Where to Find Work Pants If You’re Curvy
I saw readers wondering where to find work pants if you're curvy, so I thought I'd round up some options in as many size ranges as I could. Readers, do you prefer to wear curvy cuts for your pants for work? Which brands are your favorite?
What Are Curvy Cuts for Pants?
Retailers have finally realized that not every woman is shaped the same — and for many women, the hip-to-waist ratio is the hardest to fit for pants. Buy a pant that fits in the waist, and the hips are too tight… Buy a pant that fits in the hips, and there's a huge gap in the back of your pants.
We talked about this long ago when a reader wondered how to dress professionally with a “bubble butt,” and we had a fun open thread on the best workwear brands if you have hips — but it's been a while!
Where to Find Work Pants If You're Curvy
Well… let's acknowledge that even curvy bodies come in different sizes! Height is a huge deal if you're shopping for pants for work, so let's look at a few different dimensions.
The TL;DR Answer on Where to Find Curvy Work Pants
Hunting for work pants if you're curvy? As of 2024, you can find them at Ann Taylor (regular and petite sizes 00-18), Banana Republic Factory (00-20, 00P-14P, 00T-20T), Loft (regular, petite, and tall sizes 00-18), and White House Black Market (00-18, regular, short, and long). Talbots also offers some options in sizes regular, petite, plus, and plus-size petites, as does Lane Bryant. (Banana Republic seems to have temporarily stopped making them, unfortunately.)
Where to Find Pants For Work If You're Curvy, Wear Sizes 0-12, and Are At Least 5'4″
- Aam the Label – this brand specializes in pants if you have a hard-to-fit waist-to-fit ratio; they offer sizes XS-XL
- Anatomie – XS-XL
- Ann Taylor – regular sizes 00-18
- Banana Republic Factory – sizes 00-20
- H&M – limited selection sizes 2-20
- J.Crew – 00-24
- Loft – sizes 00-18
- Express – sizes 0-18
- White House Black Market – sizes 00-18
- Talbots – sizes 2-18
Where to Find Work Pants If You're Curvy and Short
If you're curvy and petite, this gets slightly more difficult — but if you're in sizes 0-14, you still have a lot of options.
- Ann Taylor – petite sizes 00-18
- Banana Republic Factory – 00P-14P
- Loft – petite sizes 00-18
- Express – short lengths for sizes 0-18
- White House Black Market – short lengths for sizes 00-18
- Talbots – 2P-16P (they also have petite plus sizes!)
Where to Find Pants for the Office If You're Curvy and Plus Sized
- Available up to size 18: Ann Taylor, Loft, Express, White House Black Market
- Banana Republic Factory – available up to size 20
- J.Crew – 00-24
- Lane Bryant – size 12-28
- Talbots – 14W-24W
Where to Find Work Pants If You're a Curvy Petite Plus Size
This is one of the rarest style ranges for stores, despite the fact that so many women are in petite sizes and over a size 14. (I've even read that the average American woman is 5'4″ and wears a size 14.)
So where to look?
- Available up to size 18P: Ann Taylor, Loft, Express, White House | Black Market
- Talbots: Their petite plus size range is for sizes 14-22, and they have some curvy options. Their “regular” petite range is from 0-16.
- Lane Bryant – petite sizes 12P-28P AND short sizes 12S-28S
Where to Find Pants and Trousers If You're Curvy and Tall
- Banana Republic Factory – 00T-20T
- Loft – tall sizes 00-18
- Express – long lengths sizes 0-18
- White House Black Market – long lengths sizes 00-18
- Lane Bryant – 12L-28L
What to Do If You Can't Find Curvy Pants for Work
Where to Find Work Clothes with Stretch
As of 2024, some of the brands we know of that have stretch in them include Brooks Brothers, White House Black Market (their “Comfort Stretch” line in particular) and shapewear brand Spanx (sizes XS-3X, and petite sizes too). You might also want to check out our roundup of sweater jackets for the office if you're OK with a slightly more casual look. Nordstrom also has a lot of knit blazers for sale!
Where to Find Made-to-Measure Work Clothes
Hunting for the best made-to-measure work clothes? As of 2024, the best options we know of are Brooks Brothers, Sumissura, Etsy sellers Heart My Closet, VigilanteLabs, and CelesteLilou, as well as smaller brands like Loud Bodies, Sharpe Suiting, IGIGI, and Rita Phil (pencil skirts only), plus eShakti.
Some of our favorite stores that offer free alterations for members include Nordstrom, J.Crew, Banana Republic, and Uniqlo (select styles). If you're crafty, you may also want to check out our roundup of sewing patterns for workwear outfits.
Where to Find Jeans If You're Curvy
In addition to all of the above (which may have jeans as well!), do check:
Tahari at Macy’s also works. They aren’t described as curvy, but are cut with room in the hips.
Next question – where to find curvy plus size that you can try on in the store… Pretty much everyone seems to make either the curvy line, plus sizes, or both an ‘online exclusive’. And I’m not even all that plus. I wear a 16 and still find half the clothes my size aren’t in any store in a 500 mile radius of me.
I love the DEMOCRACY® DENIM “Ab”solution® Fit Technology jeans! Their great fit is thanks to stretchy fabric, elastic waistband, curved sweetheart cut with darts. Sizes 00 – 18, Missy, Petite, Plus, Tall. Lots of styles and colors. They are also sold instore in Nordstrum, Macy’s, & Saks. I can’t say enough good things about this brand
I would love an article about the opposite issue–what about those of us with a straighter (not necessarily skinnier) shape? If pants fit my waist, they are invariably too big in the hips and thighs. Pants that fit well in the hips mean slow death by asphyxiation from the waistband.Elastic waists are one solution, but I’d love to hear about brands that offer a better fit without elastic (especially jeans!)