Let’s talk about something we’ve all probably dealt with – the elusive search for a perfect pair of jeans. But not just any jeans. I’m talking about barrel jeans. For the uninitiated, these are the jeans that have that effortlessly cool, laid-back vibe – relaxed in the hips and thighs with a slightly tapered ankle. The ones that look like you just threw them on and walked out looking chic without even trying. Sounds dreamy, right?
Now, imagine trying to find a pair of plus-size barrel jeans. Sounds like a treasure hunt, doesn’t it? Spoiler alert: it is. And unfortunately, my search for the holy grail of barrel jeans ended in a major fail. But let’s rewind a bit and talk about the process of what I found — because if you’re anything like me, you know the struggle is real.
Do Barrel Jeans Work For Plus Size?
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I’ll admit, I was skeptical as to whether this denim trend was one that would work for the big girls, but after hearing everyone on the team rave about how much they loved this style, I thought okay, let’s buckle up and give this jean trend a try.
In my search for plus-size barrel jeans, I was pleasantly surprised to find nearly 10 options at a variety of price points. And as you can imagine after placing my order (and ordering every single pair I could find) I was excited. The idea of loose-fitting jeans with a flattering, tapered ankle seemed like the perfect balance of comfort and style. I could picture myself wearing them cropped tees and sneakers, living my best life, casual chic.
But if I am being totally honest, I am not convinced that this style of jean works for plus-size women that carry the majority of their weight in their bums and thighs. I could however imagine this being a slightly better fit for a more apple-shaped woman. After an extensive round of trying on multiple styles, fits, and cuts, I have to admit something I don’t want to. The barrel jeans I so desperately wanted? They simply aren’t out there (yet?) in a fit that works for me.
Let’s get into the details of everything I tried, because while they didn’t work for me, they might for you!
The Most “Barrel” of All: Anthropologie Pilcro Barrel Jeans
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It’s no secret that my love for Anthropologie runs deep, they are one of the few brands to really embrace creating trending clothing for plus size babes, and they definitely didn’t shy away from creating several pairs of barrel jeans for plus size women. They really nailed down the aesthetic of what a barrel jean should look like, and the pilcro barrel jeans were definitely the most “barrel” of all the jeans I tried.
Initially, when I tried them on and looked in the mirror I thought wow I found them, these are it! I LOVED how they looked from the front, but after snapping a few photos of the back, I unfortunately hated the butt pockets. I have a juicy bum, and TBH these just do nothing for one of my favorite assets. I’m not sure why Anthro decided to design these jeans with back pockets that are sown to the thigh seem, but it just doesn’t work.
Overall the size of these definitely run too big on me and I would need alterations, and if I kept them, I would have opted for an alteration at the center butt seam to bring the pockets closer to each other. So perhaps with a few tweaks, these would have been perfect, but let’s be real I have a heap of clothes that have been waiting to be altered for over a year, and I don’t think I need to add anything to that pile of clothes that I have yet to wear because the fit isn’t right.
My Fav, But These Aren’t Giving “Barrel”: Good American Relaxed Barrel Jeans
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Good American’s relaxed barrel jeans are my favorite of everything I tried, but nothing about these reads as “barrel.” Both pairs of jeans I ordered from Good American don’t have the quintessential barrel detailing like all the other jeans, and TBH they feel more like a 90s style baggy jean.
Even though these don’t give me any of the barrel jeans vibes I was going for, I absolutely love the fit and the simplicity of this jean. The length was pretty spot on for me, and I liked how they hugged my hips and waist yet had a baggier feel from the thigh down.
So are these jeans a winner? YES. But are they a winning barrel jean? NO.
The Good American Relaxed Barrel Jeans Fit Different Based On Wash
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I ordered the exact same pair of GA jeans in a different wash, and boy oh boy do these fit differently. While I love the charcoal color of the Good Barrel, I found that these would have required more alterations than the green pair.
Since this wash is a true denim material, they have a more rigid feel than the green pair did, and I found that the gapping in the back was more significant than the first pair as well. This in part could be due to the fact that I opted to size up one size to account for that rigid denim feel.
I am no stranger to having gapping in the back of my jeans, especially since I have a 10+ inch difference between my hips and my waist, but ultimately these weren’t a pair I wanted to keep for alterations.
Torrid Festi Barrel Jeans
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As a 5’2″ girlie, it’s rare for me to have complaints about a pair of jeans being too short. But for the first time, maybe ever, I found that Torrid’s Festi barrel jeans aren’t long enough. These make my butt look the best of all, and I do like the barreling details but they are too short for me, and I am only 5’2″ Def not for tall girls!
IMO, Torrid also nailed the detailing of the barrel look. The stitching, the lined paneling and detail on the pockets, all make these jeans feel special and interesting.
My only ick with these is that they were just too short, and would be a full-on cropped jean for anyone taller than me.
So here we are: a search that started with hope, excitement, and anticipation, but ultimately ended in a fail. And you know what? It’s okay to admit it. Not every fashion quest has a happy ending. Some trends aren’t made for every body type, no matter how much we want them to be. I’m not giving up on my jeans journey—I’ll keep searching, keep trying, and keep finding new ways to style what works for me. But this? This wasn’t it.
Maybe one day, the perfect pair of plus-size barrel jeans will be out there. But for now, I’m hitting “add to cart” on a comfy, high-waisted pair of straight-leg jeans and calling it a day.
XX – Kat @thekatrinanichole on yt
