Follow up: Right Fit Jeans

I've gotten many comments on my first post about Lane Bryant's Right Fit jeans. Most of the comments are very positive but there seems to be a few people who aren't so pleased. I want to address some of the things that are coming up in regards to the new jeans.

First, let me say that I alway appreciate comments - they let me know I'm not just typing to myself here. And it's good to share our experiences so that other people can be armed with knowledge. I rarely buy much of anything anymore without doing at least a little bit of research. That's part of why I write this blog - I want to help people make informed choices when shopping for clothes.

Having said that, I want to reiterate something I said in my post:

Of course, just because these are the perfect jeans for me, they might not be the perfect jeans for you. But if you have trouble finding jeans (and who doesn't?) it's certainly worth a trip to the mall to check them out.

I think it's important to keep in mind that just because something works for one person, that doesn't guarantee that it'll work for someone else. I know it sucks, I'm sorry. I didn't say they'd work for every single person who put them on, I just said that they work very well for me and that they were worth a try. If you're absolutely disgusted with the new jeans, that's an issue better taken to the people who actually work for Lane Bryant.

In regards to the new sizing system, which some people love and some people hate, my feeling is that sizing is arbitrary anyway. Really, it's completely up to the manufacturer to decide how their size 20 fits. It's not standardized ever, anywhere. I really don't care about the sizing system LB uses if the jeans themselves are logical and the Right Fit system IS logical to me.

I don't believe that being a size 5 in the Right Fit jeans makes me any smaller than I actually am. I'm not that delusional. Really, I think they just wanted everything about the new jeans to be different and that included the sizing. It's hard to think of yourself as a particular shape if you're holding onto the old number. Get over it a little.

Then there's the issue of Lane Bryant sales associates not knowing how to fit people for these new jeans. Well, for one, these are brand new jeans with a brand new sizing system. There's going to be some trial and error for the sales team, just like there's trial and error for the customer. If you spend an hour trying jeans on and end up with a pair of jeans you love, then it's worth it.

I worked at two different Lane Bryant locations and I was trained to do bra fittings at both stores. Not once did I ever measure someone and pick out a bra that worked perfectly on the first try. Just because your body is a certain size on a measuring tape does not mean that certain size is going to be the right fit. Some boobs are round, some are wide, some are flat - and all those boobs might be the same size. It takes work to find the right bra.The same is true of jeans. Some people like their jeans fitted, some like them more relaxed. Some people like them to hit right at the top of the foot, some like them to drag on the floor.

In other words - try to be patient and cut the sales associates some slack. If they're being flat out unhelpful, then ask to be helped by someone else or to talk to their manager. When I went in to try on the new jeans, the sales associate looked at me and told me to try on the Blue bootcuts. Why? Because I'm very pear shaped, you can tell that I have a high waist/hip ratio. Not everyone is so obviously a particular shape. Be patient and open minded, you might be rewarded with an awesome pair of jeans.

I have two thoughts about the new jeans:

1. Just give them a fair shot. If they don't work out, it's okay. There are other places to buy jeans. And if you had a love affair with the old LB jeans, then you're probably a Red in the new ones anyway.

2. At least Lane Bryant is doing something that acknowledges that women are all shaped differently. They were the first plus size retailer, that I know of, to start carrying bootcut jeans way back in the 90s. Now they're the first plus size retailer to have different cuts for different body shapes. Let's at least recognize that they're doing innovative things for plus size women.

Comments

[joan]

I'm going to the mall Thursday to try the right fits. From reading other posts about them, I've heard most people say to go down a size or two from what they actually measure you at. From reading on the LB website, I should be a 5, but I figure the 3's or 4's will probably be more my actual size. Are the right fits all a boot cut style? I really don't like boot cut. I've been on a quest for a pair of wide leg jeans that aren't too wide, but more or less just the same width from top to bottom, for years. Anyway, I'm still optimistic about the right fit jeans.

