My worst fitting-room experiences have always involved denim. It’s not because of a lack of options: I wear a size that’s abundantly stocked in most stores and online. (Normally, it’s a size 10.) Rather, it’s because of my body shape.

Not to fall into the old-school trope of comparing myself to a fruit, but I have what some would considered a “pear-shaped” body: small waist, big hips—but not in a proportional way. That means that, usually, jeans that fit my thighs and butt are too roomy at the waist; if I size down, though, they won’t make it past my knees. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to settling for jeans that are too big at the waist, just so my legs don’t feel trapped, and I’ll tuck in my shirt to fill in the gap that forms around the back. But I’ve never been able to walk up to the register with a pair I knew would fit just right. Instead, I’d take the waist gap as a given.

Last month, American Eagle launched a new style in its Ne(X)t Level 360 collection, which is made from a stretch fabric that’s meant to hug and conform to the body, with a tailored waistband that wouldn’t sag or gap. Available in sizes 00 through 20 online, these so-called “curvy jeggings” came in a range of washes, fits, and finishes. And they had started to generate some positive feedback on Twitter. I was intrigued.

American Eagle sent me its Curvy High-Waisted Jegging, which retails for just under $38. My immediate first impression: Though they’re called “jeggings,” this pair looked and felt a lot like skinny jeans—the fabric was just stretchier.

The main difference between these and all the other jeans I’d tried (and been disappointed by) in the past was how they sat on my waist after I had zipped and buttoned them up. The high-rise lands just above my belly button, without space leftover in the back; my thighs and butt, meanwhile, are hugged by the fabric, not choked. The waist gap I’ve come to expect? Nowhere to be found.

I wore the jeans for a few days, and even after multiple #OOTDs, the waistband held its shape. (I’d always feel frustrated when I thought I’d found denim that fit in the store, but would be totally stretched out by the second wear.) It’s a relief to find jeans suited to curvy-on-the-bottom bodies that don’t require tailoring or other compromises—and at a store that I’ve shopped since middle school.

Skinny jeans are, admittedly, not my favorite cut, so I’m hoping that American Eagle will expand this line into other silhouettes, like straight-leg jeans or kick flares. For now, though, I’m feeling pretty satisfied with this fit-to-my-shape pair.

Buy it now: American Eagle Ne(X)t Level Curvy High-Waisted Jegging, $44.95 $37.46, American Eagle

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