How to Wear Jeans: A Guide for Your Body Type
Few things can make a woman look and feel as good as the right pair of jeans. A good pair of jeans accentuate your curves, lifts and supports your butt, and lengthens your legs. But with so many different styles and cuts of jeans available these days, it’s harder than ever to choose the right pair – and that’s not even considering how demoralizing it can be to try on pair after pair of jeans only to struggle to find the right fit.
Just like with most things, you have to choose jeans that suit your body type. Measure your bust, waist, and hips to determine your body type. Then look for jeans with the features that flatter that body type.
Apple
If you have an apple body type, you have a large bust and middle with slender legs and hips. You have a few options for flattering an apple body type with jeans. You can choose the boyfriend jean, which has a straight leg and a slouchy, relaxed fit. Wear them with a fitted top that flatters your bust and shows off your decolletage.
You can also grab a pair of straight leg jeans, which have a consistent width all the way down the legs. Wear them with flats, sandals, or boots, and a t-shirt, or dress them up with a button-down shirt, blazer, and ballet flats. Straight leg jeans should end at the ankle.
Skinny jeans are the slimmest silhouette available – they hug your curves all the way down to the ankle. Skinny jeans are great for any body type, but apple shapes should stick to light washes. Learn how to wash your dark and black wash jeans properly so they hold their color longer.
Hourglass
An hourglass body shape has a trim waist at least ten inches smaller than the hips, bust and hips about the same size, and hips about as wide as the shoulders.
If you have an hourglass figure, lucky you – you can rock any style of jeans. If you’re on the slimmer side, look for high-rise mom jeans that will lengthen your legs, raise your bottom, and offer support for your midsection. If you’re on the curvier side, look for mid-rise straight-leg styles that balance out your proportions. Dark and black wash skinny jeans will also look great on you.
If you’re tall and have an hourglass figure, look for flared jeans, as this style tends to run long. The flare will counterbalance your hips and thighs if you’re on the thicker side. Look for a flare that just barely touches the floor.
Pear
If you have a pear-shaped body, your hips will be wider than your shoulders and fuller than your bust. You may either want to draw attention to your hips – after all, thick hips are in right now – or downplay them.
Boot cut jeans have a very small flare that can offset thick hips and make your figure look more proportional. They have a universal silhouette that’s easy to pair with flats as well as boots. Flared jeans also look great on pear-shaped body types for the same reason – they help balance out your figure. Again, look for a flared jean that just touches the floor. Skinny jeans are also a good choice – ankle skinnies will have a leg-lengthening effect. Go for skinnies in dark washes to slenderize your figure.
Athletic
Low-rise jeans are coming back in style, and they’re a great look for athletic body types. However, a high-rise jean can look great if you’re athletic with a slim waist. And, just like hourglass body types, athletic body types can get away with wearing any cut of jeans. Look for high-rise styles to elevate and accentuate a flat butt, and skinny styles to show off a muscular leg.
Petite and Tall
Petite and tall women come in all body shapes, but you need to consider your height when choosing jeans, and not just in terms of measuring the inseam (though that’s important, too). If you’re tall, look for tall cut skinny jeans and longer flares. Low- and mid-rise jeans are fine for tall women, and while light color washes will make your long legs look even longer, dark washes are okay, too. If you’re short, stick to high-rise jeans that will make you look taller, and ankle cuts that will show off a little bit of skin at the bottom of your legs. Ankle jeans will lengthen your legs.
When you choose jeans based on your body type, it gets a lot easier to choose flattering cuts and styles. Rock your new jeans with confidence and poise. You’ve earned it!