The best jeans for curvy women: how to stop the waist gap

Why the waist gap happens

Every pair of jeans is cut from a pattern that assumes a certain difference between the waist and the hips. If your hips and seat are fuller compared with your waist than the pattern assumes, something has to give. Size for your hips and there's extra fabric at the waist. Size for your waist and the hips and thighs get squeezed.

That extra fabric shows up at the center back for two reasons. First, your back curves in above your seat, so a fairly straight waistband has nothing to rest against there. Second, a fuller seat uses up more of the fabric in the back rise, which pulls the waistband down and away from your body when you sit or bend. That's why the gap often gets worse when you sit down.

Sizing down rarely fixes it. It just moves the problem to your hips, where tight denim pulls, rides down and wrinkles.

What to look for

A high rise

A high-rise jean sits at your natural waist, the narrowest part of your torso. That gives the waistband something to hold onto and gives more coverage at the back. Lower rises land on the hips, which are wider, so the band has to stretch around a curve and tends to slide down and gap.

A shaped or contoured waistband

The best jeans for curvy shapes have a waistband cut in a curve rather than a straight strip, or shaping built into the back, so the top edge is smaller than the bottom edge. Look for words like "contour waistband" or "curved waistband" in the product details, and look at photos of the back. If the waistband looks like a straight band in every photo, expect a gap.

Back seams and yoke

The yoke is the V-shaped panel just below the back waistband. A deeper, angled yoke and curved back seams shape the fabric over your seat instead of flattening it, and leave more room in the back rise so the waistband isn't pulled down.

The right amount of stretch

Stretchy denim forgives a lot, but very soft stretch can loosen through the day and start sagging at the seat and knees. Firmer denim with a little give holds its shape, but you have to size it more carefully. Neither is better. Just know which kind you're buying and size for it: with low-stretch denim, size for your hips.

Back pockets

Pockets have a big effect on how your seat looks. Well-sized pockets that sit centered on each side and angle slightly inward give a lifted, rounded shape. Small pockets set wide apart or placed low can make the seat look flatter and longer.

A leg shape you like

Wide and straight legs fall from the fullest part of your thigh, skim instead of cling, and balance your hips visually. Skinny jeans show every curve, which is great if that's what you want. Just make sure the thighs aren't what forces you into a bigger waist.

A size chart in real measurements

A chart that lists waist and hip measurements lets you check fit before you buy. Look at the difference between the waist and hip numbers and compare it with your own. The closer they match, the less gap you'll get.

How to check the fit

• Sit down. Slide a finger into the back of the waistband. A finger's worth of room is comfortable. If you can fit your whole hand, the waist is too big for your shape.
• Squat or bend. The waistband should stay up without you hiking it back into place.
• Look at the front. Lines fanning out from the crotch or pulling across the hips mean the hips are too tight.
• Look at the back in a mirror. The pockets should sit on your seat, not below it or out at the sides.

Already have jeans that gap?

A belt helps, but it bunches the fabric at the back. The better fix is a tailor. Taking in the center back waistband, sometimes with a small dart, is a common alteration and usually works well on jeans that fit everywhere else.

How the Curve Jean is built for curves

We started Curve Denim because of this exact problem, so the Curve Jean is built around the list above:

• High rise that sits at your natural waist.
• A sculpt-fit waistband shaped to sit snug at the back instead of standing away.
• Contour back seams, a curved yoke and curved pockets that lift and round instead of flattening.
• A wide leg from the thigh, fitted through the hip and seat, with about a 32" inseam.
• Soft polyester denim with a little give that holds its shape all day, so you size for your hips.
• Sizes 24 to 32 and 14W to 24W, with a chart in inches. The chart keeps roughly 9 to 10 inches between waist and hip in every size.

To be honest about who it suits: if your hips are much fuller than your waist, beyond that 9 to 10 inches, you may still have a little ease at the waist, though the shaped back is there to take it in. If you want a very stretchy jean or a skinny leg, this isn't that jean. And if your inseam is well under 32", plan on a heel or a hem. Our fit guide goes through all of it with examples.

Not sure between two sizes? Put both in your bag. With 2 pairs, each is $44.99 instead of $49.99, and you can return the one that doesn't fit within 30 days. Return shipping is on you, and the details are on our returns page.