Are Mom jeans good for big thighs? What other jeans are good?

Mom jeans once had a bad reputation for being unflattering and out of style. But now, everyone is wearing mom jeans and totally loving them. But are mom jeans flattering on a curvy body shape? Are mom jeans good for big thighs or will they make your thick thighs look too big? What other jeans are good when you have thicker thighs? It’s not always about the jeans that you like. It’s about the jeans that are going to look great on you and showcase the body you want others to see.

FYI, thanks to AI imagery software, we’re able to create very specific fashion and hairstyle examples to illustrate the points being made. In some cases, imagery is exaggerated to hammer home the point.

A Brief History of Mom Jeans

The origins of blue jeans date all the way back to the 1870s, when the patent for blue jeans was first filed by Levi Strauss, a store owner, and Jacob Davis, a tailor. Theirs was a match made in Heaven and jeans soon swept the globe. The two men were truly fashion visionaries, though they didn’t know it when they first came up with the iea blue jeans. By the 1950s, the sexiest screen icons (both male and female) were seen rolling around and posing in their blue jeans.

Jeans went designer in the 1970s, with some of the biggest names in fashion creating their own high-end pairs of this classic favorite. Gloria Vanderbilt, Calvin Klein and many other designers introduced their own high fashion jeans. These jeans were not particularly fancy. They weren’t made with any special material. But they did have a designer label attached to them. Once any clothing item has that label, it’s going to cost you a whole lot more.

In the 1970s, jeans were everywhere and they were worn to everything. Darker, curve-hugging jeans were highly popular at this time. Mainly, they had wide, flaring bottoms. The designer influence on jeans had a far-reaching impact and soon, everyone was wearing them.

In the 1980s, fashion lost its mind. Tapered legs that were tightly rolled at the bottom came into style. Loose, baggy styles were big at this time, a big difference from the clinging, form-hugging skinny jeans that came later.

In the 1990s, jeans were made with straighter, wider legs in a somewhat baggy overall fit.

And then, there were mom jeans. They were high-waisted, they had fitted legs and they were being worn by all the hot, young stars. When the jeans first appeared in the ’90s, they weren’t mom jeans. They were just…jeans. These were the popular style of the day at the time. And if you watch any 1990s TV and look for a teenager, you’re going to see them wearing mom jeans.

The high-waisted style of the 1990s didn’t become “mom” jeans until the 2000s, when popular jeans style took a sharp turn. Suddenly, everyone in this decade was wearing super low-rise jeans that sat way down on the hips. Women who wore the high-rise style of the previous decade were out of date, a little bit older than the hot young celebs embracing the low-rise style and…well, mom age. The high-waisted style of mom jeans was officially old and the low-rise jeans were having their glory moment.

But the mom jeans style didn’t get its official and now famous name until 2003. This is when the women of SNL, led by Tina Fey, introduced the name in a digital skit that will live on in fashion infamy. The catchy song, paired with the visuals of some of Saturday Night Live’s finest comediennes shaking it in their mom jeans, is absolutely hysterical.

Before There Were Mom Jeans

Jeans were actually never meant to be a sexy garment, though today they are associated with sex appeal on every level. It was actually a woman who inspired blue jeans, though two men are famous for creating them. It was a frustrated wife who got really mad one day and started this whole blue jeans thing.

It was the 1860s and it was the Wild West of the American frontier. Gold miners were everywhere, construction was happening everywhere. The west was being tamed and the work was hard. One wife was fed up. She marched to the tailor’s shop, fit to be tied. She was done with constantly mending and repairing her husband’s pants. They took such a beating when he was working, it was all she could do to keep him clothed in something that wasn’t ragged and full of holes.

And her mending skills weren’t the problem. Her husband’s job wasn’t the problem. The pants were the problem. The much put-upon wife gave tailor Jacob Davis an earful all about it, instructing him that he needed to make better, tougher pants. Davis took her words to heart and realized that she was right. The pants he was selling just weren’t hard-wearing enough for the western frontier, for the gold miners and railroad workers ad other laborers who made their living off the sweat of their backs.

Davis bought some fabric from his supplier, Levi Strauss, and the two collaborated on a pair of riveted pants that were extremely durable. The rest, of course, is fashion history. Many milestones followed, from the classic Levi’s 501 to the development of the iconic five-pocket styling to the rise of newcomers to the blue jeans scene, like Wrangler.

The point of the story is that blue jeans were first made to be practical work pants. They were meant to be tough. The fact that they look amazing was just an extra detail. But through time, jeans evolved over time to become the most stylish and fashionable pants out of them all.

In the 1950s, young and glamorous stars of the day discovered blue jeans. Marilyn Monroe and James Dean were photographed wearing jeans and soon, it was difficult to keep young people from buying them up.

