Help on Blue Jean Intervention Please

[htwoopup]

I have happily worn Lee and Levi jeans for my entire life. I love them. They do the job. And they are comfortable.

And, if I am in a situation where I am wearing jeans I frankly to really care about sartorial splendor. I mean, that is why you wear tee shirts or sweatshirts with them, right?

This afternoon the women in my life decided to do what they called a Blue Jean Intervention.

My wife, daughter, and step-daughter sat me down and said my jeans were bugging them.

They said it always looked like I had a load in my pants because of all of the extra fabric (thankfully they don't say that about chamois, although it may be because they have given up on commenting on bike kit).

They said whenever I bend over, I have plumber's butt as my daughter referred to it.

And, for some reason, all of this really bothers them.

So, they presented me with jeans in my size from Gap and also Banana Republic.

I dutifully put them on and they do indeed fit around my waist and butt.

However, I will have to spend the rest of my life standing as there is no way that any human being could ever sit in these things. I mean, it was just painful and constricting on my quads. I swear I couldn't feel my knees or toes while just hanging out on the couch.

So, since I figure some of you have this same blue jean issue with small butt and cycling thighs someone here must have suggestions on how I can keep the fashion police who I live with happy while still being actually wearable.

Any help is appreciated.

[Mr B]

Go back to Gap and get the same size & fit in a denim that has some stretch.
They sell stretch denim for men now, and it's pretty amazing.

[Peter Polack]

Slide your seat back on the rails and work your glutes!

[chasea]

Wear them until they conform. Sleep in them. Lay in the bathtub or walk into the ocean. Let them dry on you. Whatever it takes.

[Eric Estlund]

Go back and exchange them for a pair that fits in a different cut. If they don't have them continue the search.

I'm an adult, and while I like trousers to fit I'm not particularly interested in having them sprayed on. There are options between butt sag and denim compression tights.

You can always have something tailored, too. Decent tailoring is surprisingly inexpensive.

[Mr B]

Wear them until they conform. Sleep in them. Lay in the bathtub or walk into the ocean. Let them dry on you. Whatever it takes.

Good advice. Denim gives with wear, and if it's raw/selvedge denim you can wear it for a few months before the first wash to break it in.

[Eric Estlund]

Saggy butt jeans often don't have to do with the waist measurement so much as the rise and where you wear the waist. If you are wearing traditional jeans with a mid or higher rise, but wear them below your natural waist (modern sag low enough for plumbers crack), that extra 4"-5" of rise is going to hang below your butt and look like a diaper. Match the cut (waist, rise, thigh/knee/ankle taper) to your measurements and how you are actually going to wear them. If you aren't wearing them high, get a lower rise jean.

[XJBaylor]

I just wear basic Levi's 514's, and they have a similar "snugness" in the upper leg and crotch when they are new or freshly washed. It takes a morning of moving around to get them to loosen up, and after that they are as comfortable as any pair of jeans I have ever worn.

[dashDustin]

Saggy butt jeans often don't have to do with the waist measurement so much as the rise and where you wear the waist. If you are wearing traditional jeans with a mid or higher rise, but wear them below your natural waist (modern sag low enough for plumbers crack), that extra 4"-5" of rise is going to hang below your butt and look like a diaper. Match the cut (waist, rise, thigh/knee/ankle taper) to your measurements and how you are actually going to wear them. If you aren't wearing them high, get a lower rise jean.

Wear them until they conform. Sleep in them. Lay in the bathtub or walk into the ocean. Let them dry on you. Whatever it takes.

Go back to Gap and get the same size & fit in a denim that has some stretch.
They sell stretch denim for men now, and it's pretty amazing.

All of that.

Back in the day, I got some Rock & Republics...2009ish. Stretchy denim, low rise, straight cut. Say what your will about the brand, but those things fit unlike any other jeans I have tried on. Still prefer my Diesels, but they don't have that stretch that helps them hug without....binding?

[zetroc]

I had some CKs that fit nicely over my legs without any tightness. They had a small percentage of spandex and were even OK to ride in.

[theflashunc]

If you ride at all a tapered cut is pretty much out. Hell, a straight leg is my experience ends up feeling tapered if you're not skipping leg day.

FWIW, if you go the selvedge route, the jeans will relax quite a bit after break-in. Anything washed or pre-shrunk will still have some give, but I've had selvedge jeans that'll stretch up to a full size from first put on to break-in.

As others mentioned -- wear them, wear them, and wear them. That's the only real fix to get some relaxation in them.

