I must have the biggest butt ever. I am 5'6" and am down from 232 to 216. My 18s are falling off...well half of them are falling off and the other half are a tid bit tight. The 16s way too tight. So I mentioned this in another thread - and someone posted I should try 16W - well tonight I found an 18W in my closet - hidden way in the back - I tried them on - TOO TIGHT!!! I hate this! I swear my hips must be off the charts. I want some pants that fit - not falling off and not a smidge tight - I want some that fit! Grrrr, sorry that this is a semi-duplicate post since I did rant about it just a few days ago.
ETA: my hips measure 49" at the fullest part - waist 45. When I say "waist" I mean around my belly button - the fattest part of the torso.

It's not you, it's the clothing industry. No regulation and vanity sizing gone crazy. Plus different fabrics move differently around a body so even the same size from one company can vary.
We all go through "awkward" body phases. What's even more frustrating is when you get a pair of pants that fit like a dream and then they start to get baggy. You want to be happy, but your favorite pants don't fit!

I'm your height and I have 16s and 14s that fit and then some 16s and 14s that are too tight. And I still wear 1 of my 18 jeans. Sizing is useless.

Agreed. Buyer beware... It doesn't get better the smaller you get. My size 10's from old navy are nearly too big (I can wear an 8, zips up and everything... Just a little too muffin-y for public, lol) however, I just bought three pairs of jeans on clearance at aeropostale.... in a size 13/14. They fit perfectly, lol. Go figure.

Hahaha I still range from size 6 to size 12 when I go shopping. It's like the stores just create their own sizing and figure people will just have to deal with it.

It doesn't make sense.

My measurements are waist: 26 and hips: 36 but I fit in 6 and 12? I dunno!! I just come to accept it. It'll happen. lol

my waist is 37..., and my hips are 48. LOL ! I know how you feel =/

I've dropped about 33lbs but haven't been able to drop a pant size yet. 18s are way huge on my waist and I have a huge gap in the back and 16s will not make it past my hips. it's starting to really look stupid !

Sizing kills me, too. Different colors of the same brand and style fit differently. What's up with that?

I used to have a waist that was small in proportion to my hips when I was young. There weren't a million styles of jeans to chose from, either, so I had to improvise. This is what I do if jeans fit really nicely everywhere but the waist is too loose:

Cut 2 small vertical slits in the INSIDE ONLY of the waistband. I usually do this "under" the belt loops closest to the front, but you can do it wherever you want. Get some 3/4" wide elastic and run it through the slits inside the waistband. Pin one end temporarily. Adjust the fit and cut with a couple inches extra. While the one end is still pinned, poke the other cut end totally inside the waistband and stitch it down. I do this on the sewing machine because I NEVER tuck in my shirts and it won't show, but you can do it by hand - just be sure to go through all layers. Make sure it's secure and then do the same on the other end. You'll have to tack the openings closed, too. It really makes a waistband that's a little too big fit a lot better. My DD does this all the time, too. She's small and has a small waist but bigger hips. It works really well to ease the fullness over the whole distance of the waistband and doesn't look too bad if your shirt does come up and someone sees the waistband. It doesn't look like pull-on elastic waist pants.

Hope that helps someone.

Lin

Lin's advice looks AWESOME. Maybe one day I'll try that, if I get brave.

My comment is a little off-topic, but I can really relate to what you're saying. I have always had a disproportionately large backside. And Sir Mix-A-Lot has always been in my rotation, cuz my body will always be disproportionate like that. So, I'm embracing it. "Shake that healthy butt!"

My mom once told me it is because they stack the fabric and cut it all at once, which tends to make things slide and get cut differently. Which is why she always told me "if that pair doesn't fit, get a different one in the same size" lol. She could be wrong but it always made sense to me =)

I can fit into 10s, 12s, and 14s. Even a pair of my 14s are tight, it's pretty silly. I'm 5'6 and my hips are 42.5" with a 33.5" waist.

I have this problem too. The junk in my trunk makes the waist band pull oddly tight and I get this little bit of extra fabric bulge in the back of my jeans. I don't think it's my proportions really b/c numerically, measurements say I am hourglass shaped (isn't that the fashion ideal?) but apparently jean-maker models don't have butts to accomodate.

I have a size 17 pants that are more snug than my size 12's. And my size 12's fall off. It's so ridic.

I'm ALL butt. It sucks.

My measurements are:

bust: 41 inches
waist: 36 inches
rear: 53 inches

Yup. All butt. I can relate.

I have 16s that fall off, and another pair that looks like stretch pants, they are so tight.

It all depends on brand.

The super tight ones are Old Navy. I find that the best option (and cheapest option) are Lee's. They are comfy and actually fit curves (instead of sucking fast to them). I have a lot of butt, and these jeans stay comfy, even now when they are starting to fall off.

I was so discouraged by this in my teens, esp since I didn't seem to have friends or family with this issue. Thought I was a freak! Just a few years later I've learned to appreciate good tailoring and love my (comparatively) tiny waist. Still, there's some comfort in numbers and seeing that there's quite a few of us out there...

I understand the frustration. I have giant thighs and a large bum and have trouble finding clothes that fit me. I also have a 29" inseam and for some reason all clothes made for bigger gals also seem to have hems so long you either walk on them or have to get them taken in. That frustrates me, as I don't think I'm particularly short (for a woman). I'm 5'5". Men can buy their pants in different lengths, I wish women's had more options like that. When I was at my heaviest I was buying men's pants, just for that reason.