[Jillybean]

That was exactly what I was saying!! Except, I say, "Get over it, and grow up!" ;) When I went in, I went with my boyfriend. His comments were, "I've never seen sales associates SO helpful before. I wish it was that easy for guys to get help."

Kinda true eh? When we go shopping, I'm like the sales associate FOR HIM... but in LB, they are so nice, helpful and do their job pretty darn well.

[a.]

I was hoping you'd do a post on this!

there's a lot to like about the new right fits. My only criticisms- and these are meant to be constructive, because i do give props to the LB for trying- is that I wish they came in more leg/finish options, and that the rise is still a teensy bit too high for my liking.

I figured out I'm a blue 7, but the blue bootcuts are too highwaisted for me- I don't love low-riding jeans but this are approaching my armpits. the flares fit well but.... I don't really want flares. I just want a lower waist, which only the flares offer. maybe more choices will come if the line is successful.

I compared the blue right fits to my beloved Sevens in the store, and they're very smiliar in cut, except one thing-- the distance between the end of the fly and the crotch seam is several inches longer. and this is, i'm pretty sure, why LB jeans have always given me, well, a bit of a package in the crotchal region. does anyone else have this happening?

i've also heard people say the denim smells funny, ad I have to say I did notice a different kind of smell in the fitting room.

speaking of sevens- has anyone tried the avenue sevens? I wonder if they're the same or if they have that.... you know, that kinda depressing avenue quality. I'd love to see the avenue kick some jeans ass (and carry sevens in my size).

[joan]

That's the one thing I've always hated about Lane Bryant jeans or really most plus sized jeans for that matter, the dreaded "package" in the crotch area. I've never ever understood why most plus size jeans have that extra length between the fly and the crotch seam. I think it's strange for Lane Bryant, because they're pants like the Houston trouser seem to fit just fine in that area, but it's just their jeans that are all funky, imo. Anyway, I'm disappointed to hear that the right fit has that same problem. I was hoping they finally got a clue. Well, I'll find out tomorrow, as I'm planning to go and get fitted for the right fits tomorrow.

[Merl]

I tried on the new jeans and immediately fell in love with them. I personally like the length. They seemed to have changed over the old LB jeans. I used to have to wear a average length because the petites were a little on the short side but with the average I always had to wear heels and sometimes have them taken up. The new jeans in the petites seem a smidge longer because I can now wear these with heels and without. I loved the first pair (Red 4) that I went and bought four more pairs. I too wish they had other finishes.

[Kate Harding]

I wonder if they're the same or if they have that.... you know, that kinda depressing avenue quality.

That totally made me lol, a. Well put.

Joan, afaik, the Right Fits only come in bootcut and flare in Red and Blue, and a "classic" fit (higher waist, tapered legs) in yellow.

I'm another one for whom they're absolute dream jeans, but I've heard a lot of mixed reviews. I suppose it's more depressing than usual not to find the perfect pair when they're ostensibly trying to fit EVERY woman this time, but realistically... it's 3 fits. 2 cuts. (3 if you're yellow.) They're trying, but that's sure not going to cover every shape under the sun.

BTW, I liked the old LB jeans quite a bit and am a Red in the Right Fits, but half the reason I'm gaga over the latter is that the Reds seem a bit curvier than the old ones. Or else the new sizing is such that the Red 2 is a tiny bit bigger than the old 16. Either way, there's a little extra room that makes them perfect on my body, instead of merely good. So I can see how people who used to love the old jeans but are a little less curvy, and/or had already found their perfect size, might be bitter about the new ones.

Finally, if a pair of Reds fit you in the legs and butt but are too tight in the waist, or if you want a lower rise, I highly recommend Levi's Relaxed Fit Bootcuts.* They were my previous favorite jeans, and they only come in second now because the waist gaps a bit, and I like the higher rise on the LBs. Also, the Levi's bootcut has it all over the LB ones in terms of cut through the leg. (The LBs I'm in love with are the flares.)

