Finding the Perfect Jeans for Your Body Type
Jeans are the perfect clothing must-have, but it's important to find a pair that matches your body type. Jeans can be dressed up or down for every occasion from brunch to office to evening wear. Manufacturers and designers have caught on, and now jeans are available to suit nearly every body type. The right jeans can make you look 10 pounds thinner, slim the appearance of your hips, make your legs look longer and give you a more toned rear view. Following a few guidelines allows you to find the jeans that will be suitable for whatever occasion you're dressing for, as well as flattering your shape. No matter what your body type, the ideal is a lean look.
General Guidelines for Buying Jeans
Buy good quality jeans. This does not mean that you have to spend hundreds of dollars on designer labels. Instead, check out the quality and thickness of the denim as well as the dye and finish of the jeans. Good quality jeans will have a high stitch count per inch, making them sturdy enough to stand up to repeated wearing and washings.
Darker colored jeans with a more tailored look are generally more suited for dressier occasions, such as evenings out. They are also more appropriate for the office. Lighter wash jeans are more suited for slimmer figures. They also tend to be more casual; mature wearers should stick with darker washes except for the most casual occasions. The pockets of your jeans should be in proportion to the overall size: the larger the jeans, the larger the pockets should be. Small pockets on a generous derrière makes your rear view look even larger.
Try on jeans by different designers and manufacturers to determine the sizing, which can vary widely. The most critical area to fit properly is the largest part of your body. Everything else can be altered if necessary. Choose the smallest size you can comfortably manage, because jeans will stretch with wear. On the other hand, don't buy jeans that are so tight that you can't breathe properly and every move risks ripping a seam.
Don't be surprised if you wear different size jeans according to brand. There is no universal size standard for jeans. Many manufacturers engage in "vanity sizing," assigning a smaller size number to a cut that might ordinarily be assigned to a larger size, so that one brand's size 12 could be another brand's size 10 or even size 8. Sizing may also vary according to the rise of the jeans, or whether the waistband sits at your natural waist or at some other point of your body, usually below your natural waist. The best way to get a proper fit is to measure your natural waist, low waist, located approximately two inches below your natural waist, the widest part of your hips and your inseam. Match those measurements with the sizing chart for the manufacturer or merchant for the brand of jeans you're considering.
Fitting Jeans to Your Body Type
Super skinny jeans only look good on very slender figures. However, the skinny look can work even on plus sized shapes if the jeans are not too tight and if they're paired with a generous top to camouflage a thicker middle. Skinny jeans can also make short legs look sleeker and longer, if you're not too heavy overall.
If you're tall or have long legs, make sure your jeans have a sufficiently long inseam. Except for capris, jeans should cover the majority of your shoe tops. If you're short, avoid cuffs because they make your legs look stumpy. Lower-rise jeans also flatter short-waisted physiques.
Curvy hourglass figures need a well-proportioned overall fit. Try a boot cut jean with a flared bottom. If you are plus sized overall to just have a generous bottom, don’t make the mistake of wearing baggy jeans to try to hide your extra pounds or width. Instead, opt for fitted, not skin-tight, jeans that will give you an overall slimmer look. Opt for a midrise jean rather than a low rise to smooth away extra inches. Denim blended with spandex also gives the illusion of a sleeker physique without sacrificing comfort.
On the other hand, lower rise jeans create the illusion of a waist indentation if you have an apple shape. A not-too-skinny jean allows you to show off a slender bottom half.