Hollywood went and made them sexy. But before they got sexy, jeans were a practical work garment that was popular with both genders. Going back as far as the 1930s, Levi Strauss was making a style of women’s jeans with a high waist and somewhat fitted legs. Sound like a style you know? A women’s magazine from the 1960s stated that jeans were popular around-the-house wear for women of the day…particularly moms.

Who Wears Mom Jeans?

Though they were like, the most uncool thing in the early 2000s, mom jeans are suddenly a hot look in the modern era. Some of the hottest celebs and most fashion-forward personalities wear mom jeans and strut their stuff. These jeans definitely aren’t just for moms. And even if they are, there are some super hot moms out there. So…who wears mom jeans?

Hot celebrity moms like Madonna and Kourtney Kardashian have been spotted wearing mom jeans and making them look really good. Many of the youngest, most-followed celebrities on social media get tons of likes for their pictures of themselves wearing mom jeans.

Modern mom jeans are all about hip style. Mom jeans come in all sorts of different jeans washes and distress designs, with various levels of fading and all different colors to give them various effects. They come in ripped styles, frayed styles and all kinds of trendy looks. In other words, mom jeans are cool. All the fashionable people were mom jeans now, because this style has shaken off its uncool reputation to become one of the hottest looks in the current fashion scene.

Your Body, Your Mom Jeans

Mom jeans have gone from being horribly uncool to becoming a must-have style. Lots of youngest and hottest stars wear them all the time, favoring the look over skinny jeans, low-rise designs and all those trendy styles of the past. Suddenly, looking like a 1990s TV star is a great look.

Mom jeans styles work very well with many other types of blouses and tops, so it’s easy to style mom jeans and create different outfits built around them. They can be worn with just about anything. That goes for footwear, too. Mom jeans are a good look for any casual occasion.

Types of Mom Jeans

Mom jeans have a specific style but within those parameters, these jeans can take on a few different, distinct looks. There are different styles of mom jeans. Choose your style based on your body type in order to get the most flattering mom jeans design for you.

Baggy mom jeans are still high-waisted and they define the waist well, but the fit is loose and comfortable throughout. These jeans are easy to bend and move in and they definitely have a cool 1990s-era vibe. Baggy mom jeans look a lot more like the golden age of mom jeans design, so this is a great style to choose when you want a more retro look. It’s also a great go-to choice when you want pure comfort with your jeans.

Balloon mom jeans are another very 1990s look, with shadings of the 1980s pants styles thrown in. They are somewhat fitted and tapered through the legs and fitted around the waist, but they’re baggy and big around the hips, kind of like harem pants or hammer pants from the 1980s. They “balloon” outward around the hip area, which is what gives this style its name.

Mom Jeans and Big Thighs

Mom jeans are actually an incredibly flattering style. Maybe that’s why they’ve been popular in women’s wear for almost a century, even before they had a known name. The high waist actually helps to emphasize this area and make your waist look smaller. That’s never a bad thing. Everything about mom jeans is flattering to the woman’s shape because it hides problem areas and emphasizes the stuff you want to show off.

Since mom jeans are somewhat loose-fitting already, they are a super comfortable fit for women with thicker thighs. Meanwhile, they still showcase the curves of your backside and they don’t hide your hips. The best jeans don’t hide your curves. They just show them off to their best effect. Mom jeans de-emphasize your thighs and put the focus on your hips, rear end and waist. That’s what jeans should do. The natural fit of mom jeans shows off the hips and the backside, but helps to hide the thighs.

Mom jeans are also highly versatile. You can roll them up to create cute capris, wear them long and pair them with all sorts of different shoe options.

To make sure you’re flattering your shape and give your legs a slimmer look, buy jeans in a solid color all the way down the legs. Faded and gradient styles are going to make your thighs look wider. A uniform color, particularly a darker wash color, will make your thighs look slimmer because this will create a lengthening effect on your legs.

Different areas of light and dark will make the lighter areas look bigger than the darker areas. When you want to length and slim your legs optically, darker colors in a uniform sweep are your friend.

Other Jeans Styles That Are Good for Big Thighs

Having curvy thighs is something to celebrate, but it probably doesn’t feel that way sometimes. It can be difficult to dress for big thighs and still find something that’s going to make the rest of your body look good, too. Luckily, you have multiple options when it comes to jeans. Mom jeans do look great but there are other styles you can wear to minimize the look of your thighs, too.

Boyfriend

The relaxed style of boyfriend jeans is a perfect fit for a thick thigh body shape. These jeans are made to fit loosely around the thighs and legs. Because they also hang in a straight style, they have a lengthening, slimming effect on the legs that works very well to make thick thighs appear thinner.

