So a friend of mine writes to me and says, and I quote, "Can you please make a post about the right pants to wear with an ass like mine?!" Well, ask and you shall receive, sweet thang. That's what I'm here for.
Let me preface this post by getting this out of the way though: I absolutely hate pants. I stay away from the things as much as possible for the very reason my friend wanted me to write about them: when you're fat, pants are seriously the most complicated article of clothing to get right. That's why personally, I try to stick to skirts and dresses and thus side step the entire mess.

The thing is, telling you what pants to buy is tricky because it honestly comes down to trying the darn things on. A pair that looks great on the hanger (or on someone else) could give you massive camel toe or make you look ridiculously stumpy. It sucks, but it's true: when it comes to buying pants, there are few tangible rules since they fit everyone so differently. But, that said, I will give you some recommendations on what I think you should keep an eye out for:

• Make sure pants fit nicely (read: snug) in the hip and thigh area, everything else can be altered by a tailor. There are few things worse than loose-fitting jeans, unless that's the look you're going for (which I don't really recommend for plus sized girls--the more body conscious, the better). Please note, this does not mean you should be squeezing into anything.
• Small back pockets are usually a no-go.
• No back pockets are always a no-go.
  
• Do not believe the lie that fat girls can't wear skinny jeans, I don't care what Stacy and Clinton say.
• A good place to shop is in the department stores that carry the ever elusive "Juniors plus" section (or places like Delias and Alloy, which carry jr. sizes up to 19 and 25, respectively). They get the whole "just because we're fat doesn't mean we wanna wear mom jeans" thing.
• I am extremely partial to dark denim, and usually stay away from any fading/designs/etc. No, I would not like rhinestones on my ass, thanks for the offer though.
• Okay, I must admit that while I am all for plus-sized girls breaking stereotypes of what they supposedly can and can't pull off, I gotta say, I'm totally not a fan of fat girls in high-waisted pants. I am open to someone proving me wrong, but so far it hasn't happened. And unless you have the fashion know-how to be sure you look bangin' in 'em, I'd avoid those too.

As for me, I've had success with pants and jeans from Old Navy and Torrid, and I've heard great things about urban brands like Apple Bottoms (yes, I know some of their stuff is downright heinous, but if nothing else, they know how to make a good fat-girl jean. Again, just stay away from the rhinestone/neon apples and stick to the basics please). Lastly, as most of you probably know, Lane Bryant came out with the "Right Fit" sizing system, which is supposed to solve all of these problems by making different sized pants based not only on how big you are, but also on your body-type. I haven't tried these myself (I tend to avoid LB like the plague), but I've heard mixed reviews. Here are a couple of examples of jeans I'd actually consider worth checking out:
Denim101 by GabiGregg

I have nowhere near that many pairs of pants in my closet though; the only ones I do wear on a regular basis are my absolute favorite, the Tripp Skinny Twill Pant from Torrid. These things are fabulous. They're made with the most forgiving fabric, I swear it's like wearing leggings. Here I am sporting them with a jersey knit size large (I told you, magic) top from f21:Don't hate me; I know I wrote a lot to say a little. Just know there is only one message hiding within all of this text: to find pants, you gotta do the grunt work. Go try a bunch on and cross your fingers that you find that perfect fit (and if you do, memorize what aspects of the pants you like so you can look for them in the future!) And remember, depending on your body type, sometimes it really is just necessary to get your pants tailored. It's relatively inexpensive and will make a world of difference.
...Or you can just be like me, say to hell with pants altogether, and throw on some leggings or tights with a cute dress. Trust me, it's much easier that way.