it's an option.

I feel your pain though.  When I bought a suit for a friend's wedding last year, I guessed on the pants because it was just too awkward in a crowded mall.  The pants were, ironically enough, a 29X30, and they were a bit tight then, but fit better now that I'm picking up muscle and losing fat...and have nowhere to wear them. XD

Ann Onymous:

My job is casual-dress too, which is nice. When I come out at work, I'll most likely ask to work from home, and then it would be so casual I could get away with wearing nothing but boxers 

Fashion has always been easy for me, mostly because I tend to wear a lot of black. Matching colors doesn't get easier when it's all the same thing. Occasionally I wear all white just to confuse the hell out of all my friends  Shopping sprees would be fun if I knew exactly what size I was for everything, and if I was rich. But until then, I'm sticking with buying one thing at a time 

skakid:

Really? When I tried on the 29x30 jeans, there was like a four-inch gap where there was no way I could button them up. I think I'd better go with at least a 34x30 so they're not too tight.

Bahzi:

Yeah, I've tried taking my measurements before and I don't know what I did wrong, but I ended up being waayyyy off. I'll probably continue this ridiculous guess-and-return method til I get it right, I feel rather awkward going to a dressing room (whether men's or women's) when I'm binding and wearing all men's clothes except my stupid girl jeans. And dressing as a girl, and buying men's jeans, would probably just as awkward for me, if not more so. If I had just one pair of men's jeans that even sort of fit me, I would totally have the confidence to go to a dressing room even though my voice is still ridiculously high (I'll be two weeks on T on Monday).

Quinn,

I found this websize for waist sizes in jeans form women's to men's. Hope it helps.

http://www.jeanshub.com/SizeChart-MensWomensConversion.aspx

Troy

if you don't want to try the pants on before buying, you could try the waist fit around your neck. a tip i got from a friend once, just button them, put your thumbs in the sides, then put your thumbs together behind your neck with the pants' waist around it. if it feels a little tight chances are you won't get your hips in them. best idea would be to try this with what pants you have that fit, so you know what it should feel like around your neck before you go shopping

My advice would be to try jeans on in each shop, cos I think they all design with a specific body shape in mind. Get to know the shop that best suits your shape as well as your style.  Also, try jeans in different fits (slouch, bootcut, skinny etc) and see what fits you best.  Then once you find some that fit, buy two pairs if you can afford it!

Quote from: quinn on July 03, 2011, 02:45:43 PM
skakid:

Really? When I tried on the 29x30 jeans, there was like a four-inch gap where there was no way I could button them up. I think I'd better go with at least a 34x30 so they're not too tight.

Wow, that is weird. All my pants have a 32" waist and most of them are kind of baggy. That's another reason why I've always liked men's pants better, in women's sizes I'm kind of big, but in men's sizes I'm on the smaller side.

Many places use...forgot the name but it's like size flattery. For example, in Old Navy a men's 36 waist is actually 40 inches.

Many brands use vanity sizes.
That means that they are sometimes tagged as 32" waist, but are actually 34" or will stretch up to that.
I'd suggest just measuring your waist and hips, then looking at websites who have measurements of the jeans online. Forget the strange woman sizing lol. Most sites I use use the same sizing for women and men, with inches, though the fits are different making them somewhat smaller.

Fits..
Straight jeans are usually true to size too.
Slim-straight are usually true to size. 28" will really be 28". They are usually straight with a sliiightly smaller leg opening.
Tapered jeans have a smaller leg-opening, the legs go smaller from the knees and down These are usually slim or straight.
Skinnys are usually an inch tighter.
Baggy jeans are bigger than their tagged size. Very wide and doesn't really look good on anyone.

Check out Levi's shrink-to-fit and dry/raw jeans too. They usually have long and large sizes which you can adjust to fit you.
Dry and raw jeans are ones that aren't pre-washed and get special fade and colour contrasts as you wear them. They also stretch a lot, some even stretching up to 2"! And some brands make all their jeans with any waist with 39 inch inseam. Nudie Jeans are the cheapest.

The internet is for men with a fashion sense.
Real life is for men with no fashion sense or women with or without a fashion sense.

C'est la vie!

And generally, with pants, trying on is a must, to at least first find your general size, but then every brand differs it seems.  I have 2 30x30, one is fairly large legged and loose, the other is fairly form fitting. My favorite brand is Converse, but yours may vary since you seem to desire hiding a part of yourself, you may actually prefer something looser. It can be a bit confusing at first, jeans are.

I hate living in Texas.  Everywhere I go, BOOT CUT!

I AM NOT A RED NECK!

One curious point here are BLACK Levis. They could fit your bill in a 34 waist 30 length?

In boy-mode they gotten just way to tight in the waist. Now I'm back to 73kg, am 5' 6 1/2".

The BLACK Levise waist fits practically like a BLUE Levis 32' but there is more allowance for thigh and hips (unfortunately not filling them - yet, ->-bleeped-<-e :-)

I'm talking about Levis 501 here. You can give 508 (stretchy material) a try, I fit a 32" pretty well but I'd guess you'd more look for a 34", they are "stovies" then just do up the waist with a belt till you get a bit more boy-tummy :-)
Have fun,
Axelle

What *brand's* size 8?  An 8 at many places can be an Old Navy 6 and an A&F 4, except when it's *also* an Old Navy 2 and 8.

I'd say 30x30 in American Eagle or Hollister, with no other information, because for some bizarre reason the size difference between a 29 and a 30 can be huge, but beware than khakis at Hollister may fit much smaller than jeans and I have absolutely no idea why.  If you've got long legs relative to your torso, maybe try a 32 - it depends on where you've been buying your jeans if you *think* you have long legs or not, because some places seem to expect every woman to have a 28" waist at 6'4" and size everything down proportionately, try just measuring your inseam.

I have mostly 8s, a few 6s, with the odd 4 and 10, and mostly 30x30 but some 28 and 29s (cargo pants) and some 30x32 jeans.  Think I've got a 31 waist in there somewhere, too.

You may have been used to not wearing belts with women's jeans because your hips will do the job holding them up.  Even if you still have the hips, the pants are cut differently, and will not be able to find said hips to be held up unless you tell them where you put them, and you're going to need the belt unless you'd like everyone to see your boxers.  So, get some belts.