Jeans are one of the few things that I always, always try on in the store before buying, because it’s damned tricky to get the right fit. It took me years to figure out what works for me and what doesn’t.
An important factor in choosing the right jeans is knowing which styles work best for your body type. This style guide will help you know exactly what to look for in your next jeans purchase and save you frustration and time in the trying rooms.
The main focus in dressing for your body type is creating visual balance between your top and bottom half. So, if you are broader on top, you’ll want to create emphasis on your bottom half or vice versa. With jeans, there are two simple ways to do this: volume and color. Here are my tips per body type.
Hourglass
As I said before the focus of dressing for your body type is visually balancing your figure. Because the hourglass body type is already balanced, the goal here is to maintain that balance. So my first and most obvious tip to avoid extremes. Very wide legs, bell bottoms balloon shapes can make you look bottom-heavy. Also avoid jeans with too much distressing and embroidery on the front pockets. Lastly, pay attention to the size of the back pockets. The smaller the pockets, the bigger your bum will look.
The best jeans shapes for you are:
- Straight leg
- Boyfriend
- Mom fit
Straight
For the straight body type the goal is to give the illusion of a curvier shape. Volume and playing with proportions are the way to go. But, beware of going too baggy with the jeans as this might swamp your frame and look shape less. High waist jeans will help define your proportions.
The best jeans for you are:
- Skinny
- Momfit
- Flare
Triangle
For the triangle body type the goal is to minimize the look of your bottom half. Avoid light colored jeans and jeans with prominent feathering or obvious detailing along the hips or front pockets, Dark washes are fool proof choose for you.
The best shapes for you are:
- Straight leg
- Wide leg
- Relaxed fit
Inverted Triangle
The inverted body shape is the easiest to shop for. and not just because it’s my own body type. The main thing to avoid with this body type is skinny jeans, as the tight fit will only accentuate the difference between your top and bottom half.
The best jean shapes for us are:
- Straight
- Mom fit
- Balloon
