F&F Limted Edition Bum and Tum Jeans – tried and tested size 8-20

F&F have recently launched a range of 'Bum and Tum' jeans that have been specifically designed to lift and hold in all the right places to give an amazing shape. They're available in black and blue from sizes 6-20 with both a Bootcut and Skinny option, and are £25.

So when they approached me about road-testing them I jumped at the chance.  But as I represent only one body shape it wouldn’t have be a fair (or good!) test so I asked other ladies on Avenue 57 if they would like to join in and here are the results.

Mini Conclusion

Fiona - Size 8 Black Skinny

Verdict: Fantastic quality, true to size but long

Debs - Size 8 Blue Bootcut

Verdict: Great quality, long leg, true fit

Mary - Size 10 Black Skinny

Verdict: Great fit but not skinny enough

Vicki - Size 12 Blue Skinny

Verdict: Fantastic shape but but size up

Sue - Size 14 Blue Skinny

Verdict: fantastic quality, too long and very small

Nicola - Size 14 Black Bootcut

Verdict: Great shape but too small and too long

Lorraine - Size 16Blue Bootcut

Verdict: High waistband rolls down, need to size up and very long

Alison - Size 18 Black Bootcut

Verdict: Too tight, need to size up, fantastic fit on bottom

Fiona - Size 20 Blue Skinny

Verdict: Bad cut, poorly designed, too long and too small

Sam - Size 20 Black bootcut

Verdict: Great quality but too long and too small – size up

Full Reviews and Photos

Fiona

Size 8 – Black Skinny

Verdict: Fantastic quality, true to size but long

Review: When the jeans first arrived I was very dubious – they looked TINY on the waist.  What I didn’t realise is that when you put the jeans on the waist is meant to be small to help suck you in!  I managed to get the jeans on with ease and the high waist really held me in.  It felt strange wearing such a high waist because I’m used to wearing low rise only but after a few minutes I really liked the feeling and it actually made me stand taller!

I can’t say I noticed any specific benefits on the bottom area, they did fit nicely though.

The jeans are long in the leg.  I have a 33” inside leg and they were good for me.  I’m not sure how anyone under 5ft 9 is going to make these work for them, unless they take them up.

I wouldn’t say the jeans were ‘skinny’, more of a straight leg jean.  I could wear with heels/flats but I couldn’t have worn with knee high boots, the jeans wouldn’t sit neatly inside the boot.  They did look great with an ankle slouch boot though.

Debs

Size 8 - Blue Bootcut

Verdict: Great quality, long leg, true fit

Review: I’m 43 years old, 5ft4 and my bottom half is a size 8. I have quite short legs and my problems areas I would say are my mummy tummy and my thighs.

My hopes were that the Tesco jeans would improve these areas, although they are actually jeans for bums and tums. As far as I am aware my bum is ok.  I struggle with skinny jeans because I feel short and dumpy. Perhaps I should have tried these instead of the bootcut to prove I can actually wear them but I went for the safer option that I thought was more likely to look ok.

 They were quite difficult to get on because of the high and fairly tight waist, but I could get them on so not too much of a problem and they fit well. At first they felt quite tight but they are also quite stretchy and after a while they began to feel comfortable. I am not used to wearing high waisted jeans and I don’t think my tummy appears much smaller in them. That could be because the material is denim which is quite bulky anyway.

The material is good quality and the jeans look a lot smarter than your average jeans. I am thinking I may be able to get away with wearing them with a jacket to visit clients. This would be great for me as I travel a lot by car and need to be comfortable.

 As I mentioned I have short legs and the jeans are quite long for them, but this isn't too much of a problem as I tend to buy jeans long and wear heels as I don’t like the ‘dumpy’ look. Perhaps if I’d opted for skinnies I would have also tried flats and maybe I could have persuaded myself that my legs don’t look so bad after all.

My conclusion is that I like these jeans very much. They fit well, they feel comfy and I don’t think they look too bad either. A 9/10. They will get a lot of wear.

 

Mary

Size 10 - Black Skinny

Verdict: Great fit but not skinny enough

Review:  I was initially surprised to discover the jeans were high waisted, I have not owned jeans like this for a long time.

I tried them on and found they fitted perfectly around the waist, bum and hips. They are extremely comfortable to wear and it was great not to have that 'falling down' sensation every few minutes. I found they did give a good shape especially in the bum and waist area and hid some lumps and bumps that I'd be quite aware of.

I tried the skinny jeans but think they are not quite skinny enough, especially in the calf area, for a regular fitting they were also quite long so when worn with heels they tend to look quite baggy, ie, there is too much material, this may not be the case with everyone though, my calf area is extremely slender so that has to be taken into consideration.

Overall, I found the jeans very comfortable and wouldn't hesitate to wear them.

Vicki

Size 12 - Blue Skinny

Verdict: Fantastic shape but but size up

Review: I'm normally a big size 10 so opted for a 12. When they arrived I squeezed into the 12. Definitely size up.

