Details:
Waist 27″
Full Hip 42″
Height: 5’5″
Inseam: 28″
Size purchased in all jeans: 28
When the idea for this post first planted itself into my head, it was going to be much longer. However, many moons have passed since that initial little seedling, and Everlane seems to have culled a majority of their curvy (now renamed ‘hourglass’) offerings. The line used to range from stretchy skinnies to 100% cotton straight-leg denim, but now it boasts only two cuts, the ‘Way High’ Hourglass’ wide/straight leg and the ‘Cheeky Hourglass’ straight leg. In the opinion of someone who has tried many curvy cut pants from many different brands, both of these offerings are total winners. Previous offerings, like the Curvy 90s Jean, is currently available only on clearance (read: final sale), but this post will focus on the newer styles.
Currently, I own three pairs of Way-High jeans and three pairs of Cheeky Jeans. Six washes, dozens of wears per pair, and I’ve formed some opinions and thoughts that you might want to know if you’re looking for a new curvy style.
The Cheeky Hourglass Jean
This jean is so understated. What does that mean? How can a jean be understated? The silhouette, for starters, is perfectly unfussy. It’s not wide, it’s not overly narrow, and if you’ve ever flipped through a magazine or Page Six and saw a photo of a supermodel walking the streets of New York City wearing denim, a blazer, and a pair of flats? It’s probably this cut. Not too wide, somewhere between skinny and straight, neither fitted nor baggy, and has that lived-in but-not-gross look to them.
These are those jeans. They don’t bag out with wear but they will relax, and I recently wore them on a thirteen-hour flight and when I stepped off the plane, they were only a bit loose. Nothing that a steam and a day spent folded on my hotel sofa couldn’t fix.
The lycra recovers, the jeans bounce back, and they’re ready for another wear. Repeat.
I got these jeans in the 28.5″ inseam length, and I’m 5’5″ — the jeans hit just below my ankles and kiss the tops of my shoes. The size I bought was 28 across the board, and fit was fairly consistent across washes. Though my waist is 27″, I often size up in denim to fit my hips (even in the curvy lines) and I prefer a little bit of ‘tuck’ room. These jeans fit my hips and backside well with enough space in the rise to not ride up, but are still well-fitted at the waist. I have a bit of ‘tuck room’, which I prefer.
98% Organic Cotton, 2% Elastane, all $136 CAD at the time of posting this.
Ecru wash – a nice cream, on sale now
Vintage dark- True navy blue dark denim – slightly more on the saturated side (a bit more indigo) and super versatile
Washed Black- the perfect light black jean, which I find to be more versatile than a jet black pant.
The Way-High Hourglass
The waistband on this jean, according to Everlane, has been reinforced so it won’t stretch out. And guys, whatever they did — it worked. The waist on these jeans remains the same size at the end of the day as when I put them on in the morning. This may be a valuable feature depending on the wearer, but I like my denim to give a bit as I wear it. I will get bigger throughout the day, as I consume things like spaghetti and cappuccinos, so it makes sense to me to have the pants I wear to do the same. These jeans don’t budge or “stretch out”.
However…
The knees of the jeans do pretty obviously bag out, so I limit my wear of these jeans to just a few hours.
I also found that in the washed black jean of the Way High style, I had to size up one size to get a high enough rise. This wash fit a bit differently, a bit less “curvy” in my opinion, but I was able to get a good enough fit but in the Cheeky I ordered the same size in all washes without much variation between washes.
I bought the light indigo jean 27.5″ length. It also comes in a longer 29.5′, and I bought this length in my mid-indigo wash. It is a length that just brushes the ground without shoes, and looks quite a bit more casual on me than the shorter denim. However, the 27.5″ just hits the tops of my shoes, but needs to be just a bit longer (say, 28″-28.5″). I think this length shortens me, which is not something that I need at 5’5″. It looks like it needs to be just a bit longer or shorter. This is a preference thing, but is the primary reason why I prefer the Cheeky jean mentioned above.
Honorable Mention: The Utility Barrel Pant
If you’re in the market for Hourglass/curvy pants but are bummed about the lack of washes and choices, I can personally attest to the fit of the Everlane Utility Barrel pant in both denim and organic cotton. The pants are “barrel” cut, so they curve out more than straight leg pants at the thighs and leg. The end result is that they can work if you have full thighs and a smaller waist due to the extra space the barrel cut affords. These pants are a bit more casual (due to the additional seams, for me) but are very versatile nonetheless and are of a nice, sturdy fabric that feels neither cheap nor insubstantial.
I went with a 28, and they ride up just a bit at the back as the rise isn’t as high as any of the other Hourglass denim mentioned in this post, but if you’re after fun and versatile colors and a unique silhouette, I suggest fellow full-hipped individuals give them a go.
Quality
When it comes to quality, Everlane is generally a company that I trust. Generally. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but with the most recent iterations of the Hourglass/Curvy line, Everlane seems to be interested in offering a high quality pant that has been thoughtfully-designed and curvy people have been consulted in the making of these garments. The back seam is long enough for my butt to fit in the pants, the rise is high and hits at true waist, and the denim fabric feels substantial and high-quality in essentially every jean I’ve tried from them.
Sizeable pockets, quality metal hardware that hasn’t tarnished in the years that I’ve had some of these pants, and I’ve never had issues like holes forming or loose threads.
These jeans range from $136CAD – $164CAD at the time of this post, and they feel like it. The Abercrombie Curve love pants (around $100+ CAD) are a fraction of the price, but the quality of every jean I’ve ever received from Abercrombie has been unsatisfactory — but that’s an entirely different post!
Wrapping Up
I’d love to see the Hourglass line from Everlane expanded, but I know that they’ll only offer and put resources into a product that there’s demand for. If something undersells or only sells on sale, the chances of them keeping it around and bringing out new colors and styles for years to come are…slim.
My go-to jean has consistently been the Cheeky Hourglass, as I find them to be exceptionally comfortable, without ride-up, and they look great even when they’ve been worn for hours. I’ve found Everlane denim to be superior to its peers’ curve lines in the same market, like Abercrombie Curve Love and Madewell Curvy, so I only buy my denim full price. I also buy them as soon as they come out if it’s a style I already know works for me. I understand that this may not be feasible for everyone, but remember: you can cast your vote to these big companies with your dollars.
You can find my Madewell review here for their Straight jean, and my Abercrombie one is coming (soon!). I may also do a cross-examination between the fits and washes of all three brands in one post, so let me know if that sounds like something you’d be interested in!