*These only seem to go up to a 24, unfortunately.

[joan]

I tried the right fits yesterday. I'm a blue 3. As far as fit, they felt good. Didn't gap in the back, didn't have a muffin top. But they are way too long, and there is still too much extra fabric in the crotch for my liking. I'll wait a few months and try them again to see if they've made any improvements.

[Elisabeth]

From this new post it seems you thought some of us were too mean to the new jeans and the sales associates. Sorry! I didn't want to be mean, just wanted to vent my frustration a bit. I am really happy for all the girls who finally found jeans that fit. I just had to make sure everyone understands that nothing (not even these wonderful new jeans) are perfect.

I've heard a couple of mentions that there are other places to buy jeans. Really?? I'm a size 18 tall (5'9). Any suggestions (from your own experience) where I might be able to find jeans?

[Moira]

I'm a Red 2 Petite and the jeans are PERFECT on me. Mostly because of this blog thread, I went to my local LB and bought them in the bootcut--one pair in the dark and one in the lighter rinse. I washed the dark rinse jeans in cold water when I got home, and they came out nice and soft.

[Susie]

I am wearing my RF jeans for the first time right now as I type. I'm a blue 2, and never in my entire life have I put on a pair of jeans and had them fit me in both the waist and the but/hips. I'm in shock. The length is long in the average, but I'm a little wary to buy the petite, as I fear it may be too short. I'll give them a try, and if they don't work, I'll just shorten these a touch.

My only complaint about these jeans -- and this is minor and I'm sure it's just me, but I loathe the stitching on the back pocket. Small price to pay for good fitting jeans, but still...

Anyway, I say kudos to LB for trying something new.

[Susie]

Oh, and as for the sizing? I don't know...it doesn't really mean anything to me. Just give me some pants that fit!

[Celeste]

The sales lady measured me and said I would take a 9 and "maybe" there were some in the back. Then she said try an 8 and let's see. I held them up and they were just obviously way too big. I wanted to take a 7 or 6 in to try too but she didn't think that was a good idea. She wasn't very fast at seeing if I needed more sizes, either. I would have been a lot better off bringing a friend to fetch others for me.

I got frustrated over how much room there was in the seat of the blues and just went back another day and tried on reds and yellows. I finally bought a red 5. Guess I really wasn't a 9!!! However these jeans have been a disappointment. They truly smelled BAD when I first wore them. I washed them in hot water and that helped. They have a massive amount of stretch, too. I cannot keep them up after an hour. I also think the jean fabric looks cheap and feels thin. The boot cut flare on these is just too much for somebody my age. I will probably donate these to Goodwill. The one GOOD thing I can say is that these are plenty long in the inseam for a tall girl. I'm going back online for my denim, though. Luckily these jeans only set me back $40.

Also, I really feel that all of these jeans have a low rise. None of the 3 styles were "friendly" for somebody with a mushy abdomen which will hang over any of their waists. They seem to understand fat deposition in the butt, hips, and thigh, though. It's too bad there isn't something for skinny limbs and flat butt with a large abdomen. Maybe that is just asking too much of a pair of jeans, though. I don't know, but I'll keep on.

[sarah]

i tried on an 8 in all the different colors and they were all way too small for me. i never had that problem with the old lb stretch flares. a 28 fit fine (though the rise was ridiculously long).

these new sizes aren't for fat girls with a big belly. none of their shirts are either.

i'm just baffled that for their multi-year study, they didn't come across anyone with a huge stomach and no ass.

[hannita]

I too went to try on these new fangled jeans because of this post. Initially I tried on the largest size I could find without consulting the sales person. Blue 8s. Too big. Went to a 7. Eventually I the sales associate measure me and she said I should start with a 10. But I told her I had already tried on an 8 and that was too big. She was helpful in suggesting the right color - I'm a yellow (?) petite but went back up to a size eight in those. Unfortunately, they had no yellow petite 7s in the store. But she ordered them online for me and, thanks to their bottoms sale and some real women dollars that a friend passed along to me, I got three new pairs of jeans for about $35. They're a lot tighter in the leg than I'm used to wearing so it will take some adjustment I'm sure.

