Comfort is key. When you find the right fit in a pair of pants, you know. The waistband should be snug but not overly tight (a good rule of thumb: You should be able to place a finger or two comfortably between your waist and the waistband).
In the two-finger test, you can figure out if you're wearing the right size or not. A waistline that fits well standing up might just be too tight while sitting down, which is why you need a size that hugs well in all movements possible. If you can't pinch your pants and still find space, you need to go a size higher.
WAIST. The waist of the trouser should sit comfortably on your natural waist, not your hips. Jeans are often cut to sit lower on the hips with a natural “sag” effect, but not trousers. This is why men who don't often wear trousers feel that they are sitting uncomfortably high.
While both high waisted and low rise jeans are in, both offer incredibly different styles. High waisted jeans should clasp at or above your belly button, and are a great way to accentuate your figure. On the other hand, low rise jeans should sit right at your hips.
The best thing would be to get the larger size and have them taken in by a tailor to give you the perfect fit. Unless you are actively on a lifestyle change plan (i.e. diet), I would not keep the smaller pants. Everything in your closet should fit you comfortably and make you look good and feel good!
Pleat the waistband and use a belt to hold everything in place. Start by pulling your pants forward so you can see how oversized they are. Fold and pinch the excess fabric into 2 large pleats, until the waistband is taut and comfortable around your waist.
Too Tight - If the waistband feels snug on your waist (and not in a good way) then your jeans are too tight. Or if it feels like the waistband is digging into your stomach and/or hip bones, then the jeans are too tight for you. Another tell tale sign the waistband is too tight is when the fly area is pulling open.
Suit pants or dress pants should sit at the top of your hip bones, directly below your navel. Dress trousers will fit more conservatively than other pants, which is to say that you should not be able to see the contours of your butt. The key here it achieve some drape while avoiding unnecessarily large or loose pants.
The first wash cycle usually causes most of the shrinkage a garment will undergo through relaxation. Additional shrinkage in the next few wash cycles is called progressive shrinkage. Usually after 5 wash cycles, shrinkage is complete and clothing won't shrink anymore over time.
Wearing clothes that are poorly fitted doesn't make a person looking more slim. It won't matter if clothes are too large or too tight, neither makes the person look slimmer than they are. Baggy clothes add bulk.
A new pair of jeans is sort of like a new pair of shoes: they rarely fit perfectly until they've been broken in. Sure, there's a time and place for tight jeans that look painted on, but no pair of denim — under any circumstances — should cut off circulation or leave you gasping for air.
Stick your arm inside the waistband. If the gap between your hand and the end of the jeans is too large, the jeans are too big. If you can't fit your arm into the waistband, the jeans are too small. If you can fit your arm in perfectly, that's your 'perfect pair.
If you have a short torso or you are average height or petite, super high rise may not work. Essentially, we want to be sure that you have a top, a middle and a bottom. If you keep moving your pants up too high, they'll feel like they are going too close to your bra.
Wide-leg jeans are designed with more room in the hips and therefore do not accentuate the tummy area as much. Combine a wide leg style with an extra high waist and, trust me, the results are truly confidence-boosting.
However, if you have a bigger stomach, you will most likely prefer mid-rise or high-waisted jeans. Low-rise jeans are more likely to cut into your stomach, making them less comfortable to wear when sitting down.
You should be able to fit two fingers in the waistband for comfort. Length: For wide-leg pants, the length should sit above the shoe line. If you are predominantly wearing heels, the length should be altered to fit that height.
For dress pants, a classic rise will leave the waistband sitting at the mid-to-high hip level — so just below your belly button. Your waistband should be snug enough that adding a belt or rocking suspenders would be a style choice, not a necessity. If your rise is too short, you may notice a “wedgie” effect.