A friend had suggested stretchable jeans to me in the past and kept raving about how comfortable they are.  I planned to try them and finally took the leap with these Levis.  Well, they do fit great.  The stretchable material makes them very comfortable and extremely well suited to people like myself who tend to get a little heavier in the winter, thanks to less outdoor activity and more holiday dinners.  Right now, I am wearing size 38 and 40 waist pants and these actually fit better than some of my size 38 pants.  I knew they were stretchy fabric, but at size 36, I didn't expect them to fit properly until at least late spring after I'd shed most of the winter weight.  Until then, I thought I'd look Doctor Eggman from Sonic the Hedgehog in these jeans.  Well, thankfully, they don't make me look anything like that and they actually fit great right now.  There is no tightness anywhere.  The thighs are a tad more snug than the other areas but they don't look or feel tight.  These look like normal, proper fitting jeans.  I love the tapered bottoms and they really accentuate a nice pair of sneakers or dressier style boots.  They will likely fit much better when I drop the usual 10-15 pounds for summer but I like the fact that I can wear them now, even with a 38-40 waist.

The only aspect I don't like is that they ride a bit low in the rear.  I have to make sure I wear a thick belt and a long or tucked shirt with these jeans at all times.  Otherwise, I might inadvertently expose some serious plumber's crack whenever I bend over.  I doubt any weight loss will improve this because they already fit loose and wide around the top.  Other than that one small style issue, I love these jeans and they held up well to a cold/cold gentle wash and low heat tumble dry prior to wear. For older guys like me, these don't make you look like some awkward middle-age guy trying to recapture the glory days of youth in a pair of ill-fitting skinny jeans.  They look and feel like regular jeans with more flexibility and freedom.