You aren't going to want to hear this. You can tone up the underlying muscles, but unless you get liposuction you can't make fat disappear from particular spots. I am a pear too. Years ago I dieted/starved myself and did manic amounts of exercise to where I was actually underweight, and I still had thick thighs and padding on the sides of my hips. It was weird, because when I laid down, my hip bones were visible poking up from the front of me, but I still had some chubs on the sides. My body is a pear, and that is just the way it is. There are different brands of jeans that may work better for your shape. Are there any Ashley Stewart stores near you? Their jeans are cut with more room in the hips/buttocks area. They work well on my pear shape.

To tone up the thighs and hips, a friend shared with me a simple exercise she saw on Dr. Oz. Standing with your hands on you hips, and your feet a few feet apart. Raise your left leg out to the side once and put it back down, then lift your right leg out to the side twice and put it back down. Repeat, starting with your right leg out once, and then your left leg out twice. Keep on doing that for a few minutes switching the legs and you will be surprised at how you feel the results.

Sharon is right. I have a tiny waist compared to my hips/thighs, but am more hourglass than pear (not busty, but broad-shouldered), so if I don't have clothes that fit my waist, I look like a refrigerator, even at a small size. As an adult, my weight has been everything from 120-200ish, and my basic proportion has remained the same, and I am very active. My goal range is 142-148, and at this weight I wear size 6-8 jeans, depending on the fit. It is a misnomer that once you are at goal you can buy clothes off the rack...I am still hard to fit!

In dress pants, anything that says curvy fit is a good bet. Other good fits for me are Lee, Gap broken in straight khakis (I can't rock skinny jeans because my calves are very thick), Vera Wang and Apt 9 (Kohls). I wear fabrics that stretch and fitted workout pants quite a bit for casual wear.

To really have the good fit ... take your clothes to a tailor ... worth it in my opinion!

And I would recommend walking squats as one of the best lower body workouts. with weights or without.

I agree with Cindy, squats and walking. Try bike riding too, lunges, anything that focus' more on the lower half of your body.