Michael Ball with Rock & Republic, pictured here with Victoria Beckham and Andrea Bernholtz, swears by the new four-way stretch denim, which he says gives women the perfect curves in all the right places. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Jason Ferro, creative director for Bread Denim, a premium denim line, says it's all about the skinnies next spring. This model is wearing Predator Jeans. (AP Photo/HO/Courtesy of Bread Denim)
Mik Serfontaine is using the XFIT Lycra for his premium denim. At New York Fashion Week, he demonstrates the 360-degree stretch. (AP Photo/James Kamp)

OK, we've all been there, going from one store to another, trying on different pairs of jeans and getting frustrated because either we can't get our leg in there or the jean is gapping in the back. Nothing is flattering -- our butt looks wider than I-95, and the jeans pull at our thighs when we sit down.

But designers are finding ways to ease the jean challenge for people who are not size 0.

Yes, the skinny jean will still be the rage. But the legs on some jeans are going wider, the waist is coming up a few inches and a new four-way stretch Lycra will help maintain a close fit without cutting off your circulation.

So what are designers serving up for the spring? asap takes a look at some of the trends.

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THE SKINNY:

Sorry ladies, thin is still going to be in next spring. But the skinny on these jeans is that they are coming in plus sizes. Plus-size retailer Avenue has added a version of the skinny jean to its growing denim collection.

Paired with a long tunic, the skinny jean creates a long-over-lean look that camouflages the hips and stomach, says Susan Fantas, Avenue's product manager for denim. She says so far, sales have been pretty good. "I am pleased because it is a gamble when you say skinny and you are selling to this size range. But I think our customer understands that it's a look."

But who can really pull on a pair of skinny jeans?

"I can't even get them over my calves," says Lisa Rudes-Sandel, founder of Tummy Tuck Jeans, which has its own version of a skinny jean. "I may have five or six pounds on me, but no matter how thin I get, I am never going to have skinny legs."

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BOOT CUT

"I am all about the skinnies, every which way and form, a zipper skinny, a trouser skinny," says Jason Ferro, creative director for Bread Denim, a premium denim line. "But the boot cut is going to be around. It's not going to be considered fashion forward or trendy. It's become such a mainstream pant -- a normal, everyday jean."

But this normal, everyday jean looks better on most women than a pair of skinny jeans. The boot cut is timeless.

"Skinny jeans work for 5 percent of the population," says Anthea Tolomei, fashion/wardrobe consultant, stylist and fashion educator. "As soon as that ankle goes narrow, her thighs, her abdomen, her waist, whatever her widest denominator is, just got wider. I think it'll be short lived. The boot cut is the new classic. It works for most people."

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HIGH WAIST

Say goodbye to the muffin top (stomach spilling over low-rises) or peek-a-boo thongs. Jeans are going higher.

"Fashion goes in cycles, and we have seen low waist for several years now," says Nada Manley, fashion and beauty writer and author of "Secrets of Beauty Insiders." "Now designers want to do something new. Another reason is there's a sort of Victorian, Edwardian trend going on -- a classic, high waisted look."

But too high may be bad for the stomach, warns Manley.

"People think if you cover up the stomach more, you're going to disguise it more," says Manley, who also writes a fashion column for a newspaper in Daytona Beach. "It really has the opposite effect. If you are short- or medium-waisted, wearing something slightly below the belly button is a lot more flattering."

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THE LEGS

Non-skinny jean wearers rejoice: Wide leg jeans are making a comeback.

No, not bell bottoms. More like a newer version of the bell bottom.

"A wide, drapey leg, high waisted pant," says Ferro.

Kind of like a gaucho pant, says Manley.

Who can wear these?

"It's pretty much flattering to most types," says Manley. "If you are petite, a wide leg shouldn't be as wide because you don't want to be swimming in the pants. It's all relative -- wide in proportion to your body."

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BATTLING THE BULGE

For women who want to hide the pouch, lift the butt and trim the hips, Rudes-Sandel is developing new styles for her Tummy Tuck Jeans. The jeans, which are manufactured by Not Your Daughter's Jeans, have patented crisscross design panels in their front pockets and are a 96 percent cotton, 4 percent spandex blend (Think control top).

"I will be following the trends as long as I don't hinder the fit of the jean," says Rudes-Sandel. "I just did a style with a zipper on the ankle. I am using leather and ribbon."

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THE NEW STRETCH

Jeans are going to become ultra comfortable.

More fashion designers, such as Mik Serfontaine and Michael Ball (Rock & Republic) are using XFIT Lycra, which allows for a four-way stretch. Most denim only stretches from side to side. This makes jeans move with your body, so when you are sitting, your jeans don't tug at the knee area and crotch, gap in the back or rise up to reveal that you mismatched your socks.

"It's more comfortable, and it gives you the look and freedom you want in a jean," says Serfontaine.

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THE COLORS:

You may want to pull out those Cross Colours jeans.

Colored jeans are coming back.

"Color is huge," says Ferro. "Jeans over dyed, bright, muted colors. When I say color, red, pink, turquoise, light gray."

But in what fit?

You guessed it. The skinny.

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asap reporter Megan Scott is based in New York.

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