"mom jeans" for a reason?

[boogiemomz]

i am two months post partum and just now transitioning out of my maternity jeans. NOT into my pre-pregnancy jeans, though, because i had to buy some "transition" jeans early-mid pregnancy because i gained a lot of my weight below the waist before the belly got very big. anyway, i am back in the non-maternity "transition" jeans, and they are not exactly too small, but they don't cover me up very well. i am very long-waisted, and with the wider hips that come after childbirth, the jeans are SO low rise that i can't keep my bum covered up! the jeans definitely aren't too big yet (i'm hoping for that sometime this year! :praying:), they just ride way too low. i'm wondering if i will be forced to be an an exclusive "mom jeans" wearer (with high waist rise), or else will have to wear really long sweaters or cardigans with everything. anyone have a similar experience? i think the real problem is the combination of long torso + post-childbirth hips, which i understand don't always go away, even after reaching (or almost reaching :) ) pre-preg weight.
help! thanks!!

[g-mama]

Just be sure they're not "reverse fit." Those are the ones that are nice and roomy in the butt and then taper down to the ankles. Ugh. Often seen in that fantastic 80's style "acid wash." Please, don't go there.

I got a couple pairs of jeans that fit me great post -partum at Kohls - they were Lee and they kinda held it all in better than my pre-preg jeans did. They weren't high waisted, but weren't too low either and they had some stretch. They looked surprisingly stylish and did the job when I needed it.

[Kymberley]

ME ME ME!!!! Funny, I was thinking the same thing the other day! I guess they are called mom jeans for a reason!!! I bought a pair of high(er) waisted jeans, and they contain the jiggle without the muffin top that I was mortified to be sporting with the lower cut jeans. So for now, for me, it's Mom jeans (straight leg) with a shirt covering that unsightful high waist.

[SnuggleBuggles]

There are several stops along the way between a low rise to a ridiculously high waist. I actually could care less if the waist is a bit higher. It's more practical and flattering for my body at present time. I don't think I am in horrible fashion with them. They are Levis.

Beth

[boolady]

Just be sure they're not "reverse fit." Those are the ones that are nice and roomy in the butt and then taper down to the ankles. Ugh. Often seen in that fantastic 80's style "acid wash." Please, don't go there.

Ahhh! 80's is right. When I was in 7th/8th grade, I was a faithful fan of the Gap's reverse fit jeans. Now I see those photos and am disbelieving that I ever thought that style looked good.

[sansdieu]

That's why God invented yummy tummy camis (or the knockoffs that you buy at Costco). Put one on (sized correctly--I've seen people buy them too small, and look ridiculous), and you can wear most low-rise jeans.

Personally, I cannot stand high-waisted jeans (or anything that buttons at or above the navel), so I just wear regular jeans -- with somewhat looser tops. I also occasionally wear the Bella Band to hold up the jeans prone to sliding.

Another option is to to layer t-shirts. I'm forced to do if I am to wear any of my pre-pregnancy tops (since I've gone from C to G cup, everything is a tad short), but done correctly, layering is also visually slimming.

[SnuggleBuggles]

but done correctly, layering is also visually slimming.

Done incorrectly and you can look bulky, as dh informed me recently. I had no idea that some of my combos didn't look as flattering as I thought they did. :)

Beth

[elektra]

8 or 9 weeks post partum is still pretty early too. Give yourself a bit more time before you deem yourself a mom-jeans-only type of girl. ;)
Could your jeans actually be too big? After DS, my pre-preg jeans were riding really low on me but I realize they were actually too big, not too small.
Also, I do think I need to adjust my jean styles a bit, due to the shift in my body shape, but I am by no means going completely high rise.
My new skinny jeans are actually a bit higher in the rise but I think that's how a lot of the designer jeans are trending anyway. (My new ones are Citizens of Humanity, BTW)

[bcafe]

Huh, my problem is that I am short waisted. I need something to contain the belly but higher waist jeans hit me right at my rib cage! There is only 2 finger widths between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my pelvic crest so I have a heck of a time.

[sansdieu]

Done incorrectly and you can look bulky, as dh informed me recently. I had no idea that some of my combos didn't look as flattering as I thought they did. :)

Beth

For sure, hence the disclaimer ;)
The bottom layer must be neither too snug, nor too loose. It's an art form (sadly, I've gotten a lot of practice at it).

[C99]

My sister-in-law, whose baby is now 17-months-old, was still wearing maternity jeans at 1-year post-partum, presumably because the wide elastic waistband sucked in her middle. There's something to be said for that big band!

I tried on a pair of high-waisted Not Your Daughter's Jeans a few weeks ago at Nordstrom and I found the fit way too funky for me. I think it's hard to find something that has a smaller waist than the hip - that was the problem with the Reverse Fit jeans of the 80s and 90s, as g-mama mentioned. However, I ended up with a pair of AT Loft stretch jeans and they come up to just below my navel, which is nice for the suck-in factor. Another good bet in this category are the stretch jeans (note: not the stretch denim leggings!) from David Bitton. The bootleg cut of the leg on these jeans also helps balance out the wider/lower waist.

