How to find your size in the Curve Jean

Measure your waist and hips

Use a soft sewing tape and measure over underwear or thin leggings, not over jeans. Keep the tape snug and flat against your body, but don't pull it tight. Write both numbers down.

Waist

Find your natural waist: the narrowest part of your torso, usually a little above your belly button. Bend to one side and the crease that forms is a good guide. The Curve Jean is high-rise and sits right at your natural waist, so this is exactly where the waistband will land. Breathe normally while you measure.

Hips

Stand with your feet together and wrap the tape around the fullest part of your hips and seat. That's often lower than people expect, closer to the widest point of your butt than to your hip bones. Check in a mirror that the tape is level all the way around. If you're not sure you found the fullest spot, measure a couple of times a little higher and lower and keep the largest number.

Inseam (optional)

Grab a pair of pants whose length you like with the shoes you wear most. Lay them flat and measure from the crotch seam down the inside of the leg to the hem. You'll use this in the length section below.

How the size chart works

The numbers in our chart are measurements of the jeans themselves, in inches, not body measurements. The Curve Jean is made of soft polyester denim with just a little give, so the rule is simple: pick the size whose waist and hip are both at least as big as yours. For most curvy shapes, the hip number is the one that decides.

Length is the full outside length, from the top of the waistband to the hem. The inseam is about 32".

A couple of worked examples:

• Waist 30", hips 41". Size 29 has a 40.2" hip, which is smaller than 41", so skip it. Size 30 has a 31.5" waist and a 41.7" hip, both at least your own. Your size is 30.
• Waist 29", hips 42.5". Your waist alone points to a 28 or 29, but your hips need at least 42.5", which first appears at size 31 (42.9"). Go with 31. The waist will have a little room, which the shaped back waistband is designed to take in. More on that below.

You'll notice the chart keeps roughly 9 to 10 inches between waist and hip in every size. If the gap between your own waist and hips is about that or less, the jean should fit both places closely. If your hips are much fuller than your waist, size for your hips and expect a bit of ease at the waist.

Regular sizes vs W sizes

Numbered sizes 24 to 32 follow the usual denim system, with US equivalents in the chart: 24 is a US 00 and 32 is a US 14. W sizes, 14W to 24W, are US women's plus sizes with more room through the waist, hip and thigh.

Sizes 32 and 14W sit side by side, and the names can be confusing. Ignore the label and go by the numbers: 32 measures 34.6" at the waist and 44.5" at the hip, while 14W measures 36.2" and 46.1". Whichever one clears both of your measurements is your size.

One note on color: Light Wash and Dark Blue come in all fifteen sizes. Black comes in 24 to 30 and 32, with no 31 and no W sizes.

If you're between sizes

Size up. The denim has only a little stretch and holds its shape rather than loosening through the day, so a pair that's slightly roomy is easier to live with than one that pulls across your hips or digs in when you sit. If your waist says one size and your hips say another, follow your hips.

Try two sizes, keep the one that fits

If you're still torn, order both. With 2 pairs in your bag, every pair is $44.99 instead of $49.99, so each one is 10% off, and you can mix any sizes and colors. Try them both on at home, keep the pair you love, and return the other.

Try both pairs on the same day, with the shoes you plan to wear them with, and sit down in each one before you decide.

Length, heels and hemming

The Curve Jean has a full-length wide leg with an inseam of about 32". Compare that with the inseam you measured earlier:

• Your inseam is close to 32": they'll fall to the top of your foot in flats and just graze the floor in a small heel or platform, which is how a wide leg looks best.
• Your inseam is a few inches shorter: wear them with a heel, platform or chunky sole, or have them hemmed. A wide leg is easy for a tailor to shorten because the hem is straight.
• Your inseam is longer: they'll sit closer to the ankle, especially in heels. That's a cropped wide-leg look, which also works well with flats and loafers.

If you do hem them, pick your go-to shoes first and wear them to the fitting. A wide leg hemmed for flats will look short in heels, and the other way around.

How they should feel on

When you have the right size, the waistband sits snug at your natural waist and stays there when you sit, with no gap at the back. The seat and hips feel smooth, not tight, and the leg falls freely from the thigh. A few signs to look for:

• Too small: lines pulling across the front or sideways across your hips, a waistband that digs in when you sit, or pockets that spread open.
• Too big: you can pinch well over an inch of fabric at the hip, or the seat sags. If that's the case and your measurements allow it, try the next size down.

Because the denim holds its shape, the fit on day one is close to the fit you'll have later. Don't buy a size down hoping it will stretch out.