Nothing feels better than slipping into a perfect fitting pair of jeans!  Below is a guide to help you buy that perfect pair of jeans on eBay. A size chart is included, paying special attention to how to measure the Waist, Rise, Hips, Thigh, Inseam and Leg Opening Measurements. I have also included a section on the difference between Juniors, Misses and Plus size jeans,  along with  a section on why sizes vary so much. 

Too many times, when buyers search for jeans they search by size or just by waist and inseam.  Although these are good guides to start your search with, they should not be your only guide! 

Sizing can vary drastically from manufacturer to manufacturer and even from style to style by the same manufacturer. For instance a pair of Abercrombie size 6 jeans may be the same fit as a pair of Richcow size 11 jeans. 
When buying a pair of jeans, you need to be aware of the style, cut  and the fabric content of the pair of jeans. If  you don't know the Style and Cut that is ok as long as you pay attention to ALL of the following measurements: Waist, RISE, Hips, Thigh, Inseam, Leg opening.  All of these things can drastically affect the way a pair of jeans will fit you.

The first thing you want to do is find your favorite pair of jeans (most likely you are wearing them...grin). 

Next you will want to get the measurements.  You will want to measure your jeans laying flat on a surface, not when you are wearing them, as most ebay sellers take the measurements laying flat. You don't want to go by your personal measurements, but by the jeans measurements, because they will generally be a little bigger than your personal measurements.   Write down the following measurements:

• WAIST:  Measure it across the front of the waistband from side to side, then double it.
• HIPS: Where to measure the hips can be tricky. A good spot is from the bottom of the zipper Then measure across the front and double it.
• RISE:  This is one of the most important measurements. Measure from the seam at the crotch, straight up,  to the top of the waist band  above the waist button.
• THIGH:  Measure across the front of the leg from the crotch seam to the other side and double it.
• INSEAM:  Measure the inside leg seam from the seam at the crotch, to the hem of the jeans.
• LEG OPENING:  Measure the bottom of the leg at hem across the front and double it.

 What is the fabric content of the jeans? Are they 100% cotton or are they a blend of different fabrics? Do they have Spandex in them and if so how much?  A pair of jeans that are 98% Cotton and 2% Spandex will fit differently than a pair of jeans that are 100% cotton or 80% Cotton, 12% Polyester and 8% Spandex.  Generally the more spandex content  the more the jeans will stretch and give when you wear them. When buying stretch jeans, remember that the more the jeans are streched the tighter they will hug your curves.

Once you get these measurements and fabric content, then you are ready to go shopping on ebay!  (Of course you will want to slip back on your favorite pair of jeans...grin).

As a guide, search first by the size or the waist size, once you find a few pair of jeans you like, then look for the measurements and HOW the seller measured the jeans, if the measurements are not listed, then email the seller and ask them what those measurements are and how they measured them (if they measured them differently than the guide listed above, re-measure your favorite jeans the same way they measured their jeans, and compare the measurements).   

Don't get stuck on a size and don't just go by the waist and inseam as the RISE is extremely important when purchasing a pair of jeans.  For instance if  the rise on your favorite fitting pair of jeans is 10 inches, and the rise on a pair of jeans you are looking at is 7 inches, this will drastically affect where the waist of the jeans will fall on your hips. (Most likely even if the waist size is the same as your favorite jeans, the jeans with the shorter rise will be to small for you).  Generally your hips are larger than your waist, therefore the lower (shorter) the rise the lower the waist of the jeans will fall on your hips.  Thus you would need a larger waist size the lower the rise of the jeans are.  Just the opposite should be considered on High Rise/Waist jeans.  You will normally need a smaller waist size on higher waist jeans than on low rise jeans.  To help determine the waist size you will need, you will need to determine where the waist will fall on you (this can be done by going by the Rise, in this case the higher the rise the higher the waist of the jeans will be on you). Measure you waist at the point where the waist of the jeans will come up to.

Make sure you also  pay attention to the hip measurements and the inseam. Inseam is important for the length, you don't want to buy a great pair of jeans just to find out they are too short.

You will want to take the fabric content into consideration on the jeans you want to purchase.  Jeans with Spandex in them will stretch and give more than ones made of 100% Cotton.
Remember if  your favorite pair of jeans are 100% Cotton and the jeans you are thinking about purchasing are a cotton and spandex blend, the jeans may fit you a little looser once you have worn them for a bit and will have more stretch and give when you move, than 100% Cotton jeans.

What is the difference between Juniors, Misses and Plus sizes?

You want to pay attention to the size category the jeans fall into also. Some sellers will inadvertantly put Juniors or Plus sizes in the Misses Category.  Different cut and size measurements apply to each category and can drastically affect how jeans will fit you. A size 15 pair of jeans will normally be cut slimmer than a size 14 pair of jeans, because size 15's are Juniors size and 14's are Misses size.
Generally, Juniors Jeans are cut slimmer and smaller than Misses Sizes, especially in the hips and legs.. Plus Sizes are normally cut more generous to allow for a women's curves.  Be aware that there are Juniors sizes in Plus size clothing also. Juniors Plus sizes will be slimmer cut and run smaller than regular plus sizes. 
Below is a guide for different size categories:

• JUNIORS sizes run in odd numbers. Examples of Juniors sizes are 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15
• MISSES sizes run in even numbers. Examples of Misses sizes are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14
• JUNIORS PLUS sizes have an XL instead of an X behind them. Examples of Juniors Plus sizes are 1XL, 2XL, 3XL, 17, 19, 21, 23, etc.
• PLUS size examples are 1X, 2X, 3X, 14W, 16W, 18W, 20W, etc.

Why do jean sizes vary so much?

There are several reason's for the discrepancies in size to fit.  There is an industry standard size chart that some manufacturers go by, but then others will use what is known as "vanity" sizing.  Vanity sizing means if a manufacturer labels a pair of jeans a size 6 even though by industry standards it is more a size 10, a person is more likely to buy the jeans, just to say they can fit into a pair of size 6 jeans (I have to admit, I am guilty of this..grin).   Manufacturers will also often cut jeans in stacks up to 100 layers high with large fabric saws.  The jeans cut at the top of the stack can measure more than an inch different than the jeans on the bottom of the stack, however the jeans will all be marked the same size.

Thank you for taking the time to read my Guide, I hope you found it helpful! If you found this guide helpful please vote YES below, if you did not find this guide helpful, please feel free to email me with any suggestions that may make the guide better.

Please visit my Ebay store for 100's of pairs of Trendy jeans in both Juniors, Misses and Plus Sizes!Denim_Blues Ladies Jeans