Another thought: when I tried on the jeans at Nordstrom, the sales gal brought me a cami that had a lifeforce lycra tummy panel that stretched from just under the bra line to the hips. It was $65, so I didn't get it, but it seemed like a nice option for controling the mom-pooch, and it was mercifully just regular fabric over the boobs, which is nice if you are breastfeeding, or if you are just recovering from breastfeeding (read: flat boobs)!

[maylips]

I'm long torsoed too (is torsoed a word??) and have never liked high waisted jeans, even when they were okay to wear. But I completely hear ya on the "what to wear after pregnancy" question and my DS has got a few months on yours! One of the biggest frustrations for me is that my body has changed so much, I really need to try on each.and.every.thing to see how it lays, and that's so hard since a) I live in the middle of nowhere and used to rely heavily on online shopping and b) shopping IRL with two kids is a miserable experience. My style has changed so much since before kids, one of my best assets was my flat stomach, which has taken to resembling a spare tire since the kiddos came along. *sigh*

So yeah, the word "tunic" is always an eye-catcher for me, mainly so I can wear my non-mom jeans but still cover the belly and my pants falling down! Really, I can't win until I choose to lose 15 more lbs and, more importantly, tone up. Amazingly, that hasn't happened magically.... :popc1:

[wendibird22]

For those battling wider hips but a smaller stomach, Eddie Bauer has a boot cut style where the hip is one size bigger than the waist. These are the only jeans I wear that don't have a huge panty showing gap at the waist.

[boltfam]

Gap has some jeans that also sit a little higher. I like their Long and Lean jeans or the curvy fit. Don't worry....your body will keep changing (for the better) as more time passes. It's just an ackward stage right now. I also changed my shirts more than I did my jeans. I wear longer shirts that don't cling to my stomach, which used to be one of my best assets.

[KathyN115]

I also like Gap long and Lean jeans. Usually if the jeans fit my hips, the waist is falling down. I don't have that problem with these, which is great! And the rise is high enough that nothing shows. I just tried the Old Navy dreamer jeans, and they are pretty good too, and very cheap.

[boogiemomz]

I'm long torsoed too (is torsoed a word??) and have never liked high waisted jeans, even when they were okay to wear. But I completely hear ya on the "what to wear after pregnancy" question and my DS has got a few months on yours! One of the biggest frustrations for me is that my body has changed so much, I really need to try on each.and.every.thing to see how it lays, and that's so hard since a) I live in the middle of nowhere and used to rely heavily on online shopping and b) shopping IRL with two kids is a miserable experience. My style has changed so much since before kids, one of my best assets was my flat stomach, which has taken to resembling a spare tire since the kiddos came along. *sigh*

So yeah, the word "tunic" is always an eye-catcher for me, mainly so I can wear my non-mom jeans but still cover the belly and my pants falling down! Really, I can't win until I choose to lose 15 more lbs and, more importantly, tone up. Amazingly, that hasn't happened magically.... :popc1:

this sounds just like me! to the pp with a short waist, grass is always greener, i guess. i currently own NO clothing that covers my waist entirely except a couple of sweaters that hang below my rear end. it's really awesome... a 30-something new mom with flabby post-partum belly looking like she's trying to pull off the teenage bare midriff!! it is so embarrassing... i am taking my daughter to a baby music class once a week where we sit on the floor and i am constantly pulling my sweaters down/my pants up to cover up the moonshine!!! i am also a big fan of tunics... but i am trying not to buy a bunch of new clothes right now (this would be the third wardrobe installment since getting pregnant, after "transition" clothes in early pregnancy and maternity clothes). if i could find a nice big cardigan sweater that hangs low, i could just wear it with everything... :rolleye0014: though if i could find some good jeans that are more flattering, fit well, and cover me up, i would definitely spring for a pair... thanks for the recs!

[diegosmom]

Ann Taylor Loft has some great jeans that don't cause muffin top and fit well post baby. They aren't low riders but also don't ride up to your boobs like "mom jeans". ;-) They usually go on sale for about 19 bucks so they are economical as well. Especially if you are still in the process of working off the after effects of baby.

[crl]

For those battling wider hips but a smaller stomach, Eddie Bauer has a boot cut style where the hip is one size bigger than the waist. These are the only jeans I wear that don't have a huge panty showing gap at the waist.

The curvy fit? I have these in trouser style and they do fit me quite well. I've always had big hips/small waist and it's hard to find jeans that don't gap in the back. I'd describe them as a mid-rise.

Catherine

[Corie]

Ahhh! 80's is right. When I was in 7th/8th grade, I was a faithful fan of the Gap's reverse fit jeans. Now I see those photos and am disbelieving that I ever thought that style looked good.


I was also a faithful fan of the reverse fit jeans. I was so pissed when
the Gap quit making them. Apparently, they knew something before I did. :)