Levi's Women's Plus-Size 512 Boot Cut Jean

I first purchased these jeans online from Macy's in the spring of 2014 and loved them so much i decided to get another pair. When i googled Levi 512, I was delighted to see Amazon carried them and at a lower price and prime free shipping to boot! The Amazon order was in August of 2014 and those pair were exactly the same as the Macy's pair and i was happy. Recently I've dropped 20 pounds and my jeans have been getting noticeably looser so i decided to order another pair in one size down. Well these jeans have changed in the past year. The pros are the fit is still great, they are exactly what i would expect for a size smaller and the price is still about the same. The main con I have is that the rear pocket design is now just the classic Levi sewn thread design instead of the silver studded 'bling' design that last year's pairs had. The other differences I'm still up in the air on if they are pro or con in my mind. Here they are so that you can decide for yourself:The 2014 pair are made in China and are 84% cotton 14% poly 2% elastane. The 2015 pair are made in Sri Lanca and are 60% cotton, 22% Viscose 16% poly 1% elastane. The new pair have noticeably less 'heft' to the denim feel. They are not super thin like some jeans out there but do feel less durable. Size-wise the difference in going down a size was 2 1/2" in the waist, 1/2" in the rise and 1" in the hip. Leg width remained the same. Overall they are still my favorite jean as they fit my body type - smaller waist with heavier hip/thigh. No muffin top and i don't have to continually keep yanking them up over my hips.

I have another pair of these jeans that I have had for a few years that I love. They are getting a bit snug and I figured with the holidays here, it wouldn't hurt to get another pair a size bigger. I started getting really nervous after reading some of the reviews, so here are my $.02. First off, they do fit and I am keeping them. So, yay for that. That being said - they are different material than my older pair. My older pair was stretchy, but still felt like jeans. These are very stretchy and thin. I really wouldn't even call them jeans. I don't know what they are. Secondly, they do fit but a bit strange. The waist is still relatively small compared to other jeans, which is great for hourglass figures. Hips and stomach are fine, but they are really baggy in the upper thigh and tight in the knees. Haven't had a pair of pants fit like this before. Because of how much I love my other pair, I would possibly get these again, but I will be looking around at some other styles and brands. 4 starts because the size I got fit, but not really excited about the fabric and somewhat odd fit. Oh, the zipper, oddly enough, is the only thing that says Levis. :(

I have purchased several pairs of these over the past few years, and they are reliably comfortable, attractive, and each pair fits pretty much exactly like the last pair, although the newer ones seem slightly more stretchy than the older ones. However, the front pockets keep getting smaller. To the point of uselessness. Maybe it was a freak pair, but the newest ones just have these tiny front pockets -- oh, they look the same from the outside but they are shallow. So much so that if you put anything in them and then sit down, the contents pop right out. Might as well just sew them shut. You can't even really put your hands all the way in them. Why? I wear jeans because they have pockets! The back pockets are as useful as ever but the detailing on the back pocket seems to change over time as well. Not a big deal, just a little annoying. But it's not like buying the Levi's of the past, where each pair was identical in quality and style to the pair you bought last time. Welcome to the global economy, I guess.

So let's be clear about what these jeans are not - they are not officially licensed and branded Levi's. These are factory "seconds/irregulars" that have no name on the red pocket tag, paper hang tags or stickers. The shape of the logo is there, but the name "Levi's" has been removed. I am going to guess that this is why the fit on the jeans are off so much. I normally wear between a 14 and 16. Having read the reviews I ordered a 16 and an 18. The 18 fits me. I could not get the 16's past my hips. The quality of the jeans are great, and the fit is really good, and I really don't care about the little white word "Levi's" on the very small tag on the rear pocket so I will keep them, but do know that these are factory seconds, and if you think you will be sashaying around with Levi's on your rear it is not going to happen.

I found this Jean several years ago, and I now have maybe six pairs in various shades, and sizes. I really like this jean, but agree with the other reviewers that there is inconsistency in the sizing. This is true for a lot of clothing due to the fact that each piece of a garment is cut in multiple stacks at a time, this results in several of the finished garments being a little off-size. That being said, even though I perfer trying on items in the store (ok, not really), I purchased the size that I bought last time and the fit is off just a smidge. This jean looks great on, and has the right amount of stretch and the waistband has just the right amount of give. I whould also like to add that I don't get hung up on sizing, let's face it, you're reading this review because you're buying a plus-size jean; (I have to go up a size in this jean) I buy what fits and looks good. Happy Shopping!