Straight Leg

Straight leg jeans are highly flattering for body types that have thick thighs. These jeans are designed to fit around the hips and come straight down from there, skimming past the curves of the body. This style fits very well on larger thighs because it isn’t tight or form-fitting around the legs at all. Straight leg jeans are a good choice for any curvy body type. The wide leg openings also make it easy to wear a huge variety of shoe types with these jeans, including boot styles.

Trouser

Trouser jeans have a straight, somewhat loose fit that ends in a wider leg opening at the bottom. These jeans are very comfortable to wear and help to camouflage thicker thighs because of the straight, wider fit around the legs. The loose fit and flaring bottom of these pants beautifully balance out curvy thighs. It also helps to elongate the legs, which makes them look leaner. Finish these jeans off with a pointed-toe shoe and you’ll add even more length to your look, even if it’s only a visual trick of the eye. The longer your legs look, the less thick your thighs will look.

Leg Openings

Jeans come in many different styles but even within these individual designs, they have extra features. Leg openings make a big difference in how your legs look. Even your thighs, the tops of your legs, are affected by what’s happening at the bottom of your jeans.

Skinny jean styles that are tapered all the way to the ankle are definitely going to make your curves pop. In fact, they might look like they’re popping a bit too much. Tapering leg styles are going to emphasize your thighs, rather than making them look slimmer. Skinny jeans tend to make your calves look smaller, which just makes your thighs look bigger. You can definitely wear skinny jeans if you like, but look for a style with a flaring or wide hem opening style. Barring that, wear your skinny jeans with knee-high boots that have a bit of texture and width to them. This will help balance you out and get your thighs looking smaller again.

To give your legs a longer and leaner look, opt for wider leg styles and jeans that have a somewhat looser fit around the thigh area. Flare jean styles work very well for thicker thighs because the flare at the bottom helps to balance out the thighs. This creates a more symmetrical overall look that ultimately has a slimming effect. Boot cut jean styles are less flared but they also have larger leg openings to help create that balance.

Length

For the most part, you want to stay away from cropped and short styles if you have thicker thighs. Longer jeans styles are going to make your legs look longer and slimmer. Cropped and Capri styles are definitely cute, especially in spring and summer, but this is going to make your thighs and even your calves look a little thicker. These styles have a shortening effect on the body, which ends up making you look bulkier overall. Cropped styles are best suited to skinny legs. But that’s okay. There are plenty of styles for curvy girls to enjoy!

Waist

The reason mom jeans are so flattering on body types with big thighs is the waist. The high waist helps to emphasize your own natural waist. This helps to show off the curve of your hips and create a smoother line from hip to thigh. Ideally, you want your jeans to be right around your belly button. This creates a long leg line that has an overall lengthening and slimming look.

In Defense of Mom Jeans

It started out as a bit of a joke on SNL, an outdated style that was then very far removed from the popular jeans trends of the day. But now, mom jeans are one of the sexiest styles you can wear. They show off the waist, they don’t hide the hips, they aren’t shy about your rear end. They look good, they feel good and they don’t cut off your circulation like skinny jeans. They pair well with lots of different tops and all sorts of different shoe styles. In a word, they’re easy.

Mom jeans are available in a huge range of different styles and washes that create distinct looks And right now, they’re very much on trend and totally hot in the style world. It’s time to embrace mom jeans. Wear them everywhere and have fun playing around with this style.

Can Men Wear Mom Jeans?

Men do have their own version of mom jeans called dad jeans. This style is a little bit straighter in cut than mom jeans to more closely match the male body type. But dudes can wear mom jeans if they want to! In fact, some men wear mom jeans regularly because they like the loose fit. The original Levi’s style is a high-waisted jean with a straighter cut that is worn by men and women, so arguably mom jeans are meant to be worn by both genders.

Mom Jeans and Other Jeans

There are lots of different jeans styles out there and many different types that are flattering on all body shapes. But mom jeans are universally fun to wear and they good on everyone. Play around with different mom jeans styles and other styles that fit well and look good on a body type with big thighs. Because those thighs only appear to be big, for now. With the right jeans and clothes, those thighs are going to look a lot better.

Sources:

The Atlantic – Toward a Universal Theory of ‘Mom Jeans’

Bustle – The 16 Best Jeans For Women With Big Thighs

Denimology – The Best Jeans for Larger Thighs

InStyle – Millennial Mom Jeans Are Taking Over As the Next Big Denim Craze

LiveAbout – The Best Jeans for Larger Thighs

MTV – A Brief History of Mom Jeans

My Casual Style – Can You Wear Mom Jeans If You Have Big Thighs?

My Casual Style – What Type Of Jeans To Wear If You Have Big Thighs?

Vogue – Two Fashionable Mothers Weigh In on the Best Mom Jeans