Jeans To Fit Your Body Shape

I know this post is from 2009 so I thought I would update it and add some more relevant information.

I have been Denim Obsessed for many years now, I am always finding out new information about jeans, obsessing over the perfect fit and gaining more and more knowledge about which jeans fit best for my body. I have put together a little post with my opinion of how jeans should fit and the best jeans to flatter your body shape. I hope this information helps you when you go on your next denim shopping spree!

Styles of jeans and how to wear them:

Bootcut/flare – I find you need to have hips to make these work best, bootcuts are great for balancing out larger hips and giving you a great silhouette. If you are narrow and are not that gifted in the hip department I wouldn’t suggest a bootcut/flare jean, they can swamp your body and make you look bottom heavy and a bit out of proportion. Bootcuts are made by almost every single brand out there and I couldn’t narrow it down to just a few brands to suggest, you have a whole selection so go wild and pick!

Straight Leg - The straight leg jean is a lot more versatile than the the bootcut jean. It’s a more flattering option if you are not blessed with hips as the leg opening is wide enough to go over your shoes but not wide enough to make your body look out of proportion. Even if you have hips you can still rock the straight leg, it’s a very flattering cut. Since skinny jeans are so hot right now, if you don’t feel comfortable wearing them, then opt for a straight leg jean, it’s half way between. When worn with heels they will still give the illusion of super long legs as well. They are perfect for wearing as skinny jeans if you are very curvy as well.

Skinny - Skinnys are very versatile and could work for any body shape as long as they are worn right. If you are slim then you have no problem rocking a great pair of skinnys, they work if you are tall or petite, with heels or with flats and are perfect for tucking into boots. Even if you are on the curvy side you can still wear them! You probably want to wear a longish floaty tunic over your skinnys and a good pair of boots as well, this would look great on the curvier lady. You still get the sexy fit of skinny jeans but it’s balanced out with the longer top and boots. For the perfect skinny jean, you have so much choice! Paige Premium have a good choice, you can choose your leg opening and your rise as you can with J Brand. So many brands out there do skinnys and they are all gorgeous! Others I would recommend are James Jeans, AG Jeans, Current/Elliott, 7 For All Mankind and Diesel, they have a great selection with wonderful fits.

Jeggings – Jeggings are still one of my favourite trends to come around! I often thought to myself when I was younger, how comfortable would it be to have leggings with back pockets and front pockets but in a denim material. That takes me back to when I first became obsessed with denim so I was so happy to finally see all of these jeggings on the denim market! They are the most comfortable jeans you can wear due to their stretch but again, the rules of the skinny jeans applies for these. They are very clingy and much like second skin but not uncomfortable. I would suggest the jeggings with back pockets because they are much more flattering than the ones without. I would recommend Paige Premium, James Jeans and 7 For All Mankind for the widest selection of comfortable jeggings in a lot of washes.

Super high rise – This style of jean I don’t think is all that flattering for some people, it works if you are blessed with being very tall and slim, otherwise super high rise on a petite or curvy frame can make your figure appear short and dumpy and isn’t very flattering. MiH jeans are great for a super high rise flare if you can rock this cut! Also J Brand and 7 For All Mankind are popular at the moment for their own flared high rise jeans.

Low rise – Low rise jeans are a personal favourite of mine, they are very flattering on a smaller frame, they give you a great silhouette. Curvier ladies may want to stay away from low rise jeans as they can give the dreaded muffin top which isn’t showing off your body to its best. A medium/higher rise is best for your curves. Jeans that have a great low rise are Diesel Matic and Lowky and Frankie B. low rise jeans. These styles are generally of a 6.5″ rise or lower.

Boyfriend – These jeans can be worn by anyone, all shapes and all sizes, they are great, super comfy and versatile. They may not be the most flattering jeans out there but worn right (a little tighter rather than super baggy and paired with a simple top) they can look great. A few favourites of mine are the Paige Jimmy Jimmy, AG Adriano Goldschmied ex-boyfriend and the Current/Elliott boyfriend jean.

Jeans to flatter your figure:

Smaller butts – If you have a smaller butt, you want to stay away from large pockets or long pockets, they are not flattering on the butt at all. Jeans that will flatter your butt and give it a perkier look are smaller pockets, pockets that don’t have the bottom part of the pocket going past where the cheek meets the thigh, this will give the illusion of a rounded butt. Flap pockets are great as well for the appearance of a rounded tush. I find J Brand jeans work wonderful for smaller butts because the pocket placement is higher up. Frankie B. is also great because they have a low back rise and great pocket shape to flatter. Siwy is another great brand for a smaller bottom as is Frankie B. and Black Orchid.

Bigger butts – If you are blessed with having ‘junk in the trunk’ you can get away with pretty much any pocket style, no pockets, longer pockets, flap pockets, bigger pockets… The pocket style I would suggest staying away from is smaller pockets, if they are small, the placement is quite high up on the butt or rounded like Siwy, then it wont flatter your butt to it’s best ability. Also stay away from super low back rises, nobody loves a butt cleavage! There are so many brands to suggest, Diesel, Paige Premium, Rock & Republic, 7 For All Mankind, True Religion, Current/Elliott, AG Jeans… The world of denim is your oyster so take your pick!

Tall – If you are tall it can be hard to find longer inseams. Rock & Republic do inseams of up to 37″ and even 39″ sometimes so they are perfect for those long legs! Paige Premium has a tall selection as well and True Religion also do longer lengths. Diesel go up to a 34″ leg which sometimes run as long as 36″. You might find it easier buying the flared jeans from brands as they always run a lot longer, usually 35″ and upwards.

Petite – I know it’s hard to find jeans in a 30″ or less inseam, Paige Premium now does a petite line, Diesel come in a 30″ length and Rock & Republic now have petite lengths as well! Also with the super peg leg skinny jeans being hot right now, you are in luck! They normally run at around 29″-30″ so perfect for you petite ladies! Loads of brands do the peg leg skinny jeans which skim the ankles on regular height ladies but for you petite ladies they would act as the perfect skinny jean.

Other Denim tips to remember:

∆ When wearing heels with your bootcuts or straight leg jeans make sure the hem is about 1cm off of the floor, if the hem of your jeans covers the heel it will give the illusion of longer and leaner legs.

∆ Wearing jeans with pockets where the bottom of the pocket hits where the cheek meets the thigh is perfect, it makes you have a rounded and shapely butt.

∆ If your jeans are a little too tight and are giving you the dreaded muffin top, wear a looser tunic to cover it or try dampening them and stretching them out gently.

So now you are all of the information I have learned over the years. If you have any questions or anything feel free to email me at editor@denimblog.com and I will help as best as I can

Information all from Lorna Burford. Please credit DenimBlog if used.

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