I buy clothes at consignment shops and thrift stores and send them to the thrift shop when they become too large. That way, I have things that fit and a small bill for the clothes.

The style I wear is called The Flirt and is "straight through the hip and thigh" and sits just below the waist. This is the only style that fits me correctly. My measurement at my bellybutton, just below my bellybutton, around my hips, and around my butt (biggest part) are all the same within an 1 inch range. Those pants fit as close to perfect as I can get with a jelly belly. If that isn't a straight cut, I don't know what is.

I thought you were referring to the leg. Jeans are separated by their leg cut (style), fit through the thigh, and the waist height. Some stores also measure the waist circumference.

The flirt sits just below the waist and is straight through the thigh. I wear these as well, but they're still too big. If I went to the diva (slimmer through the thigh) the waist would be too low for me. (Since I'm tall if my shirts aren't long enough my butt shows.)

I don't have a real continuous stomach. I have like a pooch that sits below my waist which is what I have to try and fit since it's bigger than my waist.

I've tried the flirt and the diva at Old Navy - more than one per size - and it's still driving me nuts...I think they are made for people taller than 6'. The jeans are LOOOONG....and I bought the "short" --- anyway - right now I've got the flirt in an 18 - still way too big - but guess I'll have to deal with it until the 16 will fit. I would like to try Gap - but the Old Navy is much much closer to our neighborhood. When I've looked at thrift stores I don't see much in my size. Glad to know others have had a problem with this size and also with Old Navy and that I'm not the only one

I think that New York and Company makes their clothes a little smaller or with less spandex so the 18 would fit like a 17. I also remember years ago Walmart carried size 17 jeans for really cheap. I'm sure you'll be in another size soon so I understand the lack of motivation to invest in a larger size you will not need later.

I'm in the same boat!! It's sooo frustrating!

Honestly, my mentality is that this is all transitional. I'm a work in progress and I'm not so concerned with how things fit or work right now as I am in how they will fit in three months. I look frumpy every day at work because my pants are falling off and loose...but I'd rather be able to invest more money in smaller pants later than wasting it on big pants now!!

Old Navy is nuts and I see I'm not the only one who has problems with the stretching! Omg! Their shirts drive me crazy...they look so bad by the end of the day!

In transition I buy at Ross or TJ Maxx. Usually that is even cheaper than goodwill here although I will peruse goodwill for gap jeans which fit me way better than ON.

And I usually have 2 sizes at any given size, the too tight ones can only be worn if I am going to be in the house for awhile before going out and they have a chance to stretch. The too loose ones can only be worn 1 day before they have to be washed and reshrunk. I hate stretch denim.

And I have seen very little size consistancy. At my heaviest I went to target and depending on the jean there were some 20's some 18's and one 14 that fit. Which one do you think I bought?

OND is hilarious to me a few years back (at my thinnest) when they had 4-5 different rises I went in. I have no real waist and small hips. My proper size changed with rise. ultra low rise was a 2, at the waist was a 8. JBW was an 6 and low rise was a 4