Jeans are a must-have in your closet. Apart from being incredibly versatile, you can easily throw them on without worrying about how to style them. However, you need to pick the styles that flatter your unique body type. In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the features of each of the 5 common body types (hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle, inverted triangle), and help you find the perfect pair of jeans for your unique shape.
Hourglass
The fit
The curvy fit is heaven-sent for the hourglass.
A very common issue with hourglass-shaped women is the “gapping” at the waist when they wear jeans. Since your waist is significantly smaller compared with your hips, regular-fit jeans that fit your hips will have too much space on your waist.
The curvy fit can solve this problem because they are designed with a smaller waist and wider hips. That is why they will be perfectly aligned with the hourglass-shaped body, saving you money for tailoring.
Leg shape
Jeans that are slightly tapered or wide-legged are great choices for the hourglass body shape.
Styles that fall under this category include flared jeans, bootcut, straight leg and slim jeans.
The straight-leg jeans embrace your hourglass figure and often add more length to your legs. This is because the straight, unbroken line is perfect for creating the illusion of longer-looking legs.
Bootcut jeans with flares that aren’t too exaggerated will give your body shape that extra boost. Jeans with a slim leg shape should be fitted not unnecessarily tight on your body frame. Therefore, you can look out for stretchy material that embraces your curves without being too skinny. Overall, these are all flattering options for your hourglass shape.
What to look for
The first style to look out for is high-waist. If you’re plus-size, this is your turf. High-waist jeans is perfect for giving an adequate amount of coverage to your muffin top. This means that you don’t have to worry about your little tummy bulge hugging all the attention when you step out in jeans. Apart from this, high-waist jeans offer a lot of support for women of all sizes.
You can move around freely without worrying about your jeans riding lower than it should be. Similar to the suggestions on leg shape that have been mentioned earlier, be sure to pick those that are not clingy on the bottom half of your body. Extremely tight jeans won’t create a balanced silhouette on your curvy figure. So, ensure that the leg shape is just right.
What to avoid
It’s not a good idea to wear jeans styles like ripped and baggy jeans. These won’t have a flattering effect on your body frame as they will be more overwhelming than comfortable on your body structure. Ripped jeans may be trendy but they leave room for a lot of things to go wrong, including a wardrobe malfunction in public. They also draw attention to tummy bulges.
Another jeans style to avoid is skinny jeans. The slim-fit jeans has just the right balance but a skinny jean will be too restrictive on your body, making movement a tedious exercise. You also can’t rule out the chance of tears due to strains on the jean fabric.
Pear
The fit
The curvy fit is ideal for the pear body shape.
Since women with the pear body type have significantly wider hips than their waist, a common issue is the jeans that fit the hips are too loose on the waist. Meanwhile, the jeans that fit your waist are typically too tight for your hips.
That is why opting for the curvy fit will solve this problem. Compared with the regular fit, the curvy fit is designed with a bigger difference between the hips and waist, thus accommodating the bottom half of the pear-shaped women.
Leg shape
For the leg shape, you should focus on wide leg styles and a slightly relaxed shape. With wide-leg jeans, your legs have enough room for movement while it flows seamlessly over your wide hips and thighs. This definitely beats uncomfortable tight-fitting leg shapes. The visual balance helps to draw attention away from your wider bottom half, thereby de-emphasizing your hips.
If you’re a plus-size pear-shaped woman, you should try out mom jeans that are not too loose or tight. The right balance alongside a high-waist style will provide an adequate slimming effect on your body frame, and you can finish off this look beautifully with the right pair of shoes.
What to look for
The pear body shape is heavier on the bottom, which makes your upper half look unbalanced. Therefore, dressing this body shape perfectly means looking out for jeans styles that don’t draw attention to your wider hips. The focus should be on your upper body instead, so as to create that illusion of volume that emphasizes your waistline.
High-waist jeans work amazingly well for this body type as they are incredibly flattering on your frame. Regardless of how you choose to style it, this will have an elongation effect on your body that complements your body shape. The secret is to go for styles that balance your bottom-heavy body shape and visually elongate your body.
Wear dark-colored jeans on your lower body as these have a natural slimming effect. This is one of the most effortless ways to visually slim down your body and make your legs appear a few inches longer. The length of these jeans styles are also super important. Short shorts are not recommended, but flattering styles are those that stop at your ankles or calf region.
What to avoid
Skinny jeans don’t work for the pear body shape. All they do is cling unnaturally to your hips and thighs, which draw more attention to this part of your body. With attention on your lower half, this creates an unbalanced silhouette that doesn’t look elegant. Women with the pear body shape should also avoid jeans with huge back and side pockets.
These add more volume to the lower half of your body, attracting attention and visually shrinking the upper half of your body. Your lower body already has the elements of being wider than your upper body. Therefore, details like ruffles and a distressed denim won’t do your figure any good. Instead, they will widen your hips more and make your pear shape look disfigured.
Apple
The fit
A regular fit is always a win with the apple body shape. This fit is essential to avoid adding extra weight to your midsection area. Jeans with a flat front will instead camouflage this part of your body, a result that immensely flatters your figure. Ultimately, the fit of your jeans can come with a wide waistband that won’t bulk up your midsection as it sits flat on this area.
However, it’s best to stay away from skinny silhouettes as this will make your slim legs more obvious while your upper body looks bigger compared to this part of your body. High-rise jeans are also too much for the pear body shape. Keep this strictly to mid-rise styles that won’t highlight your wide midsection. Have as many darker-colored jeans as you can as these are extremely effective at creating a slimming effect. It works great for plus-size pear-shaped women.