Better for special occasions and going out, really pulls you in and made me stand tall.  Straight leg rather than skinny, couldn't fit them in some of my boots.  Wore them for 11 hours and it was such a relief to take them off!!  Would definitely recommend them for party wear and will be wearing again.

Sue

Size 14 - Blue Skinny

Verdict: fantastic quality, too long and very small

Review: I am a massive fan of Tesco clothing and was really excited to try these new jeans!

I am usually a size 14/16 in skinny jeans so opted for the size 14s, hoping that the bum & tum lift would do the business! But these jeans are a very small fit, I could not do them up and hence have not been able to take any photos for you to see, which is very disappointing.

They are also a rather long fit. I am 5ft 7” but these jeans would need taking up, they are too long for the average-height woman I think? The cut and feel of the jeans were definitely superior for the price though, I liked the 3 buttons, the rivets and the high waisted cut. So my advice to your shoppers would be to size up and use a sewing machine to take up the hems!

Nicola

Size 14 - Black Bootcut

Verdict: Great shape but too small and too long

Review: The positives were that they did really hold you in and they were a nice shape and the material was nice and thick and good quality.  They were definitely smart enough for a going out pair of jeans and I did like the look they gave my legs.

The negatives were that they came up small in size and very long in the leg.  I would not have been able to wear them without a really high pair of heels which would rule them out for any casual wear.  Had they been a little more generous around the waist I would have felt a lot more comfortable - as it was and despite the thick waistband, I had an awful lot of overspill at the top of the jeans and the most impressive muffin top ever!

Lorraine

Size 16 - Blue Bootcut

Verdict: High waistband rolls down, need to size up and very long

Review: I got these jeans full of hope for a good fitting pair of jeans. At first I was happy with how they fitted but maybe a little bit tight. They fitted really nice around my bum and thighs.

However with the higher waist band when you sit down this rolls down. I know I have some extra weight around my belly area but this is the type of person that would be buying these jeans to help hold them in a bit.

I would be interested to see how the next size up feels but I have a feeling they would then be a bit too big around the crotch as this pair already has a small bit extra.

In conclusion these jeans for me a fine standing up but not sitting down. I would strongly recommend anyone buying these jeans to sit down in them to see what they are like on you first. It could all just be me and my body shape but I am not a fan of the higher waist band.

Alison

Size 18 - Black Bootcut

Verdict: Too tight, need to size up, fantastic fit on bottom

Review: I loved the jeans (black / bootcut)  but found them very tight on my waist - they flattened my tummy but created a bulge above (as you can see by the pictures).  The jeans fitted beautifully around my bottom and were very flattering. I wear my jeans long so the length was perfect, I am about 5'6".  I would definitely buy them but would size up.

Fiona

Size 20 - Blue Skinny

Verdict: Bad cut, poorly designed, too long and too small

Review: When I first examined the jeans, I was impressed by both quality and colour. It was immediately obvious however, that they were very narrow on the waist for their size and too wide on the leg – they’re not skinny jeans by some considerable margin...they are straight legged. They were also very long, and although I’m 5’7” or thereabouts, there was still plenty of material that gathered at the bottom, making it difficult to find shoes or boots that weren’t mostly hidden by them. It had already been proven impossible to put them inside knee high or calf length boots, as I would normally do with skinny jeans, as the legs were far too wide for that.

Once on, they weren’t entirely comfortable. Owing to their small sizing, they simply pushed excess flesh upwards, and made sitting down in them virtually impossible.

In an upright position they looked good, but I wasn’t comfortable wearing them, and can’t size up as I had the size 20 (which I wear in *every* other brand of skinny / superskinny jeans, so I know the sizing is far from the norm in these ones)

All in all, I would say that the opportunity to present a pair of reasonably priced, decent quality jeans to an extensive size range has been missed. The garment sizing at the waist is extremely small and the jeans are further let down by both the cut and length of the leg. This is unfortunate, as the quality of material and excellent colour had me impressed at the start.  A real shame.

Sam

Size 20 - Black bootcut

Verdict: Great quality but too long and too small – size up

Review: I was excited to get these jeans and really wanted to love them. First impressions were good, they are a great colour and feel like decent quality fabric.

I normally wear a size 18 in jeans but even the size 20 in these jeans was uncomfortably tight. I get that the point of them is to suck everything in but I had to lie down to do the zip up which I have never had to do on any other pair of jeans.

I am 5'5 and have quite a short body, so the very high waist combined with the control aspect of the jeans meant that they were uncomfortably tight and I had an unsightly 'muffin-top'.

The jeans are quite long too, I wore some high wedge heeled boots, they would not work with a flat boot as would be trailing on the floor.

I think for someone who is tall and slim but wants to hide their tummy a bit then they would be perfect but for someone who is short and round like me then they just do not work for my body shape at all.

As you can see, the end result is the jeans are long in length and need to be sized up in order to fit correctly from the size 12 upwards.  However, everyone agreed that the jeans were a brilliant colour and most of us agreed that they were of superior quality.  Do you own a pair?  Have you tried them on before?  What did you think?

Fiona

xoxo