My trouble is that I'm tall. Not overall - I'm only 5'7"-5'8" - but ALL of that height is in my legs. I can stand next to my dad, who's six foot even, and our hips are at the same height. I just have no torso. And it is SO hard to find "long" jeans at most stores! Walmart has them, and Lane Bryant has them, and via catalogue I can get them from Newport News, but that's it.
I hate jeans. Why must they be so perfect as a wardrobe staple, and yet so hard to find the perfect ones?
I'm going to have to go to an Old Navy with plus size (they don't all have them). Currently I've been buying jeans at Wal-Mart. I'm an inch or two too tall for most "average" length jeans. Wal-Mart actually has women's talls! Finding plus sized talls at an affordable price that fit is a nightmare. My waist is too small for my hips. It used to be worse, but my waist has gotten a bit bigger. I know that once I start to lose again I'll be back to my old problems.
Belts never worked for me. When I sat down, the belt would stay in place, but the pants would still pull down, so I'd end up with one EXTREMELY strained belt loop in the back. At the moment, I just wear shirts long enough to hide anything that might stick out if my pants slide down too far. Jeans with a little stretch in them work better for me.
I started interviewing for jobs last year, and suits are even worse. I was lucky enough to find some that were sold as separates, but the jacket still gives me a problem. My bust fits into 14/16 - my hips are 22... so I have to buy jackets in 22 and my bust is swimming in them. And the arms are never long enough.
Winter coats are an ordeal too. Just try finding a plus sized TALL women's coat. Argh. On the bright side, the Columbia brand women's plus size fits me pretty well, and I'm waiting for winter coats to be in season so I can go get one.
I have always had this problem - this is the shape that I am. Even if (when) I get down to my goal weight, I will still be smaller on top and bigger on bottom.
And women's size 12W shoes? Hah! I did hear someone on one of these boards say their feet shrunk when they lost weight. Please oh please oh please!
When flare jeans were first coming in, I tried some on at Lane Bryant, and I had the same problem with the knees. They were SO tight. I haven't tried on any jeans there in a couple of years, so maybe they updated them a little.
I don't think I own a single piece of clothing that looks good on me.
kitty - my feet shrunk! I used to be a size 11WW, now I'm a size 9.5/10W. It does happen.
I hadn't thought about Old Navy, particularly because I thought their quality wasn't so good? and I like pants to last. I may have to try them out. It does look like there are that aren't too far from me that have plus sizes.
I have the problem of jeans not fitting properly in the knees! My solution is flared jeans, they seem to be looser in the knee area. Infact, I know the exact brand! Long and Lean flared low rise from The Gap. They seem to be my solution for everything these days, normally their shirts are long enough for me ( I have a LONG torso!). They also make longer lengths in their pants.
I went shopping in Seattle for some black work pants, I needed longer length ultra low rise (just so they don't come up to my boobs). I couldn't find a single thing, and at the time I was an 18-20. It was SO fricking frustrating!!! I finally got a pair from Old Navy, they were an odd fit though. Meanwhile here in Canada we have a brand called MXM, it's sold at a couple plus size stores. They do everything trendy, from thongs, to any latest trend, to low rise jeans, to low rise dress pants. They also sell a basic v-neck slightly stretch t-shirt. I'm just sad that I'm not going to fit in their clothes anymore
PS - talk about being a weird size, I don't really fit into plus clothes, and definitely not fully into "regular" sizes yet. Thank goodness I get to wear a uniform at work... no more trying to shop for clothes to wear to work anymore.
And women's size 12W shoes? Hah! I did hear someone on one of these boards say their feet shrunk when they lost weight. Please oh please oh please!
I've been secretly praying for this, too! 12W is an awful size to fit. NO normal stores sell them, and it's slim pickins at DSW or other shoe stores (except Payless!). And when they do sell them, they either only manufacture old-lady styles, or all the cute shoes sell out before I get to the store. *sigh*
Try Eddie Bauer. I was in the same jeans/pants nightmare as you until they started making "shaped fit" and "Blakely fit" pants this year. The waist is one size smaller than the hips/thighs. FINALLY, a perfect fit!
