My daughter is always asking me why I wear jeans all the time. “Why don’t you wear more dresses?” she asks, somewhat bummed. As much as I hate to disappoint my little love, the truth is, I love jeans. I am a jeans girl, always have been, always will be. But, what I hope to bestow upon my daughter as she gets older and realizes every girl needs a good pair of jeans, is that you can’t just run out and buy the first pair off the rack that you see. No. Buying the best jeans for your body type can be a difficult task.
“The biggest mistake my clients make is buying jeans too big,” says Natalie Tincher, stylist and owner of New York-based style consulting company, Buttoned Up. “Most denim brands will stretch a full size, so they should be almost uncomfortably tight when you try them on, and you’ll notice they start to loosen even within 10 minutes of wearing them.”
We’ve all got different body types, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all look hot AF in our jeans, right? With Tincher’s guidance, we identified the most common body types and came up with the best denim solution for each one. Take a look, and find the perfect jeans for your bod.
Wondering how to hide that post-baby bulge? “High rise jeans are best to prevent ‘muffin top’ and smooth out your tummy like a Spanx,” says Tincher. Look for something with a bit of stretch that can help to smooth out that belly and provide a girdle-like effect that’ll hold everything in place.
Mid- to high-rise jeans with a straight leg are best for curvy gals, but make sure the back doesn’t gape when sitting (don’t worry, that’s something you can get tailored). “The trick is to fit the hips and thighs first,” explains Tincher. Bootcut jeans taper in at the knee, which will give you a shorter, wider look, and skinny jeans just accentuate curves, whereas straight jeans will camouflage them.
If you have a straight figure that lacks curves, you may want to give the illusion of a curvier shape. Tincher recommends a lighter wash or distressing at the hips. “Always check for placement of distressing. A lot of times it’s at the widest part of the hips or on the thighs, which emphasizes those areas.” Additionally, bootcut or boyfriend jeans will create a curvy visual. However, if you want to emphasize those long slender legs, go for skinny jeans.
Tall women should keep an eye out for jeans with long inseams (at least 33″) that accentuate those lengthy gams. Tincher suggests avoiding ankle-cut jeans, as the crop is usually too high. “Most designer brands are cut for taller women and others carry special “tall” sizes.”
“Make sure you get a higher rise to visually lengthen the legline,” says Tincher. Additionally, a great option for petite women is choosing an “ankle” length jean, which will appear full-length.
Tincher recommends the “sit test” when buying jeans, to make sure the jeans don’t feel too low in the back. Additionally, you should not wash your jeans after each wear to preserve the color and weave. iShe recommends washing them after a few wears instead. “And, everyone should have a pair of dark uniform-wash indigo jeans.” Words to live by!
