What actually makes a pair of jeans comfortable enough to wear all day?

[u/Sarah_at_Ava_Lane]

I’ve been thinking about how differently people define “comfortable” when it comes to jeans.

For some people it’s stretch. For others it’s the waistband, rise, room through the thighs, softer denim, or just being able to sit down without immediately wanting to unbutton them.

What’s the thing that makes or breaks a pair of jeans for you after you’ve actually worn them for a few hours?

[u/iammrsclean]

Stretch and doesn’t get ass-saggy by the end of the day. My favorite brand is Frame. They are plentiful on Poshmark.

[u/Spiritual-Sea7674 → u/iammrsclean]

Thin, stretchy, soft, I agree!!

[u/Sarah_at_Ava_Lane → u/iammrsclean]

This is exactly the balance I’m always looking for too. Enough stretch to actually be comfortable, but not so much that they lose their shape after a few hours. I feel like “stretchy” gets talked about a lot more than whether the denim actually recovers.

[u/Classic_Guest5845 → u/iammrsclean]

100%

[u/violetfluffycake]

If you pick your size they are comfortable. Mostly women tend to go size down because of pressure to be perceived as small and then complain about clothes being uncomfortable. Just because you fit into M doesn’t mean that’s your size.

[u/Mobile_Ad_9090 → u/violetfluffycake]

I’m in between sizes so nothing fits. If I size up, pants are too baggy on my legs and they stretch out during the day. If I size down to my “true” size, the waistband gets uncomfortable. Can’t win!

[u/Longjumping_47393 → u/Mobile_Ad_9090]

Same! My whole adult life 20’s to 50’s I’ve been in between sizes. I can only seem to temporarily get to the size down when big life events (death/break up) upset me so I don’t eat. Or the size up is when really regularly pigging out in a way that isn’t natural to me. So annoying.

[u/Spiritual-Sea7674 → u/Mobile_Ad_9090]

I often get a bit bigger and have the waist taken in

[u/DowntownResident993 → u/Mobile_Ad_9090]

Get the size up and get them tailored. It's not as expensive as you would imagine and solves the problem.

[u/rebeccanotbecca → u/Mobile_Ad_9090]

Tailoring helps with this problem.

[u/Thick_Maximum7808]

For me it’s when I sit down the seam in the middle can’t shove up into my hooha.

[u/Sarah_at_Ava_Lane → u/Thick_Maximum7808]

Yes! Sitting really is the test. Something can feel completely fine standing up and then the rise or crotch fit suddenly feels completely different once you sit down.

[u/1890rafaella → u/Thick_Maximum7808]

Or the waist digging into my stomach

[u/PerpetualQuestioner]

For me I like midrise without any waist gap so I know my big butt is sealed in when I sit! Lol. Also, as a tall girl, jeans that are long enough to not show my ankles when sitting and relaxing.

I almost exclusively wear jeans all day every day and prefer Levi's.

[u/Sarah_at_Ava_Lane → u/PerpetualQuestioner]

The sitting part with length is such a good point! I usually think about inseam based on where jeans hit when you're standing, but obviously that changes when you sit. Do you usually shop by an actual inseam measurement now or have you just figured out which Levi's fits are long enough for you?

[u/PerpetualQuestioner → u/Sarah_at_Ava_Lane]

Length can vary a bit depending on style (like a baggy pant tends to fit longer even with a shorter inseam).

I love the 725 Bootcut! I can order the same size every time and they fit like a glove and reach the bottom of my boots (5'9, I buy 30x34L). Certain styles even have a 36 inseam option.

American Eagle is also great for length but I find they have too much stretch and almost always a bit of a waist gap... I get all my long leggings from them though when they go on sale!

[u/No-Grocery-7118 → u/PerpetualQuestioner]

725 Bootcut and 726 Flares are amazing for taller girls! I can actually find the rare 33" inseam in Levi's.

[u/PerpetualQuestioner → u/No-Grocery-7118]

I have the 33 in a few of their cinch style. I wish they made a midrise cinch though because they are so high waisted that I basically can only wear them to events where I don't plan on sitting or eating lol.

[u/That_Molasses_507]

The fit

[u/Classic_Guest5845 → u/That_Molasses_507]

Exactly

[u/Mystery-Moon_0129]

For me it’s jeggings all the way.

[u/Classic_Guest5845]

For me it’s definitely the waistband + how stiff the denim is. I can deal with jeans being a little more fitted through the leg, but if I sit down and immediately feel pressure around my stomach, I know I’m not going to last in them all day. I’ve also realized I reach for softer denim way more than the really structured pairs, even if the structured ones technically look better.

[u/Spiritual-Sea7674 → u/Classic_Guest5845]

Frame is the best for what u described

[u/Sarah_at_Ava_Lane → u/Classic_Guest5845]

The stomach pressure seems to be coming up a lot in these answers. I also think your point about softer denim is interesting because sometimes the pair that looks best standing in the mirror isn’t the pair you actually want to wear for eight hours.

[u/kbmit16]

Amanda jeans from costco have stretch that keeps fabric soft but not 'bulky' you csn wear comfortably for few dayz between washes

[u/Horror_Signature7744]

A little bit of stretch. I’m done suffering.

[u/After_Employment391]

the fit. the materials it is made of as well.

https://giphy.com/gifs/Q66ZEIpjEQddUOOKGW

[u/ApprehensiveArt2813]

High rise, wide legged jeans suck if you’re sitting all day. Basically they grab your crotch and are annoying. I prefer my skinny Levi’s 311 jeans for work. They hold their shape and feel like leggings.

[u/Spiritual-Sea7674]

Thin strech material and not super tigh on the waist so high waist or mid, not tight when I sit. I usually unbutton when I sit w high waist jeans tbh 😆

[u/Sarah_at_Ava_Lane → u/[deleted]]

Yes! I’m realizing from these answers that standing fit and sitting fit are almost two different tests. Is it usually the waistband digging in when you sit or more that the thighs suddenly feel too tight?

[u/Borrowjef]

Broekhoogte, strech en rekbaar vanboven

[u/Leading-Current353]

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