[j44ke]

I like the Cadence Collection jeans. Don't wash them often and don't put them in the dryer. Hang dry, wear for at least 5 days before washing. They are cycling jeans, and they just introduced a relaxed fit cut. The regular cut is trim but not tight, and there is a bit extra for the quads and glutes. I just wish they came in more colors, though the light colored jeans are pretty sharp looking in person. Wife approved!

Cycling Denim – Cadence Collection

[Matthew Strongin]

Which cut are the ones from the Gap? They offer a bunch of different cuts running the gamut from painted on to borderline JNCO Jeans. Finding the right cut for you will make all the difference. There's a lot of good advice above, but I have no patience for beating a pair of jeans into fitting me. That's one of the reasons I stopped wearing jeans altogether once I discovered the Gap Lived In Slim Khakis. Best fitting pants I've ever had.

[dashDustin]

That's one of the reasons I stopped wearing jeans altogether once I discovered the Gap Lived In Slim Khakis. Best fitting pants I've ever had.

serious question: what shoes do you wear with those? I have some khakis from Old Navy that are going on 8yrs old that I love, and back in the day, I had no problem wearing with whatever shoes I had. Now, though...I feel kinda frat-boy wannabe if I wear them with my MUSA New Balances, they don't really fit my boots, and they don't look good at all with my faded-red-almost-pink Vans.

I'd love to get back into khakis all the time, but not sure which way to go so that I look presentable.

PS - do you dress like Dexter? Because I loved his wardrobe.

[AngryScientist]

1) dont let other people buy your jeans for you based on your waist size and inseam alone
2) there are many cuts of jeans available, try some on until you find a pair that fit well and comfortably. there's something out there for every body style.
3) dont be afraid to spend some good $$ on a pair of jeans. buy a dark wash, they'll never stain. unless you're painting in them or rebuilding diesel engines, a good pair of jeans can last a long time.

[Brandon White]

PS - do you dress like Dexter? Because I loved his wardrobe.

I don't know why I find this so funny. Dexter's wardrobe was pretty authentic because anytime he was outside he'd be sweating through his clothes - Yep, authentic Miami.

I used to dress like Dexter when I had to go into a casual office. Desert boots, khakis or jeans, polo or button down.

[Matthew Strongin]

serious question: what shoes do you wear with those? I have some khakis from Old Navy that are going on 8yrs old that I love, and back in the day, I had no problem wearing with whatever shoes I had. Now, though...I feel kinda frat-boy wannabe if I wear them with my MUSA New Balances, they don't really fit my boots, and they don't look good at all with my faded-red-almost-pink Vans.

I'd love to get back into khakis all the time, but not sure which way to go so that I look presentable.

PS - do you dress like Dexter? Because I loved his wardrobe.

It's worth noting that while Gap calls them all Khakis, I don't actually wear the khaki colored khakis. Gray or navy blue most days. Always rolled up because in Miami you never know when a flood will roll through. At work I wear them with Frye Oxfords or Clarks Desert Boots. In more casual settings I wear them with Vans Authentics 95% of the time. The rest of the time is split between Adidas Sambas, Vans Old Skools, Vans Sk8-Hi, Iron Rangers or the occasional pair of retro running shoes. But really I'm not exaggerating about the Vans Authentics. That's almost all I wear.

Funny you ask about Dexter. I don't dress like Dexter in forensic investigator mode, but I've been known to wear a dark gray or olive henley. I also regularly ride by where "he" theoretically lived. Coincidence...?

[dashDustin]

I don't know why I find this so funny. Dexter's wardrobe was pretty authentic because anytime he was outside he'd be sweating through his clothes - Yep, authentic Miami.

I used to dress like Dexter when I had to go into a casual office. Desert boots, khakis or jeans, polo or button down.

I never understood how Deb got away with jeans and long-sleeve shirts without showing sweat. Dex showed it all the time.

[dashDustin]

It's worth noting that while Gap calls them all Khakis, I don't actually wear the khaki colored khakis. Gray or navy blue most days. Always rolled up because in Miami you never know when a flood will roll through. At work I wear them with Frye Oxfords or Clarks Desert Boots. In more casual settings I wear them with Vans Authentics 95% of the time. The rest of the time is split between Adidas Sambas, Vans Old Skools, Vans Sk8-Hi, Iron Rangers or the occasional pair of retro running shoes. But really I'm not exaggerating about the Vans Authentics. That's almost all I wear.

Funny you ask about Dexter. I don't dress like Dexter in forensic investigator mode, but I've been known to wear a dark gray or olive henley. I also regularly ride by where "he" theoretically lived. Coincidence...?

I think I'm going to convert now. And yeah...it took me a few years of golf to realize that "khaki" was a color and a type of pant/ short.