After endless searching, I’ve finally found the perfect pair of plus size jeans

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Few sartorial staples are harder to get right than jeans. Finding the perfect fit for your body type is an exhausting task, particularly if you are mid or plus size. I dream of walking into a shop, breezily grabbing a pair off the hanger and knowing they’ll fit like a glove; a privilege that’s only awarded to “straight-sized”, average height shoppers who fit into a very narrow stereotype that brands continue to cater to.

It must be said that high street brands have improved their size ranges in recent years, often going up to size 20 where previously a size 16 was tough to come by, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to diversify the sizing landscape in denim. Much like any other garment, in the luxury sphere, it’s near-impossible to find a curve-friendly pair of jeans, regardless of your style preference.

As someone who sits between a UK size 16 and 18 (depending on where I shop), I can just about get away with browsing “general” ranges rather than plus size when I’m shopping for tops, skirts and dresses. (I have plenty of thoughts on segregating plus size or curve ranges from the rest of a brand’s offering, and find that decision rather limiting, but more on that another time).

But, much like everyone else on the planet who isn’t “straight-size”, I always have to size up one, if not two sizes in jeans, moving me into the plus size bracket when it comes to denim.

It’s not often that you come across a jean brand wholly dedicated to celebrating curvy women, but Good American is just that. Co-founded by Khloe Kardashian, the brand reportedly made a whopping $1m (£764,475) in sales on its launch day, showing just how lucrative and in-demand plus size denim is.

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Catering to UK sizes 2 to 28, the American brand was a real market disruptor when it landed in 2016. Inclusivity is at the heart of its marketing too: each piece is shown on three different models on its website, showcasing varied body types. It also offers comprehensive size guides for its range of styles. This shouldn’t feel revolutionary in 2022, yet hardly any brands commit to this diversity for their customers.

Despite coming to British shores in 2017, the buzz around Good American was lacking here, and I missed the boat when it first launched. But, as we tentatively started making social plans after lockdown, I knew I needed to find a new pair of staple jeans that not only fit, but complemented my body shape.

After trying at least 20 pairs of jeans from other brands on my fruitless mission to find good denim, I finally came across Good American and found it truly changed the game. Read on for everything you need to know about my holy grail pair of jeans.

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Curvy women will be all too familiar with the dreaded waist to stomach/bum ratio when it comes to jeans... If you have an hourglass figure, you’ll either be faced with a huge gap around the waist in favour of more room around your stomach, or a better fitting waist with unbearable tightness everywhere else. And don’t even get us started on the camel toe mom jean saga.

This issue becomes even more pertinent with straight jeans – a seemingly contradictory style for us curvy folk. Skinny jeans often have far more stretch and it is easier to find styles that hug the contours of your body comfortably, but most straight jeans are – quite literally – straight all the way down, leaving me unable to fit my behind into any of them.

Much to my delight, Good American has truly answered my prayers with these “good heritage” jeans. Designed with curves in mind, they are, revolutionarily, relaxed around the leg but fitted through the hips, giving me the perfect fit.

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After giving up hope that I’d ever be able to wear straight leg jeans, the feeling of putting on a pair that actually hangs off the leg in the right way, offering enough width around the calf without any clinging, was euphoric. The slightly cropped leg balances the rest of my frame and the jeans are perfectly high waisted – not too high but long enough for good coverage around the stomach.

Plus, there was no disastrous gaping around the waist or unbearable tightness around my stomach, everything felt truly designed to my shape, and made me realise how robbed I’ve been by other brands who made me feel like I couldn’t wear straight leg jeans as a plus-size woman.

For transparency, I did go up a size in these, but that’s standard practice for me when it comes to jeans that offer no stretch – plus, Good American suggests doing so with this particular style, too.

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I’m pleased to report that there was no camel toe in sight (I know you’ll be wondering) and I felt totally comfortable while sitting down all day in these jeans too. This pair washed well on a cold cycle (as recommended by the brand) and kept their shape after air drying.

I wouldn’t usually fork out £140 on a pair of jeans, but the fit, quality and attention to detail made me feel truly liberated and I can’t see myself shopping anywhere else going forward. Good American’s jeans shows plus-size women that they don’t have to limit themselves to certain styles, and for me, the confidence boost is worth every penny. I can’t wait to buy more jeans from a brand that actually values and celebrates my body shape.