Son in Between Pant Sizes

JC Penney and Sears both have slim fit and husky jeans. It cracked me up to see husky with slim fit legs, but wouldn't you know, that's what my almmost 11 year old son wears. I got them at JCP.

My son is 9 and he is a little big in the belly/waist area and we go through the same thing; if we buy them to fit in the waist they are too big everywhere else and the older they get it is harder to find an elastic waist in pants. My son got to the point where he hated trying on so many different sizes/styles and shopping just became a nightmare. My solution was to just shorten them so at least they were not so long. His solution: just wear shorts EVERYDAY as we can still find shorts with an elastic waist. At first I had major problems with him going to school when raining or real cold outside with shorts on but he tells me: "Mom, as long as I have on a long sleeve shirt and a warm jacket I am fine with shorts everyday." It's funny because now that my son wears shorts everyday I notice there are a few other kids that do too!! In the winter though we have to put a blanket in the car for him to throw over his legs when we first get in the car for the drive to school until the heater kicks in ;).
For shopping for pants that are grown out of so quickly thrift shops are really the way to go as cant beat the prices.

My oldest is the same way and I went to Goodwill and bought him 5 new pairs of pants for $10.

I have a similar case with my 12 year old, although he's not gaining weight due to gaining corpulence, he is stretching out, taller, very quickly and his clothes don't seem to fit him right. He's still outgrowing those in the 14-16 and they somehow don't look right for the reasons you've mentioned. I find that I buy him one change of clothes at the next size, but I also am seeing "hand-me-downs" of the "small" men's size clothes, although he probably doesn't want to use some of these, there are a few that he seems ok with, e.g. sweaters, hoodies, jeans. No simple solution, just not buying too many of the wrong size, I guess. Good luck and enjoy your sprouting son's growth! (More of him to love).

a cheap alternative is this in berkeley ca on shattuck there is a place called crossroads trading it is a gently used clothing store he should love the place while u love the prices it has really decent clothes and great brands also hip store with some really good prices i can spend eighty dollars in there on myself and have like four different outfits as well as shoes you can turn in his men sizes there for store credit i think too. I swear by this store. its so affordable and trendy so its not like wearing the taboo thrift store clothes that kids seem to have a problem with these days.

In addition to various brands fitting differently, there are different cuts of jeans available. My boys don't fit in the boot cut; they need the loose fit. Are there any 30s with the adjustable elastic inside the waist? Maybe a seamstress could put one in for you. I think I'm heading down this past in the next year. Good luck.

T.,
I don't know exactly what to tell you about getting him fit correctly, but I wanted to mention that I sell LOTS of my son's barely worn clothing on ebay. Then I can use that money to buy the next size. Just a thought. Good luck!

My daughter has a friend with the same problem. They are 12. He asked his mom if she could go with them to pick out clothes. They found jeans at Sears that were labled 'skinny', which at first they passed over thinking that they were the new super tight, tapered, 80's throwback jeans that are so popular now, but when they looked again it turned out they were just cut slimmer through the bottom and legs. He tried them on and they looked great! I think they were Levi brand.
Another thought, when my kids were going through the constant growing stage (my almost 13yr old is still there, 5'5" and no signs of stopping!) we only buy 3 pairs of pants at a time. She just has to make it work. On a good note, her feet have stayed the same size for a whole year so she can have extra pairs of shoes to make up for it. :o)

I agree with T., my oldest is a little weed and grows and grows! Its impossible to keep ____@____.com he is a good bit younger than your son, and I get him pants that have the elastic pulls in them? But yeah I would say buy it a lil baggy, get a belt. As for the length, you can get those double sided tapes for clothing?? And then just flip the bottoms in and there ya go? I wish you SUCH good luck, that sounds like a toughy..

Are there elastic waist pants that you could buy?

My son is only 5, but has the same issues. First we went to elastic waist pants. We found some very nice ones at Gap. Then he lost the tummy in an up spurt and they got loose enough that they rubbed him raw so we changed to "sweat pants". I put it in quotes because these are not designed for athletics but look like regular pants. Thay have elastic waist and are soft and comfy. If he doesn't tuck-in his shirt, you cant tell they aren't jeans.

Go to thrift store or garage sales for good used clothes, also clearance racks. Have you tried different brands? I've found in childrens clothes that difference brands fit VERY differently. Like Gap pants fit wider and longer then other brands. One other thought... Can you sew? Or know anyone who does? My Mother-In-Law is a seamstress and she could adjust those pants in a snap!

Hi T.!

I do not mean to sound 'flip' at all...but get him a belt...buy the 'comfy' size...and be glad that 'baggie' is still in!

take care
michele/cat

My son is going through the same thing right now. The problem is that the sizes are switching from boys' (16-18) to mens' (waist sizes). The overall proportions seem to be different. It can also be difficult to find 29" waist size. Most mens' departments start at size 30" waist. You would think that a 30" waist wouldn't be that different in overall fit, but it is. It's not just a matter of shortening the hems. My son likes the tighter "skater" look, so we have tried on pants in almost every place in town looking for something that is not too tight or not too loose. We have not had alot of success, so I know what you are going through.

Warm up pants have elastic waists and are usually OK to wear to school. Kmart had a line of pants that were drawstring and made of twill material. As long as the shirt was not tucked in, you had a "normal" looking pant. Also, inexpensive so no problem when he grew out of them quickly.

How about trying a size 30 slim with an elastic waist band.

Try this: https://www.tryperfectfitbutton.com/?refcode=pf6

My son is going through the same thing, and I'm considering ordering this.

Dear T.,
My son is the same way. He's 14 and outgrows everything before he wears them out. I always know when another growth spurt is on the way because he fills out in the middle first and then shoots up in height.
I have found that different brands fit differently. He'll wear a 30 waist in one kind and a 33 in another. He prefers "relaxed fit" pants and wears a belt.
Since your son's pants are in such good condition, I would look into consignment shops in your area. Some pay cash for clothes, some give store credit. You might be able to find things to fit him there or at a Thrift store without breaking the bank. My son is in men's sizes too, so we usually go to Ross where they have a little bit of everything and he tries on about a million pairs of pants and maybe 5 will fit him. We always get them a little big because they won't fit in 3 weeks otherwise. The nice thing about jeans is that they go with everything and if he has a few pair exactly alike, it doesn't make any difference. My son's been down to two pair that actually fit him so I just wash and rotate until we find him some for the next round of growth.
Boys don't really stop growing until they're like, 20 years old, so you've got a way to go with this. Fortunately, my son isn't picky as long as the zipper works and there aren't any stains or holes. He doesn't care as long as they're comfortable and he knows it's not easy to find pants to fit him.
You've gotten some good tips from other moms who go through the same thing so I hope you find what works for you.
Best of luck!