[Carrie]

Ok, I took the plunge and ordered a pair online (eek!). Based on their website, I was identified as a Blue 4, and I selected petite length (my inseam is 29") and a bootcut style. I received the jeans today and they're too big, the rise is too long, and I'm disappointed. I think my gut instinct about going smaller was right. If you're on the lower end of the measurement scale they show (like for hips, they list 50-53" as an option, and I'm a 50"), I should have selected the 46-49" range. Maybe it's because of the stretch factor to the jeans, not sure but my instinct is telling me I'd feel differently if they were a bit more fitted and not baggy. The rise issue is a bit of an oddity, I haven't had that issue in a while. I think it's the way they've designed their bootcuts, they fall at the natural waist. I'm short waisted so it felt weird.

[Sarah]

I LOVE the new fit....I thought I would spend the rest of my life with pants that gaped in the waist. But the smell is awful!! I am not sure if I have an overly sesitive nose or if the smell has just not gone away, but LB needs to take care of that before I spend any more money on their jeans. Anyone have an idea of what that stench is??

[BJ]

I bought a pair in the dark denim and I like the fit ok, but does anybody know how to get the smell out? I've washed them several times now but the chemical smell remains.

[GH]

I bought a pair of blue size 3 today. I have to say I never thought I'd find a pair of jeans that didn't gap at my waist. I too wish they had different finishes. They feel a little stiff to me. They also didn't have the light denim in petite which I thought was weird. I'm going to wash mine and hope they get softer. Normally I wear average, but I was literally stepping on about 3 inches of fabric. Way to long. I also don't care for the stitching on the pockets. Why call attention to the biggest part of my body? Didn't someone at LB think about that? Isn't that what all the fashion magazine preach?

[Jackie Moxley]

Love the Jeans.....HATE the smell !!! I won't buy another pair until they do something about the smell. I have washed them 4 times and the smell will not come out. On the other hand, when I did wear them I got alot of compliments. PLEASE do something about the smell, I would love to buy more.

[LL]

Pour about a 1/4 cup of vinegar in the washer at the same time you put in the detergent and see if that gets rid of the smell. I use it on all my laundry as a natural odor remover (smoke, critter smells, workout ick) and it does a really great job. It also works really well as a "natural" fabric softener and it's supposed to be really good for keeping the dyes set in your darker clothes.

[Jackie]

LL....Thanks for the tip I just tried it and it seems to have worked. I guess the real test will be when I wear them. If this works, I will deffinately buy more. The fit is fantastic!

[AM]

I just wanted to leave a comment for --sarah sept 17 - 2007.

"i'm just baffled that for their multi-year study, they didn't come across anyone with a huge stomach and no ass."

I said the same thing. I have the same problem. Try the Yellow 9's Flare in the dark wash, the dark washes tend to have more room in them. I think you will like them. Have an associate measure you at your natural waist, where you bend.

[bj]

I tried the vinegar trick--even pre-soaked it in vinegar and detergant...didn't work. I smelled them before they went into the dryer! Any other ideas?

[JM]

The vinegar seemed to work for me but I wash them in cold water and I didn't put them in the dryer. Maybe the heat has something to do with it.

[MK]

Just bought my first pair today, and I'm already thinking of returning them. I have no problem being a "blue 5" because I am quite curvy and have always had the fist-sized gap at the waist issue, but these fit uncomfortably tightly - I feel like I'm wearing trashy leggings. Both the salesperson AND the manager gave me a hard time when I requested to go up a size. I used to love the relaxed fit jeans, and these show every bump of cellulite on my leg. And the elasticized denim is itchy.

