Everybody’s got a pair of jeans in their closet. Everyone has worn a pair of jeans at least once and you can always find a place to buy a pair when you want. They’re all over the place and they’re accepted pretty much anywhere. Jeans are the perfect go-to for just about everything you’re doing.
They’ve been a part of fashion for more than a hundred years and they definitely aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But you can’t just grab a pair of jeans, put them on, and look great. There are lots of different styles of jeans and lots of different cuts that have an effect on your body. If you want your jeans to look great, you’ve got to choose them based on your body shape.
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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.
What’s Your Shape?
Before you figure out what jeans you need to wear, figure out what shape your body is. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. All of them are beautiful and all of them look even better when you’ve got the right jeans. If you want to know your shape, think about which fruit looks like you.
If you have a thick or short waist and wide, rounded shoulders, you have more of an apple shape. As an apple shape, you have a medium-sized or larger bustline. You may have a flattish backside, too, which can make it difficult to find the right jeans.
Are your hips wider than your waist and your bustline? You have more of a pear shape. Women who are pear-shaped have slimmer shoulders and smaller or medium bustlines with ample hips.
If you have a distinct waist and a curvy bustline with wide hips, you’re an hourglass shape. You’ve got curves everywhere and a tapered waist. It sounds great in theory, but it’s not always easy to pick out the right clothes to make the most out of this shape.
But if you have more of a straight build with few curves, you’ve got an athletic body type – also known as a banana shape. You’re not super curvy and you have more squared shoulders. Your waist isn’t super tapered and defined. This body type isn’t easy to dress, but it certainly isn’t impossible, either.
Your body probably mainly fits into one of these body types. Once you know which one is you, then you can start looking for jeans that are going to flatter your shape.
Finding Your Rise
First things first: where should your jeans fit? Jeans are typically made in three basic types: low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise. Low-rise jeans sit about two inches below the navel, while mid-rise jeans sit just below it. High-rise jeans cover the navel and fit right around your actual waist, above the hips.
If you’re a pear shape or have an hourglass figure, low-rise jeans will be flattering to you. This cut will show off your hips so you can make the most out of your curves. Apple-shaped bodies will end up getting a “muffin top” effect from low-rise jeans, which you don’t want.
Women with more athletic body types and smaller waists can benefit from wearing high-rise jeans. This will help to define your waist so that you look a little curvier. Hourglass figures can wear high-waisted jeans as well, as this will emphasize that little waist and show off your curves.
All body types can wear mid-rise jeans. These jeans offer a little bit of structure to help flatten your tummy while they emphasize and hug your curves. However, apple shapes should definitely look for mid-rise styles because this will help give your waist definition.
Types of Jeans
Wide leg, skinny, flared…there’s a long list of different types of jeans you can find in the store. Stick to the styles that are going to suit your body best to get a better fit and a better look. Because what’s the point of wearing jeans if they aren’t making your shape look amazing?
Boyfriend jeans fit loosely around the body and legs and end with cuffed hems. They’re made in a straight style with little tapering at the bottom. These jeans work well with athletic and apple body types but they’re especially great for pear shapes. The straight lines help to soften the curves of your hips to give you a more balanced look. Look for high-waisted boyfriend jeans to make the most out of your pear shape.
Straight leg jeans have a straight leg style. That simply means that the legs are made in a straight sweep with very little tapering down the leg. These jeans hug the body and the legs, but not as tightly as skinny jeans. This style works well with multiple body types. Hourglass, athletic, and apple bodies can all wear straight leg jeans well. Petite women really benefit from straight leg jeans because this helps lengthen the legs.
Boot cut jeans have a little bit of a flare at the bottom of the leg, though not nearly as much as flared jeans. These jeans work best with heels and look great on curvy hourglass and pear shapes. Boot cut jeans are pretty much always in style, so it’s hard to go wrong with this type of jeans.
Flared jeans end with a wide leg design that’s a lot like the bell-bottom styles that were so big in the 1960s. Because of the way these jeans flare at the bottom, they’re especially flattering on women with hips. If you have a pear or hourglass shape, you can pull this look off all day. Always try on flared jeans because sometimes they run long. So if you’re short but curvy, you may have a little difficulty finding the right jeans.
Skinny jeans aren’t just for skinny girls. This is simply a cut of jeans that are made to fit snugly against your body and the entire length of your leg. They’re extremely tapered and completely hug your leg all the way to the ankle, which is why skinny jeans are usually made to have some stretch. All body types can wear skinny jeans, but it’s tricky. If you’re curvy with a pear or hourglass body, darker shades of skinny jeans will look better on you. Ladies who aren’t as curvy, apple, and athletic shapes, look great in lighter shades of denim.
Finding Your Type of Jeans
Try on a few of the right kinds of jeans for your body and you will notice the difference. You can’t hide your shape or change your shape. But you can bring out the beauty of your shape by wearing styles that compliment you. Start with the right types of jeans and you’ll be ready to look fashionable wherever you go.