For those with wide feet, have you tried Cloudwalkers from The Avenue? I'm "only" an 8W, but I still usually get all my dress shoes from them. They're actually WIDE and not that pretend wide that some places have. LOL And, they have a WW section. And I know that at least some of their shoes go up to a 12WW.
Back to my jeans issue. Well, I bought the pair at Wal-Mart. They were the right length, at least. They're a tiny bit too tight, but hopefully they'll be loose in a month or so. Oh, the rise is too high, so I have to tuck the button under and just use the zipper, but that'll do for $16.
Oh I can totally relate! I just went out to buy jeans 2 weeks ago, and NOTHING fit properly.. I mean I wasn't really much of a clothes shopper before I lost weight, in fact I have always detested it...but it was so frustrating...and I'm petite, so it's even harder to find clothes....It almost gets too frustrating that I say "Why bother!"
I look at my body and feel like I define "thunder thighs." I'm getting smaller, but still, each of my thighs is 26.5" at its largest. That's more like what I'd like my waist to be...
It makes it so frustrating to get pants. I look at me in jeans. Even if they fit me, my legs just look roly-poly still.
I guess I just need to keep on losing so that my thighs don't always stick out further than my hips.
I used to hate buying jeans. Women's jeans were always too tight for my liking. I can't do low rise because I would get muffin top. They'd also feel like they were cutting into my waist when I was seated... I have wide hips, thighs, and a round butt. I certainly didn't want clothes to accent that. I notice that while I wanted to take my jeans off as soon as I got home from an outting, my husband could wear his indefinitely. In the end of it all, I buy men's levi's 32/32 or 30/32 depending on fit. I'm much happier this way. Women's dress pants are still an issue, but that's why I wear skirts.
I have the same problem with pants... huge elephant legs and baggy butt. Here is one hint for khakis, jeans, etc... for these particular problems, try men's. They are made a lot narrower in the butt and thighs.
Christine I have exactly the opposite problem as you... I mean I do like having skinny thighs and not much butt... but all the PANTS I can find anywhere DO have thunder thighs and mega butt.
Low rise causing "muffin top"? I find that to be totally opposite. I can buy a size 7 or 8 in low rise jeans and my muffin top goes away. But when I try on the regular waisted jeans, the waist is so tight it seems to cause a "muffin top". It truly shows the frustration that we women go through because we are all shaped so differently. My husband can go to the store and just pick his normal size knowing they will fit. Its so unfair.
Ohhh, men have no idea what we go through looking for just a simple pair of jeans. It's anything but simple!!
My waist has always been much smaller than my hips, so when I was a regular size I pretty much stuck to Lee jeans as they were cut the same as my shape. I'm not back there yet, but I have a new problem! I'm losing in my butt/hips/thighs, but my waist is staying about the same at the moment. Ok, I guess it's getting smaller too, but not at the same rate, so to fit my waist, everything else is way too big! Argh!
Tamil, I'm the same as you with the jeans. Low rise doesn't cause me near as much trouble with "muffin top" as if I buy higher waisted jeans. I don't like the super low-cut, I just don't have the hips to keep them up and I don't like wearing a belt all the time. My favorite jeans now came from American Eagle and I bought 2 pr. My only problem now is my DD loves them too and wears mine sometimes.
When shopping for my DH for jeans, it's no problem. I can walk in any store and get a 32 x 34 and he gets a perfect fit everytime. I used to love wearing men's Levis and want to try some again sometime.
It's so unfair. There are only a couple of stores that size women's jeans by MEASUREMENTS instead of these strange made up numbers. 18? 18 what? Certainly not inches... nor centimeters... As far as I know, there are NO stores that sell plus size by inches.
My fiance has it SO easy, even though he's tall. He can just look at the numbers and take the pants home without trying them on.
Oh, the rise is too high, so I have to tuck the button under and just use the zipper, but that'll do for $16. 
