First I am glad you are overall happy with the Hood Jeans. I hate to recommend something and then have the buyer not be happy, particularly when they aren’t the cheapest option out there. Not as expensive as their sister company Kyrano Jeans though http://www.kyrano-uk.com/html/mens_jean.html . Kyrano Jeans are lined from waist to hem with Aramid, but cost is US $222.
As Eon mentions, they should have removed the VAT for you, but even with that removed they are more expensive than Shift, Draggin etc. I think Draggin Jeans are are maybe $25-30 less?
My previous experience with Hood Jeans was with the Concept 6 (or C-6) as they also call them. They have removed them from their site as they apparently have some sort of deal with the Aramid supplier to provide that model for wholesale, but they do still have a stock of Concept 6 jeans in house. You need to call to order them though. I have since ordered a pair of the K7 and I do find those to be more snug fitting than the Concept 6 jean. The K7 looks more the casual jean part without the stitching across the knees, but it does seem to fit a little more snug than the C-6. Maybe its the woven vs. knitted para- aramid that makes a difference here. The C-6 uses knitted which is teri-cloth like. It likely stretches and gives a little more.
The hip armor does feel very snug the first 3 or 4 times you wear the jean, but over time it molds well to the hip and you find you don’t really notice it. If you have only worn them a couple of times you will find it feels bulky and odd at first.
Also, if you are not happy with the fit they are good about exchanging them for the next size up. I am not too sure about after you have worn them, but they are a small family owned business and nice to deal with. I would suggest emailing Julie to see if there is anything she can do for you. You may be able to exchange them up a size if you like, but of course that means losing some money on shipping.