I spent a Tuesday afternoon in my bedroom with a full-length mirror, two shopping bags, and a growing sense that maybe jeans just aren't made for bodies like mine.
But let me back up.
I ordered three pairs from Torrid and three from Eloquii. Same size (18). Same style category (high-waisted skinny). Same hope.
Here's what actually happened.
Torrid's Stretch Denim – The "Bombshell" Skinny
First impression: soft. Really soft. Like sweatpants pretending to be jeans.
I pulled them on without unbuttoning them first. That's how much stretch there is. They went over my hips without the weird shimmy dance I usually do.
The good:
They stay up. No belt needed. The waistband hit me at my natural waist, not below my belly. I sat down, stood up, sat down again — no gap in the back.
The weird:
By hour three, they bagged out at the knees. Not a little. A lot. I looked like I'd worn them for three days, not three hours.
Also, the pockets are fake. The front ones. Why are we still doing this?
Eloquii's Power Soft – The "High-Waisted Ankle Skinny"
These feel different right out of the bag. Thicker. More like actual denim, but still stretchy.
Putting them on took effort. I had to unbutton them first. That's not bad — it just means they're not pretending to be pajamas.
The good:
They held their shape all day. No baggy knees. No saggy butt by dinnertime. The waistband has this inner grip thing that actually works — I didn't pull them up once.
The pockets are real. Deep enough for my phone.
The weird:
The rise is almost too high. Like, almost to my ribcage high. I'm 5'4" and they made my torso look shorter.
Also, they're warm. Thicker fabric means hotter legs. Fine for winter. Not great for August.
The fit test nobody talks about
I did three things in each pair.
1. Sat down for 20 minutes. Torrid left a red mark on my stomach. Eloquii didn't.
2. Walked up and down my stairs five times. Both stayed up. No pulling.
3. Put my phone in the back pocket and sat on it. Torrid: felt the phone. Eloquii: didn't.
Small things. But they matter.
The one thing that surprised me
Torrid's size 18 was roomier than Eloquii's size 18. I double-checked the tags. Same number. Different fit.
I measured the waistbands flat on the floor. Torrid was almost an inch wider.
So if you're between sizes, Torrid might be more forgiving. Eloquii runs closer to straight-size expectations — which means if you carry weight in your lower belly, you might need to size up.
The honest answer
Keep Torrid if you want comfort right this second and don't mind replacing them in six months.
Keep Eloquii if you want jeans that still look like jeans at 5pm.
I kept one pair from each. The Torrid pair for Sundays when I'm not leaving the house. The Eloquii pair for everything else.
But here's what I really learned: neither pair made me feel bad about my body. That's rare. That's worth something.
I still don't love shopping for jeans. I still try on five and keep one. But at least now I know which brands won't make me cry in the dressing room.
That's a win. A small one. But I'll take it.