I'd loved getting LB jeans for 15 years. Now I guess I need to find a new place.

Congrats to everyone who has found their great jeans, though. Hopefully LB will someday cater to all of us and bring back some normal denim alongside this new trend.

[MK]

Just bought my first pair today, and I'm already thinking of returning them. I have no problem being a "blue 5" because I am quite curvy and have always had the fist-sized gap at the waist issue, but these fit uncomfortably tightly - I feel like I'm wearing trashy leggings. Both the salesperson AND the manager gave me a hard time when I requested to go up a size. I used to love the relaxed fit jeans, and these show every bump of cellulite on my leg. And the elasticized denim is itchy.

I'd loved getting LB jeans for 15 years. Now I guess I need to find a new place.

Congrats to everyone who has found their great jeans, though. Hopefully LB will someday cater to all of us and bring back some normal denim alongside this new trend.

[Brandi T]

Well, I tried on the Right Fit jeans today for over an hour only to discover that none of them fit me. The Red 4P looked the best from the waist down, but they were too big in the waist - I could put an arm in there. But the Red 3P? I couldn't even button them! I don't understand how a 3 and a 4 can be so different that one is too big and the other won't even button?

I didn't try the blue, but I'm not curvy so I don't think they would work anyway. The yellow were all wrong in every way...none of them worked. It was depressing. I miss the Classic Fit.

[Kelsey]

I NEVER was able to wear the LB jeans. They just didn't fit right, so I was basically stuck with Old Navy jeans that were too short and got super baggy in just a couple hours.

I love the RF jeans though! I'm a Blue 4T and I can wear them for a few days without them getting too stretched out (college student and I am out of town every weekend, I don't do laundry much :P) and the length is great for heels too. I don't really like how high waisted they are, but I do think it covers better I guess.

[lilhotlil]

I NEED HELP FROM WHOMEVER MAKES THESE JEANS. I have a pair of Blue 9P Classic Fit from Catherines. I need a Blue 9P in the bootcut or flare leg from Lane Bryant. Someone please tell me they make these.

[JD]

I have tried to get the smell out of dark black rinse Avenue jeans; washed them 3 times. The last two times with vinegar, using a little more each time.

The jeans still smell! Argh!!!

Anyone have any other suggestions besides vinegar?

[jrok]

I just bought my first pair of the LB Right Fit jeans...the dark denim. The smell is unbearable. I feel like they should give me my money back! I will try the vinegar trick for the next wash, but if it doesn't work I cannot wear these with the stench. Any other tips and tricks are appreciated.

Anyone attempt to return the "stinky" jeans??

[Holly]

After reading all these comments, the thing I most notice is that the people who seem to loooove these jeans are mostly blues and some reds. I think I saw only one happy yellow person.

Which basically confirms what I found out today. After hearing so much positive feedback on these jeans, I couldn't wait to try some on. Today I finally did. I couldn't figure out from the signs if I was red or yellow, and after talking to the lady, who was very nice but busy and rather unavailable as they were very understaffed today, decided I was a yellow. She measured me and said I was a 7 or 8. I was very surprised that the number was so high, as I usually wear a 20, sometimes a 22. She gave me 7 and 8 petite yellows and I tried them on. The 8 was just too big, the 7 fit...very weirdly. The waist was too big and around my hips and the top of my thighs was very tight. I didn't think my legs and hips would fit into a 6 yellow. So I decided maybe I was a red after all. I tried the 7 red. REALLY baggy, almost falling off of me. I looked at some of the smaller reds, but the legs looked very big, and I figured they'd be the same as most pants - tight in the waist and baggy in the thighs. I tried the other cut of yellow and it was slightly better but still so uncomfortable feeling that there was no way I'd pay money for them.

So I too think I'm an "orange", and am depressed that these didn't work for me. I'm with the girl with the tummy and no butt. Us apples have it even worse than you pears I think!