I studied the L.L. Bean catalog, sighed, and took the plunge, ordering my first pair of elastic-waisted chinos.

It was that, or time to buy one of those boned, waist-nipper contraptions that are advertised everywhere. No, thank you. Although I was always relatively slim, my 40-something figure now clamors more for comfort than chic.

Welcome to the world of widening waists. In fact, in a recent concession to the upcreeping circumference of its female customers, the Maine mail-order company added an inch to the waistline on women’s pants.

Women’s waists tend to be growing, says Jennie Gwilym, vice president of product development for L.L. Bean sportswear. Our return rate for the waist being too tight seems to be something we could see across several of our products. It led us to adjusting the specification on our waist…If the waist on a size 10 was 27.5 inches, it’s now up to 28.5 inches.

So can we expect this season’s ready-to-wear to be a little more forgiving? Not likely, to look at the slinky silhouettes still filling fashion layouts. But some designers, Donna Karan among them, have a reputation for creating clothes for real women’s figures. And while you probably won’t get high-end designers to admit they’ve expanded their waistbands, at least one woman we know swears her new Ralph Lauren size 10 slacks feel noticeably more comfortable than some old ones of the same size.

In a lower price range, Eileen Fisher has been designing stylish, fuller figure-friendly clothes for more than a decade. I’ve always been a little full in the middle, says Fisher, who has stores in Manhattan, White Plains, and East Hampton. I don’t think so much I’m trying to cover it up, but coming from a place of wanting to be comfortable and not worrying about your clothes, not to have to unbutton your pants after eating a meal.

Why do we have to worry so much more about our waistlines as we age? That’s a question every woman asks, says Dr. Robert Butler, professor of geriatrics and director of the International Longevity Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. There are so many things that happen . . . various things that can sag as a consequence of time, even when we’ve been conscientious and taken care of ourselves.

Exercises aimed specifically at the abdomen, sit-ups, for example, can help. But don’t be too hard on yourself. As we grow older, Butler explains, there is a natural modest disposition for muscles, what’s called lean body mass, to be replaced . . . by fat. And says Butler, I don’t want leave out the mysterious DNA called genes.

In general, if Mom and Pop turned out to be of a certain physical constitution, daughter is apt to be similarly constructed, he says. It’s really very genetic. It’s unfair to expect Jane Smith to be Marilyn Monroe when she’s really built to be Gertrude Stein. We can love both of them, can’t we?

Besides, says Butler, We could point out that men go through this, too. Their bottom gets wider and they tend to have a tummy. Men are more apt to have pot bellies than women in general.

True, and I have seen ads for relaxed-cut slacks for men. What I haven’t seen is men being asked to wear bare-midriff hiphuggers.

So what’s a woman to do? Whatever it is, style mavens have a few general rules. Avoid anything too tight, too clingy, anything that breaks the line or the color at the middle, drawing attention.

Most important, make sure you buy the right size. Image consultant Neila Fisher suggests buying one size up, tailoring it to fit where you don’t need the extra give, and then cutting the size label out before putting it in your closet so you can forget about it.

You have to get beyond size, Gwilym says. You’ll look better if the clothes fit you properly.