Leg shape
Jeans styles to check out are flared, wide-leg and bootcut jeans. These all have a similar leg shape that balances your torso in a way that highlights your best assets. For these jeans styles, be sure to wear those without extra details like ruffles or rips. Clean lines are always best as they de-emphasize your wide hips and thighs, and make them look more proportionate with your upper body.
You have nice legs that can be on the slim side. Therefore, you shouldn’t try to draw too much attention to this with tight leg shapes like the skinny silhouette.
What to look for
When choosing jeans for your apple body shape, you should remember your major goals. In this case, they are to minimize your muffin top as much as possible and create the illusion of a defined waistline. Therefore, one of your major considerations should be the fit around your waistline. A well-fitted waistband will sit comfortably around your waistline in a way that conceals your tummy bulge.
Styles that create the illusion of a defined waistline are usually straight-cut jeans that start with a great fit on your hips and flow seamlessly across your thighs without drawing attention to your wide hips. Another way to draw attention to your legs is through details on your hemline like flared legs. Remember to keep your fabric soft to avoid adding unnecessary bulk to your tummy and waist.
What to avoid
Apple-shaped women should completely avoid skinny and baggy jeans as these are both extremes that will do nothing to complement your lovely figure. Baggy jeans will overwhelm your body frame and draw attention to your wider hips, completely throwing your body proportions off-balance. They make your waist and hips appear uneven due to the extra bulk. This is similar to the results you would get with skinny jeans as well.
Skinny jeans also have extra points for discomfort. It can be pretty stressful trying to move around in extremely tight jeans that don’t help you create amazing waist definition. Another style to avoid are jeans with too many pockets. These are details designed to add more bulk to your frame and for the pear-shaped woman that has naturally wide hips, this will make them look even bigger.
Rectangle
The fit
The rectangle body shape has a straight silhouette which means that you can tune this up with jeans styles that help you add curves to your body type. A slim fit on your body works great as it’s perfect for accentuating your slender legs. However, this slim fit should be uniform and start out tight around your hips to create the illusion of curves.
Also, go for low and mid-rise styles as these are super comfortable but don’t highlight your waist in a way that makes your straight silhouette noticeable. Here, it’s important to stay away from high-waist styles that draw attention to your midsection and lack of waist definition.
Leg shape
One of the best styles for the rectangle body type is bootcut as the leg shape blends perfectly with your silhouette. The slight flare at the bottom comes in handy for adding volume to the lower part of your body. This also helps with a curvier bottom half that softens your straight body frame stylishly.
However, it’s important to maintain balance with the flare. A slight flare is enough but when they flare too wide, this will have the unflattering effect of unbalancing your rectangle body shape. The bootcut flare is balanced with a curvy silhouette while extreme flares will make you look bottom-heavy. Another feature to notice about this jeans style is that it starts outfitted on your hips which helps to make the illusion of curves more effective.
What to look for
Since you need to add curves to your silhouette to give you a more feminine outlook, one of the best ways to do this is with jeans styles that have back pockets. Back pockets naturally add more bulk to your bottom and this fullness will enable the illusion of curves on your body frame.
It’s also okay to wear jeans with details around the hip and bottom as these are effect at adding curves to your straight silhouette. Look for jeans that don’t overwhelm your body frame. Some styles that belong to this category are wide-leg, straight leg, slim, bootcut and skinny jeans. These are all comfortable silhouettes that make your body type look amazing.
What to avoid
Top on the list is high-waist jeans as these are known to highlight your waist without creating a curvy silhouette. Your jeans should sit on your waistline to help create a definition that enhances a more feminine outlook. Another style to avoid is baggy jeans which can visibly shorten your body frame.
This is not flattering for the rectangle shape, especially if you are plus size. Instead, they enhance the straight silhouette and conceal your best assets.
Inverted triangle
The fit
Women with an inverted triangle shape typically have broad shoulders that narrow down to their hips. This is what results in a body shape that looks a lot like an inverted triangle. Therefore, with wide shoulders, an undefined waist, and big bust, you would want to pick jeans that balance your broad shoulders to even out your silhouette.
The right jeans can also help you create a more defined waist by adding curves to your hips and reducing attention on your upper body. Therefore, your best choices are slim and straight fits with the right amount of details such as rips or ruffles to draw the eye downward. Jeans styles that fall under this category are boyfriend, wide-leg, and bootleg styles.
Leg shape
As flared jeans and wide leg jeans are the preferred styles for flattering women with an inverted triangle shape, it’s safe to conclude that the leg shape that’s best are those that have a slight flare downwards from the hip. Jeans that flow seamlessly from the thighs and end with a wide hemline give a curvier outlook that emphasizes the waistline.
They are both comfortable and flattering for the inverted triangle body type, making them a top choice for women who would like to create curves by balancing their body proportions.
What to look for
Look for styles that create the illusion of longer legs and have a balancing effect on your body. It’s important to establish a balance between your broad shoulders on your upper body and the lower half of the body.
These can be jeans with details such as front and back pockets, distressed styles, and rips. It’s also okay to choose jeans that are brightly colored compared to your top. This helps to draw attention away from your upper body.
What to avoid
For the inverted triangle shape, a simple jeans style without extra details will not do any favors for your body shape. There’s a need to draw attention away from your upper body and you need details to achieve this seamlessly. Also, avoid dark-colored jeans as they have a naturally slimming effect.
This will make your lower body appear slimmer compared to your upper body, and further throw your silhouette off-balance. Avoid skinny jeans as well as they can be quite uncomfortable for your body frame. Don’t wear jeans styles in colors that are darker than your top.
Regardless of your body type, you can easily balance your torso and have a more flattering silhouette with the right pair of jeans.
